Since When Does Trouble Knock? (Forgotten Realms)

[LadyTevar]

YAY!
although the 'seduction' scene was very... uh... blunt. Amusingly so.

It was a bit of a stretch and I wasn't sure if it was going to work out.

It could have been done better, imho. But then again, I'm the one that has had interesting encounter like that with people I rp with.

[Imperial Overlord]

Well I'm not criticism phobic. If you have any tips or advice, firing off a PM to me with them would be appreciated.

[LadyTevar]

Well I'm not criticism phobic. If you have any tips or advice, firing off a PM to me with them would be appreciated.

Can't. Nitram doesn't like me cybering with anyone but him.

[Imperial Overlord]

Well I'm not criticism phobic. If you have any tips or advice, firing off a PM to me with them would be appreciated.

Can't. Nitram doesn't like me cybering with anyone but him.

Well, I left myself wide open for that one. *Staggers bleeding* I'm afraid *gapsp* this will be my . . . . . last *death rattle*

[Imperial Overlord]

Nalifan's face grew grave. "You can offer me nothing?"

"I am afraid not. I doubt any magic of mine that you could master would be more effacious than those you currently employ. Perhaps-"

The door opened. A young woman in robes of scarlett and white silk bowed. She was handsome, with bright eyes full of life. "Forgive me master, but there are guards at the door."

Adala raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes master. Two score men, a priest of Mystra, and a woman wearing a silver mask."

"The mask, it was in the shape of the face of a serenely beautiful woman?"

"Yes master."

"Inform High Mage Fadima that the drow is a guest of mine and no threat to the city."

"I did master. She was rather insistent on verifying this for herself."

"By all means allow her in. She appears to have a high opinion of your abilities Nalifan. Ah, I have been remiss. Sadira, this is the Arch-Mage and Necromancer Nalifan D'Azurientien. Nalifan, this is my apprentice Sadira. She is from an honorable family and bright enough to cause occassional fits of envy from her teacher."

"Thank you master," she bowed.

"A pleasure," Nalifan responded. She bowed and exited. "Nice girl. A little shy."

"I submit that you are bolder than most and your people, by the standards of most, are shameless. Therefore your judgement in this area may differ from that of most."

"True," Nalifan responded. The door opened again. A tall woman wearing silks of midnight blue and shining white strode in, followed by a slim man of ordinary height wearing silvered mail. A dour faced man wearing flowing blue cotton robes took up the rear.

"Ahh Fadina," said Adala Seyal. "Are you satisfied that my guest is not holding my household hostage?"

"He is drow," she replied.

"So is one of Mystra's Chosen. This one will do no harm unless provoked."

"That is not much of a reassurance."

"A man who provokes an arch-mage is a fool and in Calimshan we do not mourn fools. Now, is there anything else? You are welcome to stay."

"No thank you. I have had enough of this place." Sadira turned and left. The others trailed after her.

"She doesn't like you much," Nalifan observed.

"We parted ways under less than ideal circumstances. She still carries the wound."

"Lovers?"

"She was my apprentice. She was-, well it is a private matter. Things went poorly. Now, where was I? Yes, the best advice I can give you is to invoke the often overlooked principals of Similarity and Contagion. If you can aquire reagents to fuel your spells that possess power hostile to the inferno or a connection to it, you have a chance at succeeding in overcoming its defences."

"Thank you, arch-mage. What do I owe you?"

Adala waved his hand. "Nothing. An infernal is something I oppose on principal. A gold dragon's scale is more tha sufficient."

Nalifan rose and bowed again. "Thank you."

"May victory be yours."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

A hawk circled the ruined tower in the bog and then rose into the sky. It winged its way south, eating up the distance with powerful beats of its wings and long soaring glides. Miles fell away and then riders were ahead. The hawk spiralled down, shimmered, and Trizkel dropped the last few feet to the ground.

"Well?" Mikos asked.

"It's maybe four or five miles ahead. Nothing obvious guarding it, but there is something about that place, a taint."

"Something terrible happened there," Thiddeus replied. "The earth remembers and is poisoned by it. We should be wary."

Trizkel nodded. "Agreed. Let's give Thiddeus a look at this poisoned pit and see how it can help us." He pulled himself up on his horse. The others nodded in affirmation. "Let's ride."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

A man shrouded in black knelt. "My lord, I crave pardon. I have nothing but failure to report."

The man wearing the demon mask turned towards his faithful follower. "You are forgiven Scandar. The drow has employed a considerable of his power shielding himself and his companions from scrying. I am not surprised that you failed to locate them. I, on the other hand, have succeeded."

"That is good news lord."

"One does not have to search for them if one knows where they are likely to end up. Come with me Scandar and we will visit destruction upon them."

[Imperial Overlord]

There was a path carved by water run off leading down from the plains to the bog. Trizkel lead them to it. "Pretty steep," said Mikos. "We should leave the horses up top." Sylvetria nodded in agreement.

"Alright. Should someone stay with the horses?" he asked.

"Probably don't need to," Mikos replied. "I'll stay. If there's trouble I can fire down on it."

Trizkel nodded. "Then lets go." He started down the path. Kuuni bounced after. Thiddeus and Sylvetria proceeded more cautiously. The elf and the gnome quickly reached the bottom, a half submerged island of weeds and mud.

"Eeeh," Kuuni muttered. Trizkel smiled. The bottom of his boots just touched the surface of the water.

"There's some kind of spell over this place," Trizkel said.

"Yep," said Kuuni. "Scrying ward. Someone is keeping their eye on this place."

"Really?" replied Trizkel, raising an eyebrow.

Kuuni nodded. "Yep."

"We'll have to see if anyone shows up to greet us." He spoke up. "We might get company. Stay alert." He began walking. "Find the best route for the heavy people. I'll be ahead."

Kuuni scowled and danced along looking the solid ground as Trizkel strode ahead. A few flashes of her knife and she had a short pole for testing the ground, not that she mistrusted her eye. She began to scout out a route through the bog that left the big folk only midway up to their shins in mud.

Thiddeus looked around him. The earth here was twisted, wounded in some way. There was something else here as well. Something awesome and powerful. Something buried beneath that tower. Trizkel probably saw it as well, but he lacked Thiddeus's insight and knowledge. He was a drow warrior, not priest of the Earth Goddess. He saw, but did not understand.

But Trizkel did not see. The incident that had changed the land was ancient and its power had twisted the land and faded. The buried power was shielded from his sight by earth and stone.

Company arrived in a flash and the pop of displaced air. A robed figure in a black metal mask stood infront of the tower. On his right was a man wearing baggy black silk and a fluttering cloak. Dull black swords with twenty inch blades were gripped in each hand. On the left was a balor armed with a jagged edged sword and flaming whip.

"Bane's fist," swore Trizkel. The balor vanished in a flash of light and smoke, reappering in front of Sylvetria. The man in the demon mask uttered the initiators of a spell and flame erupted all around Trizkel's position. But the drow was no longer there.

Trizkel flashed back into the world right behind the mage. Arrows fell upon the mage as Mikos struck. On arrow missed. Another two vanished in blue flashes. Two struck home in its chest and yellow ichor oozed from the wounds. The mage didn't seem to notice.

The swordsman chraged at Trizkel. Trizkel parried the blades flashing at him. The human's technique was good and combined with his extraordinary speed, incredibly deadly. But Trizkel could match his speed and his technique. He stood his ground and countered every move.

The psychic warrior's counter-attack was devestating. He was used to fighting skilled and inhumanely fast opponents, but the human was clearly used to butchering inferiors. Trizkel preternatural strength forced smashed through the human's guard and beat him back. The drow gritted his teeth and pushed harder. He didn't have time for this. He needed to drop this human and kill the mage before he worked too much magic.

The mage ignored the drow and threw a ball of hell-red flame at Mikos. The archer rolled to the side as it exploded, filling the air the flame. He managed to only be licked by the flames, but the heat wave smashed into him like an ogre's club.

Thiddeus stepped forward and lunged at the balor, an insanely reckless move under normal cirucumstances. He took a blow from the demon's sword on his shield. The plain disk was made of spell hardened wood and bound and reinforced with enchanted steel. The force of the blow knocked Thiddeus almost to his knees, notched the steel, and splintered the wood. Smoke rose from the impact.

Sylvetria moved to the side, sloshing through the mud and water. She deflected the demon's fire whip with her shield and moved in. The momentary distraction gave Thiddeus his opportunity. He lunged forward and struck the demon just above the hip. Black blood spurted from the wound and smoked where it struck water.

Kuuni ran forward towards the assassin, water splashing with each step. The assassin spoke a word and flickered out of existence, appearing behind Kuuni and preparing to strike. Kuuni dropped and rolled, covering her self with muck, but evading the assassin's blades.

Purple lightning arced through the air, striking at Trizkel. His magical defences mostly failed, but his reflexes sufficed for him to mostly get out of the way. The charge he took sent him sprawling. The lighning arced to strike the position Kuuni had just vacated and to strike Sylvetria full in the back and drop her into the muck. The balor was between Thiddeus and the the lightning and its bulk served to shield Thiddeus from the lightning.

Kuuni ran around the assassin and sliced open his thigh with her dagger, despite his armor of enchanted spider silk. She easily dodged his blades and circled him, laughing like a wicked little girl. A few more cuts and then the kill. Easy easy, something she had done a hundred times before.

Trizkel moved like a charging lion, only moments away from completing the kill. Jagged steel was deflected away from the mage's body with flashes of cyan light. Mindeater sliced through invisible forces that protected better than steel plate, Trizkel's strength and its own power driving it through. The mage's flesh provided little resistance. Yellow pus oozed out. Trizkel twisted the blade and yanked it out. Wriggling segments of sliced worms came out with the blade.

The balor spoke a word of power and it smote Thiddeus senseless. The demon raised it sword for a finish blow when it took an arrow into the throat. Black blood pumped from the wound. An incoherent below rose into the sky.

Sylvetria rose to her knees and stabbed the demon in the hamstrings. It staggered forward and brought forth a cloud of darkness between him and Mikos. It then turned to finish Sylvetria who had risen to her feet.

The mage's robe fell open, revealing a wriggling mass of worms that formed a roughly man like shape. It rushed to embrace Trizkel. Surprise slowed Trizkel's reactions for a fraction of a second. It was enough.

The drow was engulfed in a swarm of biting worms. The borrowed through or around his mentally forged defences. Hundreds of mouths bit and chewed all over Trizkel's body. The drow staggered back, the front of his body awash in blood.

Mikos shifted targets. The assassin was challenging, moving swiftly with an ally of Mikos's in close proximity. Mikos loosed. The assassin moved, spoiling the shot. The arrow punched through the assassin's left shoulder instead of his neck. His left arm dropped. Kuuni punched the fourteen inch blade through the assassin's kneecap and he fell.

As Kuuni struck so did the balor. It drove Sylvetria back down to her knees. A second blow rendered her shield arm numb and cracked her shield. It raised its fire whip.

Thiddeus rose soundlessly and executed a perfect lunge. His blade slipped between the vertebra of the demon's lower back. The balor fell, its legs dead. It vanished in a cloud of smoke and fire as it struck the water.

Pain was not enough to conquer Trizkel and he had long ago learned to push his body beyond the mere limits of the flesh. He dropped Flesh Shredder and reached out with his hand and mind. The mass of worms had a mind and that mind could feel pain. The mind was stronger than the flesh and could make itself manifest upon the flesh it owned. Trizkel would send the pain of his wounds to the worms and they would manifest the wounds themselves.

He brushed the worms robes and projected his pain. His power splintered off spell shields. The effort and power was wasted. An extrended glove and a four syllable initiator spoken from dozens of tiny maws. Black lightning struck Trizkel and tore through his spell shields. Cold death washed over him. He fell to his knees, his strength ebbing away as he fought the chill power. He couldn't take another strike.

Arrows fell on the mage. Two struck the worms in the center of its mass and errupted into flame. The worm mass screamed a word and vanished as Kuuni drove her blade into the assassin's brain. The assassin's body toppled into the muck with a wet thud and then all was quiet.

[LadyTevar]

Once again, very well done. A bit chaotic, but any fight is that way.

[Imperial Overlord]

Once again, very well done. A bit chaotic, but any fight is that way.

Thank you gracious lady. All feedback, positive or negative, is appreciated.

[Imperial Overlord]

Sludge bubbled under Nalifan's boots. The necromancer spoke an initiator and was wrapped in currents of power that propelled him over the bog.

"You're late," quipped Mikos. The skin on the left side of the ranger's face was red and angry. "We could have used you about two hours ago."

Nalifan surveyed the area. Sylvetria was sitting back against the ruin, Trizkel's expossed flesh was covered with dozens of minor nicks. "What happened?"

"We got jumped by an assassin, a balor, and some kind of wizard," Trizkel said. "The assassin's rotting in the mod over there."

"The others?" Nalifan asked as he drifted across the bog.

"Got away," Mikos responded. Kuuni poked her head out from the entrance of the ruin and then went back in. "We hurt the balor bad. The wizard thing, I don't know."

Nalifan reached down with his left hand and pulled up the assassin's body. Holding the corpse at arm's length, he began to drift back to the ruin. "Tell me about the wizard."

"He teleported them in," Mikos said. "Probably was watching the site, unless he broke your ward. Fireball, chain lightning. A protective spell of some kind." He turned to Trizkel. "Anything else?"

"The blasting spells were enhanced. Very powerful. He had spell shields or magic resistance of some kind. And Finger of Death. He nearly felled me. And he wasn't human."

"Hmm," replied Nalifan as he began to strip the corpse. "Do tell." Weapons, pouches, and articles of clothing began to fall away into the muck.

"He was made of worms," said Trizkel. He past his hand over his body. "They did this. Through my force armor."

Nalifan stopped and looked directly at Trizkel. "He was made of worms. Humanoid in shape? Wore clothing and used tools?"

"Yes. Robe, mask, gloves, and boots. Didn't realize what he was until he opened his robe and lunged at me." Trizkel stopped for a moment. "Do you know what it is?"

"Yes," Nalifan replied. "I even think I know its name."

"You've heard of it?" Sylvetria asked. "You haven't been in Vaasa for longer than a day and I've lived here all my life. How have you heard of it?"

"It's a worm that walks and its name is probably Zhengyi."

"Zhengyi's dead," Sylvetria replied. "This was verified. No clone bodies, no ressurection. We made sure."

"Yes," replied Nalifan, "I'm sure you did. But he, or someone else, died with a head full of powerful magics. Power which was shaped and imprinted by his skills and his mind. Not all of that power dissapated when he died. Some of it went into the ground. And those remnants of power, personality, and will changed what it found there. Those fragments found hosts and remade themselves in the image of the original. That conglomeration isn't Zhengyi, but it was made from his power and shaped by his mind. It thinks it is Zhengyi and has the power to back that up."

"Merciful Ilmatar," swore Mikos softly.

"How often does this happen?" asked Trizkel.

"Accidently? Almost never. If you use magic to assist the process, it can happen but it is extremely unreliable. But the stronger and more hateful the mage, the more likely it is to happen."

"Hateful?" Mikos asked.

"Strong emotions are essential for the process. Malice so strong that it is willing to return as a mass of worms in order to continue on and get revenge is by far the trait most likely to produce a success." He looked around. "Ways of carrying on after death are an interest of mine. This one I've decided to pass on."

[LadyTevar]

:giggles:

Ok, that last line... did you mean it to come off that amusingly? It was just so straightforward, so matter-of-fact. I could almost see the group around staring at him as he trotted out his little information, thus the 'it's an interest of mine' comment, as if slightly defensively.

Intentionally or not, that line was perfect.

[Imperial Overlord]

Nalifan was making a joke and telling the truth. Nalifan's high opinion of himself extends to his wit.

[Imperial Overlord]

Nalifan floated into the slime encrusted room. Thiddeus and Kuuni were looking down at a much filled stairway. "Well, someone else is going to have to dig that out if we want to check down there," Kuuni exclaimed. "Someone big and strong and not me."

Thiddeus wrinkled nose. "Why would Chauntea send us here? To clear the blight? Why would Zhengyi care about it?"

"Zhengyi doesn't care about the blight," Nalifan said. "Or not much. Vashorak is another story."

"Why would he care?" Kuuni asked.

"If I'm right he was born here."

"So that's why this place is tainted," Thiddeus said.

"Probably a combination of the conception, the birth, and the death?"

"Conception?" Kuuni asked.

"Our good infernal friend is the product of the rape by Orcus of a minor godling sometime before the beginning of human history. The fetus grew quickly and tore itself out of his dying mother's womb in a matter of hours. Concpetion, birth, death."

Thiddeus shook his head. "And the taint endures."

"Yes, but why would anyone bother to build a building in a cursed place," Nalifan said.

"You already know," said Trizkel from the doorway. "Share with us, oh wise one."

"What would the surviving followers of the dead godling do? Build a momument or chapel or tomb at the place she fell. And what would you find in there?"

"The remnants of her body," Thiddeus said soflty.

"Correct," said Nalifan. "Her followers perished or converted. This accursed place was abandoned and all knowledge of this place faded away. It was abandoned and unlucky."

"But the earth remembered," said Thiddeus. "And so did the Earthmother."

"Exactly," said Nalifan. "Which is where you earned your keep."

"What now?" asked Kuuni. "What good does all that stuff do us?"

"Now," said Nalifan, "we engage in one of the most common and fundemental pursuits of the surface world necromancer. It is one that I have never performed, believe it or not, but I think I shall manage to perform up to everyone's lofty expectations."

"Which means what?" Thiddeus snapped.

"Grave robbing," Nalifan replied.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

An earthen colossus scooped mud out of the stairwell. "I have to admit," said Severa, "that's a really handy trick Nalifan has got."

"Yes," agreed Trizkel sitting down gingerly beside her. "Much better than any of us doing the digging. Let me declare my appreciation of the Art, our glorious leader, and earth elementals."

"So we dig down and find the goddess's bones or whatever is left of her. And Nalifan has some kind of trick he can do with those."

"Right," said Trizkel. "Beside still containing enough to enhance his spells they are tied to Vashorak. Association and contagion. With them Nalifan's spell will bite, hopefully enough to put Vashorak down."

"Let's hope it works," she said with a half smile.

"Lets," said Trizkel smiling back. "We make quite the pair. You will half healed burns from the lightning, me with half healed bites. I guess we'll have to postpone for latter. Again. If you really meant it."

A mischievous light entered her eyes. "You doubt me?"

Trizkel shrugged. "In Sembia woman dance around the subject. In the Dalelands they joke and tease about it and mix that with serious talk. In Cormyr women wear armbands to advertise if they're interested in company. I really have difficulty figuring out what human women mean on the subject of sex. Except for prostitutes. They're rather direct."

"Much experience with those?"

"No," he said. "Nalifan the expert on that subject. Actually, if you ask him he'll tell you he's an expert on almost all subjects."

"I've noticed a lack of modesty," she replied dryly.

"There is a word one uses to describe a drow arch-mage and noble who isn't proud. The word is insane."

"Hmm."

"Besides, you're not exactly short of pride."

She started to say something and then stopped. "True," she admitted. "And you as well."

"Aha!" came a shout from within. "Opening into the next floor. Trizkel I need your eyes."

"Duty calls," he said as he got up and walked toward the ruin.

[Umbras]

Keep it coming chief, Im having withdrawals here!

[Imperial Overlord]

Keep it coming chief, Im having withdrawals here!

Sometime Sundayish for Since When. I'm working more, playing Vampire: Bloodlines to stave off game withdrawl, and running a Vamp game at Librum. So Fanfic writing is slowing down.

But if you want I can have five Rat Ogres and three Grey Seers jump the group at the beginning of the session, pull a TPK, and go home and write.

[Umbras]

As long as I can outrun the rest of the group, I'm good

[Imperial Overlord]

The earth elemental crumbled into a pile of dirt. "So much for that," said Trizkel. He peered into the gloom of the half excavated tomb.

"It did its job," said Nalifan. "Another day or so and we'll have the bones."

"If they are there," said Trizkel. "Although with so much earth and stone blocking them, it's not surprising that I don't see them."

"Have faith," said Nalifan.

"In what?" Trizkel replied.

"In Chauntea who is unlikely to have sent us out here uselessly. And in our good friends watching this place so closely that they jumped on you almost the instant you showed up."

"Good point." Trizkel stopped for a second and then headed up the stairwell. "By the way, why didn't Zhengyi grab the bones himself?"

"He's freeing the spawn of her rape-murder. It is unlikely the power would have responded well to him."

"Ahh. Big explosion?"

Nalifan shrugged as he floated up after him, a gesture not lost due to Trizkel's all around vision. "Who knows? But something nasty is likely."

"Maybe we should just chuck the bones at them."

"Might work, might not. Using them to augment my spells will work."

"You're familiar with the technique?"

"Oh yes." The two drow reached the surface and stepped out into the twilight.

"How long will it take you to modify your spells?"

"None."

"Really?"

"Their built to accept that kind of augmentation."

"Right. I should have guessed. So we get the bones, hunt them down, and kill them. Sounds simple."

"Wrong. We show up tomorrow and they attack us before we get the bones."

Trizkel stopped and turned. "You're sure about that? Then we win. Without Vashorak, Zhengyi and whoever he teleports over is easy meat."

"Oh, I think we can plan on Vashorak making an appearance."

"It's not soon enough. We should have another ride."

"We don't."

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In a pocket dimension that resembled a large unfurnished building, the companions discussed their plans in a long hall around a circular table. Nalifan's spells had provided the manse and the security as well as the simple furniture that came with it.

"So," said Nalifan, "one has to remember that the device could break through Vashorak's bonds and bring him anywhere after about a month of charging and hold him free for about a day. But that place isn't ordinary. It was the place he was concieved and born. His connections are strong. It is very likely than Zhengyi can bring him through and that he will. He'll hit us with as many minions as he can muster as well as Vashorak and himself. He can't let us get those bones."

"So what do we do?" Mikos asked. "We barely beat them seperately. Together we reinforcements, how are we going to win?"

Nalifan smiled. "We have gained several pieces of crucial information from our previous encounters and this time, we know for sure that they will be there. To fail to appear is to forfit the bones and they can't do that and they have no army nearby. Everything must arrive via teleportation, which limits there numbers."

"He has a plan," said Trizkel.

"Yes, one that will probably work because it has a certain flexibility. It is crucial that everyone understand the limitations that we will work under. Creating this safe haven, scry blocking, and bringing in some additional reinforcements requires that I use a number of powerful spells for those purposes. Spells that I will not have available in battle. In addition, the necessities of defending myself and tearing through my opponent's defences again has its cost. It is unlikely that I will be able to come to anyone's aid. And Trizkel will be similarily committed."

Thiddeus glowered at Nalifan. Healing the rest of everyone's injuries had burned through one of his healing wands and Nalifan had waved asside the issue of how they were going to pay for a replacement. "So we're on our own?"

"No," said Trizkel, "but we won't be the ones to bail you out. Nalifan, Kuuni, and I will be busy with Vashorak and Zhengyi. We can't save the rest of you. You're going to have to deal with whatever friends they bring to the party and keep them off us. If one of you gets into trouble," Trizkel deliberately didn't look at Thiddeus or Mikos with his natural eye, "you're going to have to save each other."

"So, what's the plan," Mikos asked.

"That's it," replied Trizkel. "The odds of a mental attack are good. Kuuni, Nalifan, and I have the best resistances to that and are the ones that need to know. It's too big of a risk."

Mikos shook his head. "I see your point, but I don't like it."

Nalifan met his gaze. "Do you trust me to lead you through this? Have I ever failed to meet a challenge? We know this foe. I tell you he can and will be beaten."

Mikos nodded. "Good enough for me."

"Wait a minute," Syvetria said, "don't I get a say in this?"

"Yes," replied Nalifan.

"Well, I'm screwed if you don't win so I'm in."

"Good," said Nalifan. "Now to put our plan in motion. Kuuni, if you would be good enough to come with me, there are few details we must attend to."

[LadyTevar]

The planning was rather... blunt.

The idea of using the bones of the godling, on the other hand, perfect.

[Umbras]

Nalifan has always been that way, that is why Trizkel sticks around. He has alot of respect for Nalifan and they have both influenced each other sice they first met.

Trizkel has no allusions that Nalifan is superior to him in many ways, but thats what happens when you have lived an isolated life, he has pushed himelf to the limits with his mind and body, but still has a lot to learn in the finer points of diplomacy/dealing with others.

[Imperial Overlord]

The artificial manse was large enough to give everyone their own room, albeit one devoid of furnishing. Sylvetria doffed her armour lay down her bed roll. She laid her sword down, within easy reach should she be disturbed this night. She did not feel like sleep.

She clenched and unclenched the fingers of her right hand nervously. She had been injured before, one does not grow up on the frontier in a household where everyone works and avoid injury. Especially if the one in question question really wanted to learn how to use swords. Before this nightmare began, she had been healed twice by a priest. Once it had been a bad burn on her hand, the other time it had sped the healing of a broken bone. She remembered Hermus Nomanson holding her other hand and smiling as he made the pain go away. She had been four at the time.

She scowled. Vashorak had killed him, as he murdered her brother and all the others. She had sworn she would preserve her kin, those with whom she shared her blood and those who she had been raised with. The oath had taken her to temple in Darmshall, down past Zhentil Keep and the south to the Dalelands to court dark elves, and back again. She had faced monsters of whose existence she would still be ignorant of if she had been presented the choice.

She had smelled her own flesh burn, felt pain consume her whole being, and she had forced herself back into the fight. She had won no victories, the glory had gone to others. Thiddeus had healed her, undoing the ruin of her flesh as if it was all an illusion. Now it was almost over and she was facing the demon spawned offspring of an dead goddess and Zhengyi himself, reborn in a more terrible form.

She didn't have Mikos's skills, Trizkel's powers, or Nalifan's magic. She had ancestral arms earned by heroes greater than she. Beings that could kill or heal with a few words or challenge demons from the Abyss and win. She was way over her head and would last as long as it took for one of the combatants to notice her and step on her.

"Are you all right?" came Trizkel's voice.

She whirled to see him in the doorway. "Fine," she replied, almost snarling the word.

"Your sword hand is shaking," he said. "Are you sure?"

"Just pre-battle jitters. I'll be fine."

"Good," said Trizkel. "I used to get them as well. After the first dozen or so beings I killed, they died off. It's strange. I was raised by svirfneblin since I was twenty, but I never went into battle like they did. No hesitation or reticence, just exhiliration and the joy of combat. Blood tells, I guess. Not that I know anything about my ancestors beyond the obvious."

"Nothing at all?" she asked.

"The names and faces of my parents and that's about it," Trizkel responded. He furled his brow. "I should probably remember more. Perhaps the trauma of being orphaned . . . ." his voice trailed off.

"Never mind," he said. "What was I saying? Any way, we're going to be fine. Nalifan's got a plan and it's going to work."

"Where is he now?" she asked.

"Putting new spells in Kuuni's ring." His smile was cruel. "A nasty surprise our enemies. By the time they know what's happening, it will be too late."

"You sound very confident."

"It's a good plan."

"I would be happier if you had destroyed that accursed sphere when you had the chance."

"The summoner?" Trizkel asked. "My thoughts as well. Nalifan disagreed."

"He disagreed?!" she shouted. She paused for a second, collecting herself. She was too much on edge. "Why? And why did you not destroy it?"

Trizkel quoted, his voice becoming more of a softer purr. Nalifan when he was speaking sweet reason. "Destroy a sixth magnitude energy matrix constructed from spell reinforced adamantine? Almost impossible to destroy and it has additional protections as well. We will have one chance, which will probably fail, and then it will be destroyed or returned to its maker. If we succeed, the maker will make another, if he hasn't already. This one I understand. This is knowledge I can use."

He paused and resumed his normal tone of voice. "That's exactly what he said."

"You can remember precisely what Nalifan said days ago but you can't remember anything about your family?"

He nodded. "Odd, I know. Trauma's not exactly predictable . . . ." His voice trailed off. "What were we talking about?"

"You were talking about Nalifan's less than brilliant decision to not destroy the summoner was actually a good idea. Nice try on shifting the conversation."

He smiled. Once you got past that metal thing on his head, he was really quite handsome. "I don't like to talk about a plan cnce we have a one that we are going to act on it. Indecision and weakness lie in that route Just shut up, go with it, and fix all the things that go wrong. No plan is perfect anyway and the gods of chaos always have their hand it. Hells, Tempus is one of their number."

"Alright," she said. "Do you think we're actually going to win?"

"Oh yes. Nalifan's been working on variants of this plan ever since we found that damned device."

Enlightenment dawned. "He wants them both to be there." A note of awe, or perhaps horror, entered her voice. "He's thinks we can beat them both at the same time. He's insane."

"No, he's a war wizard who knows his enemies and their plan of action. We have them right where we want them. They have to show up tomorrow or we take the bones. Then we kill them all."

"You're sure of that?"

"Positive. Half a day before the killing begins, before we dance with sword and spell. I can't wait." His eye glowed with fire.

"You're not afraid?"

"Not at all," he said. "And even if I was, I would still be looking forward to this."

"I am," she said softly. "I feel like a goblin among giants. The power that is thrown around-" He stopped her words with the gentle touch of his finger on her lips.

"You'll be fine. I promise. We'll come through this. Some of us may have to be dragged back from the other side of death, but we've done that before. In the end, it'll be alright."

"Your word on it?" Sylvetria whispered.

"My word," he said as he enfolded her in his arms.

[LadyTevar]

Ahh.. very nice fade to black there. And a very good way to work off those nervous jitters

[Imperial Overlord]

*bows*. Thank you, my lady.

[Imperial Overlord]

Kuuni fiddled with her ring as Mikos and Thiddeus trippled checked their gear. Personally, she prefered Nalifan's fall back plan, but that was mostly because she hated any form of responsibility. When it came to do or die time, she always wanted an exit within reach. With Nalifan's plan, she couldn't take it even if it was there.

The arch-mage glided, calm and content as if they weren't about engage a foe who would burn the Celestial Planes if given the chance. A score or so orbs of silvery light orbited him. A small lizard poked its head out from his collar. "Everyone ready?" he asked.

"Yes," said Thiddeus. Mikos nodded. Kuuni fidgeted.

"Yes," said Trizkel as he and Sylvetria entered behind Nalifan. They were girded for battle, armoured in spell hardened steel and psionic force patterns. "Let's do it." Mindeater's naked blade seemed to hum in anticipation.

Nalifan smiled as the the blade of psichoactive crystal mirrored its wielder's thoughts. He himself sported a grin at the thought of the slaughter to come. He swept his hand through the air and uttered the initiator of his spell.

Displaced air rushed away from the adventures with a crack as they materialized in the mire. "Spread out," Nalifan ordered. They were right by the ruined building. "Remember, take out their support. Don't worry and Zhengyi or Vashorak. Their time is over."

Sylvetria took a few steps to the side as Kuuni darted into the building. Mikos pulled himself up the weathered and slimy stone face, speedily scaling the surface. He pulled himself to the top of ruin and drew his bow. From this position, he commanded every avenue with enchanted arrows blessed by Thiddeus.

As Thiddeus slid over by Sylvetria she asked, "how much longer?"

"Zhengyi has to complete his summoning and then teleport over here with his minions," said Nalifan. "Thiddeus, bring in the earth elemental. We have to give him incentive to show up now and not wait until he can bargain with half of Asmodeus's court for reinforcements."

Thiddeus nodded and spoke ritual words of invocation. Mud rose into a column the height of an orge. It's lines soften and reshaped into a vaguely humanoid mass. "Dig out the dirt of the bottom level," Thiddeus commanded.

The elemental lumbered forward obediantly, squeezing its bulk into the ruined doorway. "Soon," said Nalifan. The lizard had moved to the back of his cloak. "As soon as he preperations are complete, which will depend on several factors which are this point unknown-" A brilliant yellow flash interrupted his words.

Zhengyi had not come alone. The red-black form of Vashorak stood beside him and a snarling balor guarded each flank. Two humanoids in adamantine full plate with broad shields guarded their master. Four vroks with serrated edged ranseurs and armoured with plates of purple metal stood behind their master. A pair of vrok vulture demons carrying sheaths of javelins stood by the humans. Lastly, a grostequely demon combining the worst features of ape and boar snarled off to the side. Tiny wings sprouted from its shoulders.

"Ilmatar have mercy," Sylvetria whispered.

Thiddeus's response was more pratical. "Elemental!" he roared. "Kill those abominations!"

Zhengyi spoke initiators to a spell designed to shred every active spell and wreck every device in the adventurer's possession. It would ruin the loot, but it was worth it. Whether or not the power was bound by divine grace, arcane art, or psionic skill; it would be disjoined. A second behind his ally, Vashorak brought into being a crackling balls of awesome power.

Zhengyi finished the last word and unleashed his spell. Awesome energies were unleashed and then scattered as they countered by a nearly identical spell from Nalifan's lips. Motes of cobalt light fell slowly to the ground throughout the mire like snowflakes, a biproduct of the unleashed energies. Vashorak unleashed his hellball with a snarl.

The greenish sphere sped through the air. It would detonated with awesome force. The initial blast would shatter stone, break bones, and rupture organs. The pulse of lightning that came with it and the wave of literally burning acid would suffice to kill almost instantly any creature that survived the initial blast.

Ten of the silvery orbs orbiting Nalifan vanished in brief flashes of light and so did the hellball, a moment before detonation. The lizard on his cloak vanished. A tall being of awesome power floated above Nalifan.

It was androgynous, perhaps nine feet tall with a lithe muscular form. It had alabaster skin, coal black shoulder length hair, and blazing stars for eyes. Its features had the regularity and perfection that statues might possess combined with the anima of the living. It wore a simple robe of black silk around its body. From its shoulders were two great swaths of utterly black, wing shaped void. Arcane flared around the fingers, in the eyes, and in the voice of the arcane angel as it spoke spells in three voices and energy to fuel its spells poured from its outstreached voids.

[Imperial Overlord]

The Vrocks took to the air. One of the javelin armed ones fell, struck in the shoulder, chest, and neck by Mikos's arrows. Thiddeus raced recklessly forward as the arcane angel ascended overhead. Sylvetria followed the priest as he pushed ahead, the earth elemental trailing behind him. The armoured men rushed to meet them.

A eye searing beam of jade light errupted from the angel's hand blasted the balor on the right out of the existence while it simoultaneously suppressed the ape-boar demon's sorcery. The other balor extended its talons, black energy crackling on its fingertips. In a moment terrible power would be unleashed against the celestial that Nalifan's magic had summoned to aid him in this battle.

Nalifan finished his spell first. A soul rending screem errupted around Vashorak, Zhengyi, the surviving balor, and the beastial Nalfeshee sorcerer and cyan shadows swarmed overthem. Vashorak had resisted a similar spell from Nalifan and thus immune thanks to his intrinsic resistances. Zhengyi was protected by a potent enchantment that turned hostile spells aside. The demons were immensley tough and resistant to all but the mightiest of magics.

The fiends died instantly and the balor exploded in a flash of light. Vashorak was staggered and Zhengyi was bowled over into the muck. Scrub trees and bushes were blown into burning fragments and the foot men were staggered by the balor's death blast. A fragment of the deadly spell ricochetted back towards Nalifan, but fizzled and dispersed before ever reaching him. The magic of the potent bracer Weave Binder insured that his spells could not be turned against him.

The arcane angel spoke terrible spells. The moisture evaporated from the bodies of the ranseur armed vrocks and the vulture demons fell from the sky as shrivled and dried up mummies. A javelin from the surviving vrock pierced its left leg and another vanished into the void of its right wing. The demon screamed in frustration. Mikos put an arrow through each wing and a third trough its abdomen. The vrock tumbled from the sky.

Vashorak extended his talons, black lightning coursing between them. A ball of absolute black flashed forth and struck the arcane angel. The celestial seemed to collapse into itself, shrinking to the size of a human's fist and then exploded in a rain of gore. The infernal howled in joy as the the warriors clashed in front of it.

Thiddeus's opponent slammed the cleric back with his shield and opened a cut in the priests right bicep despite the protection of his enchanted mail. He moved to press the advantage. Sylvetria stepped back out of the way of her opponent's shield bash and smashed him in the side of the head with her sword. Fragments of steel flew from the enchanted helmet and her foe staggered. She followed up with a shield bash. He lost his footing in the slippery mud and went over.

Trizkel appeared behind Thiddeus's opponent in a whumpf of displaced air. Cat quick the drow swept the warrior's legs out from under him and turned to deal with Vashorak and Zhengyi. If he had still been a man Zhengyi would have snarled when he realized that Trizkel was protected by a spell of reflection, much as he had been. Instead the worm-mage began to cast as the drow closed the distance. Four blazing spheres of crimson energy flashed forth from Zhengyi's hands and detonated mere feet from Trizkel.

As Zhengyi unleashed his fiery meteors, Vashorak utilized another power. Tearing down Nalifan's spell protections would be time consuming and irritating. He took a step forwand and wrenched space, appearing directly before the drow sorcerer. "Now you die on my talons, little mage."

[Imperial Overlord]

Trizkel leapt up from the water, now boiling from the heat of the meteor swarm blasts. The dank water and the ring he wore had helped shelter him from the worst of meteor swarm's blast, although he sported serious burn over much of his body. Magic would heal those if he survived this fight. Nalifan's voice screamed in his mind. Now!

He exerted his will. Where he once stood, there stood Nalifan. And where Nalifan was there was now Trizkel. The drow warrior dropped his blades and extended his hand to seize the infernal's wrist. "Gotcha," he smiled through bleeding lips. And then Trizkel began to change.

He had taken on the form of a hawk for scouting but for this struggle a different form was called for. His skin turned grey and hard and his arms bulged with even more muscle. Barbed tentacles sprouted from his sides as his form distended and grew. A nightmare now grappled with a nighmare as Trizkel cannabalized his psychic resources into augmenting his strength. He wrapped one of his tentacles around Vashorak's leg and pulled it out from under him, toppling them both into the muck.

Kuuni ducked out from hiding and released a spell from her ring, anchoring Trizkel and all he touched in space and time. The drow laughed savagely. "No teleport tricks now!"

Zhengyi reacted quickly as Nalifan appeared in Trizkel's place, still surrounded by a half dozen silver orbs. He first words of a spell were produced from a thousand tiny mouths in horrid unison. Nalifan finished his first. A beam of ebony and ruby death struck Zhengyi. His spell turning had been spent, his other protections insufficient. The great mass of worms died and his robed body became a quivering mass of dead flesh. Nalifan turned to rest of the battle.

Swords were not the best weapons against plate, but magic could alter the balance. Sylvetria hacked her opponent's thigh as he tried to rise, smashing through armour and and cracking bone. She shield punched the staggering warrior in the head, knocking him back down and then stabbed him in the throat. His gorget didn't stop the enchanted blade from crushing his trachea. The warrior gargled and attempted to rise. Sylvetria stomped him in the head and drew a long, slim blade from her belt to finish it.

Thiddeus's opponent had risen, despite the rain of blows the warrior-priest had rained upon him since Trizkel had knocked him down. The blade in the Thiddeus's hands bore powerful enchantments and a dire working aimed at killing humans. Enchanted plate had not been enough to ward off the baleful blade. Flesh was bruised and bones had cracked. Thiddeus circled right, the warrior shuffled to counter and his perception widened. The earth elemental had caught up. The amalgamation of dirt and rock raised a fist the size of the warrior's chest and death descended.

Trizkel and Mikos grappled with the Vashorak, pitting augmented strength against immortal flesh. For the moment they were succeeding in keeping the abomination down and subdoing its attempts to escape their pin, but the effort was exhauasting the the infernal's strength seemed limitless. Vashorak howled in frustration as Trizkel's barbs slid off its skin. "You will gain nothing by this! You only delay your deaths! Soon you will tire and then I will slay you all!"

"I don't have to kill you," Trizkel gloated, "just hold you long enough." Nalifan walked forward, ready to act if necessary. He had a spell ready that would call upon the higher powers to reorder reality. He would use it to augment one of his death spells so it could tear through the infernal's defences and slay it. There was considerable cost involved with calling upon the powers, cost he would not pay if he could avoid it. That's why it was the fall back plan.

Kuuni popped back up out of hiding near the infernal's head. "Remember this?" she asked, dagger held lightly in her hand. Vashorak gave a mighty heave, but it was not enough. Mikos and Trizkel held him down and the blade descended. Burning blood jetted up as the blade punched into Vashorak's throat. Then the gnome drove the blade into Vashorak's skull. The infernal convulsed and then was still.

"It's dead," said Trizkel as he rose from the body, assuming his natural shape. "We won."

[LadyTevar]

A bit confusing in places, but damn what a great story! What Celestial did he summon? And how sure are they that Vashorak is dead?