# The Adventures of the Knights of Spellforge Keep- UPDATED 6/6



## Dr Midnight

_Circles and rings, dragons and kings 
Weaving a charm and a spell 
Blessed by the night, holy and bright 
Called by the toll of the bell _
*-NEON KNIGHTS, Black Sabbath *

This is the eighthENboards Knights thread for this campaign tale, formerly known as the Knights of the Silver Quill. 

To read the entire story (up until Session 47, at least)  click here. 

Volumes I-III on the old ENboards should be back sometime...?... with reader commentary. 

Volume IV (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.

Volume V (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.  

Volume VI (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.  

Volume VII (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.  

THE CHARACTERS (as of Session 50): 

SIR VEK MORMONT
The descendant of a traitor to Wee Jas, Vek was raised to believe in the goddess of death and magic. He became the champion of Wee Jas, and executes Her will, smirking his quiet grin all the while. He's become a powerful lich and is one of the deadliest things in all of the world. His wry and dark sense of humor matched with his devastating spells and brilliant tactics make him invaluable to the group.

KIZZLORN SPELLFORGE
"Little Kizz," the daughter of two heroes of the Knights of the Silver Quill, has proven a born leader. She has an innate sense of what is right and wrong, and treats people fairly. With her pseudodragon (posing as a cat) Snooky, she leads the Knights into whatever troubles the world cares to throw at them.

GRUMBAR
The most emotional member of the Knights, Grumbar is a half-orc with a big greatsword. He likes pie. He eats pie. He's easily upset, and voraciously hungry when feeling sad. He swings his sword without care for strategy or care for plans. Grumbar knows that if you hit things enough they fall down, so that's what he cares about. That and pie.

JAMISON CROW
Jamison is the only remaining member of the original Knights of the Silver Quill group. Through a spot of bad luck, he’s also one of Greyhawk’s most feared mass murderers… but he’s okay now. He’s a happy-go-lucky wizard with little care for consequences. He’ll run right up to a lever in a dungeon room and pull it. His familiar, Scratch the weasel, squeaks in terror every time he does something stupid… which is just about every day. It’s a miracle he’s survived this long. Through it all, though, Jamison has proven he’s got a big heart, and though he’s not the smartest man, he’s a true and loyal friend. 

OAKEN
A very recent addition, little is known about this elf. His chalk-white skin and hair coupled with his white pupils make him a striking, if unattractive, person to look upon.  He’s a druid in search of an artifact called the Key of Thuriaq- which, as it turns out, is being sought to free a colossal demon upon the world. 

EDGE
This reserved halfling monk came to the group with his own motivations, and seems to keep them to himself. He doesn’t care much for friendship, and doesn’t mind stealing from anyone he meets, as long as he doesn’t believe they’re a threat. He clings to the shadows and seems to be hiding something about his inordinately long incisors…

SPELLFORGE KEEP
Kizzlorn’s father, Rafflorn Spellforge, won this grand castle pulling from a Deck of Many Things twenty years ago. It sits at the borders of the ruined city of Verbobonc. A graveyard lies out back, beneath a huge willow tree. In the front, the skeleton of a defeated white dragon serves as a playplace for local children. Inside, various artifacts and treasures beyond count line the walls. Each tells a story the Knights have lived through. Horacio the chef will be happy to make you a meal in the dining hall, and you can relax in one of the many guest suites. Just don’t go downstairs… Vek’s deadly dungeon serves as his private quarters, and is a well-defended haven for his phylactery. 

RECENTLY:
The Knights journeyed north for the final battle with Acessiwal, the ancient white dragon that has been plaguing them for years. After a tremendously successful adventure, the Knights returned to Spellforge Keep, riding their enemy’s animated corpse. Things seem right with the world, but there are still whispers of Jamison’s old confidant wandering the world, attempting to free primeval monsters, or “titans”, from their subterranean prisons. Something is happening, and it looks like the entire world will soon be in danger… again.

Read on…


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## SpaceBaby Industries

*Parents and child*

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although it would be easy to rez Raff and Kat, I think we're going to lay them to rest, and keep our current characters. They have been dead for about 15 years or so, and somehow, I feel it wouldn't be right to bring them back now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Had you considered raising them and letting them function as NPCs? I would have thought someone like Kiz, who lost her parents when she was a small child, would very much want them back. She's still young enough chronologically (i.e., not 35 and with a family of her own) for that to still matter, isn't she? 

I can't see either parent turning down the chance to return either. They missed enough of their daughter's life as it is. That would be a regret I think would follow you even into the bright afterlife wherever Pelor calls home.

Maybe all of this is more details and complexity than you need for the campaign, and I hope I'm not giving the impression I'm critical of the role playing skills of those involved or the campaign quality - both are clearly excellent. It simply struck me as dissonant for the reasons I mention above.

One last thought: it certainly would be interesting if Kyla got ressurected. I can see her definitely coming back to do more work for her Patron in order to make Oerth a better place, and imagine the interesting ramifications vis a vis Vek! What can the Blazing Sun still do, particularily against undead? 

Would Kyla know about what's happened to her earthly remains?

It would take a True Resurrection probably due to the lack of (available) body, but I recall that Elmo gave the Knights a scroll of that very spell back in the post Temple party. Whatever happened to that anyways?


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## Ziona

I had actually mentioned bringing back Raff & Kat, thinking that they could live in the castle and run the magic shop as Kat's parents had, but after some discussion, we agreed that laying them to rest was the proper thing to do.

Although Kizz would have loved to have her parents in her life, I think it would not have been the right thing.  She may often wonder what life would have been like for her if her parents had never gone, but bringing them back suddenly after all she had been though would have been awkward, to say the least.  She grew up a certain way because she was raised by someone other than her parents, and having them back would not change that now. 

Kizz was kind of forced to grow up fast; her parents died when she was a baby, her brother's left when she was a child, and at 16, she has become a woman and an adventurer, seeing more danger than most see in their entire life. I just felt that laying them to rest was more fitting.  To me, it marks her journey from adolescence to adulthood...she set out to find her parents and  she accomplished  that goal. She is now able to move on to other aspects of her life.

Thinking about Kat's outlook and attitude when I played her, I think she would have been content to be laid to rest with her husband.  She accepted the dangers of adventuring, and although she & Raff missed out on watching their children grow up, they have been dead for 15 years and, in my mind, that's an awful long time to spend in Pelor's Shining Light to be pulled back to Oerth.  (Almost thinking of it in Buffy terms...)

At any rate, I think Kat & Raff are proud that Kizz accomplished all that she has so far, and would be content to finally rest together, which allows Kizz to grow up and move on to other things in her life.

There...I'm done being all thoughtful and mushy...  
/puts hands in pockets and shuffles feet around
/clears throat

My orc name is Shagbag the Crazy! Raaarh! Muuusaarrrghhh!!


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## Dursk Starkfire

I agree with ya Kizz, 15 years in Pelors' court would help you forget your troubles on Oerth. I imagine they'll be waiting for Kizz in the next life (and probably visited her while she was dead, but she probably has no memories of these things 

BTW: Did Kizz get Kyla's Sun medallion?


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## Richards

Okay, we've heard from many of the Knights' players about how they felt the final battle with Acessiwal went.  In the interests of hearing both sides of the story, here's what I imagine Acessiwal would have to say about the whole thing.  The following parody song, "You Got Lucky," is sung to the tune of the same name by Tom Petty.

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

*YOU GOT LUCKY*

I scried and watched what you did
I flew and killed off your castle staff
Vek's gem sure was well hid
But I found it and had a good laugh
Then...we fought...
But remember
Good foes are hard to find
Good foes are hard to find
You got lucky, Knights
You got lucky, Knights
When you killed me

You dispelled all of my buffs
And then Crow cast that dancing spell
Dragon waltzes are tough
I tap-danced my way straight into Hell
So now...I'm dead...
But remember
Good foes are hard to find
Good foes are hard to find
You got lucky, Knights
You got lucky, Knights
When you killed me

And though...I'm dead...
I remember
I survived countless spars
Now I'm just monkeybars
You're damn lucky, Knights
You're _damn lucky_, Knights
I can't kill you

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

Johnathan
Self-Appointed, Unofficial Bard to the _Knights of Spellforge Keep_ Campaign


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## Lela

*Re: Parents and child*



			
				SpaceBaby Industries said:
			
		

> *
> It would take a True Resurrection probably due to the lack of (available) body, but I recall that Elmo gave the Knights a scroll of that very spell back in the post Temple party. Whatever happened to that anyways? *





They used it to raise the woman Gryph killed when he threw a barell of that tainted mead.  Turns out she was a snake creature--though they never explored it.


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## Dr Midnight

*SESSION 50
20th of Ready’reat
ONE WISH* 

“Horacio.”

The chef froze, cringing, and turned around. “…Yes?” He tried to hide the desperate seething frustration he was feeling from his tone. 

“Know what I could go for?”

“I don’t know, Meestair Grumbar. What.”

“Guess!” Grumbar’s face scrunched up in a happy, holding-back-the-giggles expression that just looked ridiculous on a half-orc. 

Horacio sighed. “Dragon meat. How would you like eet?” He had just gotten done scrubbing the pans clean after the last four course meal Grumbar had eaten, roughly an hour and a half ago.

“Dragon ribs! You know, the big barbecued kind that make your fingers all sloppy and you gotta lick ‘em.”

Patiently, Horacio tried to get out of it. “Meestair Grumbar, the meat is here, but the dragon’s ribs are outside being used as monkey bars for leetel cheeldren. Besides, the dragon’s ribs are each about a foot in diametair.”

“Don’t care. Okay, how ‘bout a big batch of dragonburgers? Fat and juicy and you gotta hold it with both hands. Three of ‘em, I think.”

“Eef that ees your wish.”

“It ees.” Grumbar giggled. 

“I weel make your food, meestair Grumbar,” Horacio said as he took down the enormous cast-iron skillet from the dishrack, where it was drying. “Please do not make fun of my accent.”

A deep gong noise rang through the atrium- someone was at the door. “Dooor!” Grumbar yelled, causing Horacio to wince again and drop his skillet. 

“OUT! OUT OF MY KITCHEN!!”

Oaken walked through the dining hall of Spellforge Keep to the main gate. The drawbridge was down, and the portcullis was in place, allowing the warm fall air to push through the castle. Standing there were two men. One was tall and handsome, with armor and a sword strapped to his back. One wore a cloak and cowl. They bore striking similarities, though. They both had red hair and freckled cheeks, and the same strong jawline. 

Oak asked “May I help you?” in an icy tone that said that he did not enjoy being roused from his books in the library. He’d been engrossed in a particularly gripping account of one druid’s grove, and how he saved it from marauding orcs. 

“Um… This is Spellforge Keep, am I correct?”

“Yes.”

“Is Kizzlorn Spellforge around?”

“Yes. What is this about?”

The two men exchanged glances. “Can we speak to Kizzlorn, please?”

“Why?”

Kizzlorn’s voice behind him cut off the answer. “Oh, Oak, simmer down and stop snapping at people. Who is it?”

The tall man grinned. “KIZZ!”

Kizzlorn shrieked. “RAELIN! KYLER!” She flung up the catch for the portcullis, and it raised. She ran and hugged her laughing brothers. “Oh, I can’t believe it! Let me look at you!” She pulled back and smiled. “You look great! All dressed up in armor… and you, Kyle. You look like a thief!”

“We prefer to be called rogues, now,” he joked. 

Raelin said “You look terrific, Kizzie! All grown up. How long has it been?”

“Three years. Three long years since you guys LEFT me ALONE in that horrible place…”

“You were too young to come with us, you know that. We had a path to follow.”

“Well, we can fight over it later. Come in, come in!”

Kyler looked about as they walked into the dining hall, past Imix’s fiery sword hanging on the north wall. “So this is Spellforge Keep. Dad won THIS with a draw from a deck of cards?? Nice…”

“Oh, yeah, this place is terrific. I’ll give you the grand tour.”

Oaken spoke up. “Barring, of course, the dungeon.”

“Of course. Raelin, Kyler, may I present a recent addition to the Knights of Spellforge Keep: Oaken Stormfire.” 

The druid glared at them coldly. “A pleasure. What, may I ask, brings you to my home?”

“YOUR home?” Raelin laughed. “What’s the name on the deed? What’s the name of the Keep?”

“Spellforge,” Kizz smiled. “But don’t go getting any ideas. I put a lot of work into this place, and I’m not letting you two take over without a fight.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. It’s just so good to see you again, Kizz.”

She hugged them again. “I know. It’s been so long. How long are you in town for? Oh, you have to stay, we’ll have to have dinner. We have several tons of white dragonmeat, and I promise you, you’ve never tasted any steak so succulent.”

Kyler said “I can’t wait. We heard about that… you killing Acessiwal. That’s one of the reasons we came.”

“One of?”

“Well… you know. Congratulate you, catch up with our baby sister, visit Spellforge Keep for the first time.”

Raelin said “Pay our respects to Mom and Dad.”

Kizzlorn nodded. “Yes. They’re out back, under the large willow tree. I picked a beautiful spot. I’ll take you out there in just a moment.” She turned her head to the kitchen and called out loudly. “Horacio?”

“Yes?”

“We will take dinner in the hall tonight. Could you please begin preparing some dragon steaks, cooked low over a fire? We will have two guests tonight, so set extra places.”

“Yes, my lady! Of course. Right away.” 

As Kizzlorn led her brothers outside to visit her parents’ graves, she could have sworn she heard the sound of several pots and pans clashing together furiously, along with shouted curse words in an unfamiliar language. 

_*MORE TO COME…*_


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## Horacio

Hey, my role ees getteeng beegger and beeger!


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## Celtavian

*Re*

Doc will probably kill off Kizz's brothers to provide more drama for his story. Poor Kizzlorn will be an emotional wreck after her whole family is killed off.


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## wolff96

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *Doc will probably kill off Kizz's brothers to provide more drama for his story. Poor Kizzlorn will be an emotional wreck after her whole family is killed off. *




I actually figured they were already dead.

They left her behind -- I was thinking they went off to do the same thing Kizz eventually did. And that big A got them.

But apparently I was wrong. 

...Probably.


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## Morrow

Don’t trust ‘em!  What kind of heroes show up right after all the heavy lifting is done?  (Well, replacement characters, of course, but barring that…)

The Spellforge brothers are clearly representatives of unspeakable Eeevil.

Morrow


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## Lela

Morrow said:
			
		

> *Don’t trust ‘em!  What kind of heroes show up right after all the heavy lifting is done?  (Well, replacement characters, of course, but barring that…)
> 
> The Spellforge brothers are clearly representatives of unspeakable Eeevil.
> 
> Morrow *




I couldn't agree more.  These guys are here to tell Kizz they need help getting out of something they should never have been involved in.  It's all going to twist and turn until finally someone dies they realize this isn't a game.  One will then sacrafice himself to save the others.

Or just the first half of that.    But still, they are clearly representatives of unspeakable Eeevil.


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## Victim

They might not even be Kizz's real brothers.  It's been years since she last saw them.  And they didn't even check with True Seeing.  

The group needs some serious lessons in paranoia.


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## Dursk Starkfire

but paranoia doesn't lead well to the story hour.  Let's face it, writing up 3 hours of in-game session time spent searching for traps isn't overly exciting, in-game or on the SH thread. Plus, we'd never have the succubus incident.


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## fenzer

Hey Horacio, have you seen _The Little Mermaid_ ?  You're a chip off the old block.  Except that guy has trouble with sea food.


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## Dr Midnight

I love it when you guys try to figure out what I'm going to do.


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## Horacio

Sammael99 said:
			
		

> I *lurve* the way Horacio says "leetel cheeldren"...
> 
> So Spanish...  [/B]




Yup, he caught perfectly my poor English accent!
I really ROFLOL when I read the update, it's SO funny


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## Celtavian

*Re*

Here is the other possible option for Doc: 

Kizz's brothers show up. Somehow they find out Jamison killed their parents. They try to kill Jamison. Kizz has to stand in the way.

Imagine the drama Doc can derive from a such a scenario. He would love it.


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## Breakstone

Maybe Dartan has hired them?

Oh, and Doc, I loved the "We prefer to be called rogues, now" line. Great stuff!


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## Lela

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *Here is the other possible option for Doc:
> 
> Kizz's brothers show up. Somehow they find out Jamison killed their parents. They try to kill Jamison. Kizz has to stand in the way.
> 
> Imagine the drama Doc can derive from a such a scenario. He would love it. *




That's brilliant Celtavian!  Truely RBDM stuff.

Ziona is going to kill you.


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## Datt

New thread, nice update.  Also like you how recapped everything in the first post.

Now do you really think Doc would try to create drama in the group?


Well ok, of course he would.  Now we just have to sit back and see what happens next.


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## Dr Midnight

They stood silently outside as leaves blew around them. The three Spellforge children were gathered at the graves of their parents. Raelin was weeping softly. Kyler was as well, though he tried to hide it with his cowl.

“They were so good to us, Kizz,” Raelin said. 

“I know.”

“You were probably too young to remember this, but Mom sewed capes for us. Little capes. Dad crafted swords for us. Sticks with simple illusion spells cast over them. It wasn’t much, but it meant the world to us at the time. We’d run around in the tiny backyard we had and we just thought we were the kings of Greyhawk. Dad would sometimes pretend to be a big monster of some sort. He’d make himself look like an ogre, and he’d yelp as we chased him around the yard poking him with our sword-sticks. He’d yell ‘Eughh!’ and fall down.” He laughed, then sniffled. “Mom would tell stories with pictures. She would cast these moving illusions and put on little plays for us featuring heroes and monsters. The heroes were always named after us, and when there was a fair maiden to save, it was always ‘Kizzlorn.’” 

He sighed and wiped his eyes. “Anyway. Something I wanted to ask you, Kizz…”

“Yes?”

“Why not have them resurrected? I mean, they could be right here, back with us.”

“I thought about that for a long time. Before I ever went up to Acessiwal’s cavern, I’d given it hours of thinking. I came to the decision that- well- they’ve been dead for fifteen years. That’s a long time to spend in Pelor’s grace. I thought it might be cruel to take them from heaven and put them back on Oerth, where things can be cold and cruel. Even if it brought us unimaginable joy to have them sitting at the table with us at dinner tonight, can we know they’d prefer to be here with us, instead of watching us from heaven?”

Kyler thought about that for a while. ”You may be right.”

“She IS right,” Raelin said, touching the medallion of Pelor that he wore about his neck. “They’re happier with Pelor, as anyone would be.”

“Don’t mind Rael,” Kyler whispered. “He’s a little Pelor-crazy these days.”

Raelin spoke defensively. “I’m a cleric! I’m not ‘Pelor-crazy’.”

“Yes, you became a cleric after you went Pelor-crazy.”

Kizzlorn laughed at her bickering brothers. 

Raelin glared at them both, but he couldn’t help but smile just a bit. “Oh, now you’re both mocking me. You, Kyler, need a lesson in humility.”

“Oh? Think you’re man enough to do it?” They began wrestling, and collapsed to the ground. 

“Submit, heretic!”

“Ack! Kizz, help, I’m being pummeled by a Pelor-crazy madman!”

They wrestled about in the grass, and Kizzlorn could barely breathe, she was laughing so hard. It did her heart wonders to have her brothers here with her again, and she felt something like a human being again, rather than an adventurer with unearthly powers. She’d forgotten how much she missed it all. 

Kyler’s head shot up from the mass of flailing limbs. “What’s that smell?”

Raelin sniffed and said “Ooh. Is that…”

Kizzlorn brushed some hair behind her ear and grinned. “Dinner… let’s go!” They raced back to the Keep.

Inside, the dining hall was laid out with the most delightful banquet the Spellforge boys had ever seen. The dragon steaks really did smell like the best meal ever grilled over an open flame, and when you’ve been living on trail rations for months at a time, the concept of an excellent dinner at a table in a dining hall with family is just about the greatest thing you can imagine. 

The others in the room stood up to greet Kizzlorn’s brothers. They had been politely left alone whilst paying their respects at the graves of their parents outside, but now it was time to meet the Knights. 

Kizzlorn said “Everyone, these are my brothers, Raelin and Kyler Spellforge. This is Grumbar…”

The half-orc smiled and waved with a friendly grin. “Hi!”

“…Over there, that’s Edge. He’s also fairly new to the group. That’s Oaken, you’ve met him… that’s Vek, or ‘Uncle Vek’, as I call him sometimes. He knew Mom and Dad well, he has lots of great stories about them. That on the end there is Gregg Flamebrow.”

Gregg Flamebrow, otherwise known as Jamison, grinned nervously. 

“Nice to meet you all,” Raelin said warmly. They sat down and began to eat. “Wow, this isn’t what I was expecting. We were told all about the group, and it looks like you guys have a high mortality rate. I heard that for a while, you were traveling with Jamison Crow… that character who was evil for so long and is still wanted in Greyhawk.”

Jamison’s posture stiffened, and it dawned on Kizzlorn now that with their parents’ murderer in the room, it might not be the best time to open the subject of Jamison’s infamous history.

Kizz said “Uh, really? Well, who told you that?”

Kyler said “The old man told us. He’s still pretty bristly about it, too.” Raelin elbowed his brother sharply. “Ow, what was that for?”

Kizz asked “Who’s ‘the old man’?”

Raelin sighed and glared at Kyler. “The old man is a fighter in our group. He knows you, and helped us to find our way here. Dartan, his name is.”

_*MORE TO COME...* _


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## Dursk Starkfire

this is absolutely brilliant Doc!


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## Morte

*Ancient History*

I've just finished reading the KotSQ archives, up to their first battle with Accessiwal, and I was wondering a bit about what went on in game terms there. 

As it reads, you'd just saved the world and whatnot after many an adventure, and Dartan was using the downtime to look for Gorgoldand. Pretty much out of the blue at the wedding a fortune teller popped up and said "go north and fight some other dragon to get to the one you want". Only you got pretty badly hammered by the white and then... it all stopped kind of suddenly. Next thing we know, we're into "three years later", "six years later" etc.

What went on there? Was the battle with Accessiwal meant to be the beginning of a new campaign that got abandoned for some reason?


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## Dr Midnight

What happened there was that the campaign almost folded. The party was crushed by Acessiwal, and it drove spirits down. We took a long break from the campaign. When we came back, I had a few vague ideas of how we could pick things back up, and the most interesting was the concept of one of the Spellforge children (prophesied by the Amkietha) picking up the fight some time down the road. 

What I liked about the end of the first part of the campaign (Session 37) was that the party failed. The theme for the whole campaign up until then was that even heroes die, and great people fall. That cemented it nicely- some of them lived, but they were exiled and cast across the Oerth. 

Now, we're seeing things rebuilt, and the promise of great things restored by the next generation. 

The short answer is: We took a break.


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## Lela

It just occured to me that Dartan would be 2nd only to the Spellforge Brothers in hatred for Jameson.

All in all, not a good time to be the giant charming wizard.


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## Lela

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *Jamison is going to be on the hotseat soon. I can feel it. *


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## Neverwinter Knight

So what! He'll just touch a certain gem again, remember his evil self and kill them all. MUAHAHAHAHAHA....

*Oops, sorry Doc, didn't want to post a spoiler *


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## Celtavian

*Re*

That's a good one Lela. I can see Jamison sitting on a chair with that fire under him sweating profusely as he casually converses with the children of the people he murdered.


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## Richards

*clicks on the Story Hour messageboard link*

*notices the list of Moderators*

*spews his drink across the room in surprise*

Wha-- _Dr. Midnight is a moderator?_  When did this happen?

Congratulations, Doc!  Now you'll wield ever _more_ power around here!

*fetches a rag to clean off his monitor*

Johnathan


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## Broccli_Head

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> Raelin sighed and glared at Kyler. “The old man is a fighter in our group. He knows you, and helped us to find our way here. Dartan, his name is.”
> 
> MORE TO COME...  *




Yes!

Dartan's back. But, he needs to change his name to Dartan the Godless Monkeywrench.


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## Dr Midnight

Richards said:
			
		

> *Wha-- Dr. Midnight is a moderator?  When did this happen?
> 
> Congratulations, Doc!  Now you'll wield ever more power around here!
> *



Thanks- but the sad fact is that any story hour author can request mod powers to "prune" a thread. It's just temporary, and I knocked out some no-content posts from the old thread. I like reader comments, so I didn't edit that much. 

I only wield godlike power in this forum, though... I can't get into the moderator forum. Sigh. 

Soon, Piratecat will take away my power, and I'll be mortal again, just like you folk. Till then, though... fear my wrath.


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## Dr Midnight

_LAST TIME: The Spellforge boys revealed that they had been traveling with Dartan "The Godless", the ex-party member who tried to have Jamison assassinated._ 
-------------------------------------------------

The Knights stopped eating and listened with interest.

“We travel with Dartan and his two sons, Blaze and Nova. He misses you guys. I was hoping to keep it from coming up so quickly.”

“That’s perfectly all right,” Kizz said coolly as she cut a piece of dragon with her fork and knife. Where are they now?“

“We left them a mile back, on the trail to town, where they camped. Dartan didn’t seem to think it would be a good idea if he came up to the castle. Something about a threat from Vek.” Kizz nodded. Raelin was obviously waiting for her to say something. After a moment, he gave up and said “I could go and get him, if you’d like to see him again.”

“No, that’s all right. He hired an assassin to kill one of us.” Jamison looked visibly relieved to not have to face Dartan again.  

Raelin’s face darkened. He’d been hoping to help make some peace, it seemed. “I understand, but still, he’s not a bad person. Just misguided. You know as well as I do that he’s a faithful ally… in the right party. There are worse things to travel with.”

The implication was plain, though Raelin didn’t look at Vek to say it. Kyler immediately interrupted by stomping his brother’s foot and saying “This steak is incredible. We’ve got to kill US one of these things some time.”

Raelin grumbled and agreed. The veiled insult dissipated as Jamison asked “So what have you been doing these days? You two have been adventuring longer than Kizz has… you must have a great number of tales to tell.”

“Well, Gregg, let me tell you about our last adventure. Ever hear of the Plane of Acheron, and the Iron Fortress of Zandikar?” The group shook their collective heads. “Well, the long and short of it is that a half-dragon named Imperagon wanted to rule the world, we killed him, so now he doesn’t.”

“Simple enough,” Jamison said.

“The thing that may interest you, though,” Raelin smiled. “Was when we defeated a one hundred foot tall iron monstrosity.” He put a piece of meat in his mouth and chewed. “It was a titan, Kizz.”

Kizzlorn looked up at him. “A titan? We’ve been discovering…”

“I know, Dartan told me. Titans, great monsters, being freed from their prisons and threatening doom. You fought one, if I remember, and Dartan says you turned it to stone within a matter of seconds. Good for you!”

“Thanks. What do you know about the plot to free the monsters?”

“We’ve fought four of them by now. The Iron Colossus was the most recent. Before that it was Lorrr, the fire-breathing ogre giant of legend. Before that, it was a creature made of ten thousand zombies, writhing together like mealworms in a glass jar. That one was disgusting, let me tell you.”

Jamison, Kizz, Oak, and Edge put their forks down at the mental image of a jar of writhing mealworms. They were no longer hungry. Vek, as usual, was not eating to begin with. Grumbar all the while kept happily shoveling food into his mouth.

“Sorry,” Raelin said. “The point is that something is releasing monsters upon the Oerth, and each is getting bigger and badder. We don’t really know what it means. We’ve been trailing whatever it is that’s freeing the beasts, but it’s always one step ahead. We were hoping you knew something and could share some information with us.”

Kizzlorn looked at Jamison. She couldn’t tell everything she knew without betraying the fact that Jamison Crow was still very much a resident of Spellforge Keep. Jamison looked back at her with a nervous glare. Somewhere, there, they understood each other. Kizzlorn would not mention Jamison’s last murders to her brothers. At least, not now- it wasn’t the time. Beyond that, though, the story of the Orb had to be told.

Jamison sighed and the illusion melted away from him. He and Kizzlorn told the two brothers about what Jamison knew of the Orb of Thuriaq and all he remembered. They left out everything involving the Spellforges and Kyla’s last redemption. 

Raelin and Kyler eyed Jamison mistrustfully. They said nothing about how it was wrong to travel with a monster like Crow, but it was plain on their faces. “Well,” Raelin said finally. “You have memories trapped inside your head, and don’t know how to release them. Seems a trick a spellcaster should be able to solve, eh?”

“I can’t find any details on this memory spell I used,” Jamison confessed miserably. “It would seem that when I was evil, I possessed more power.”

“Evil lends power, but only leads to downfall,” Raelin said with a smile. “Let Pelor into your heart and you’ll never go astray. It sounds like you need to unlock those secrets in your mind. May I recommend something?”

“Certainly.”

“I know what could fix this. A Wish. Wish for your memory back, and you’ll have it.”

“Yeah. I can’t cast that spell. Again, evil me is more powerful me. I’m still perfecting the whole chain lightning thing.”

“You don’t need to be able to cast it… I happen to know how you could get a Wish.”

Horacio began clearing plates from the table. He had to do it by himself now, as Vek wasn’t done raising the help. 

Jamison asked “How?” 

“Ever hear of the ‘Challenge of Champions’? It’s a contest, out in Greyhawk. Sorta like the old King’s Games they used to run. Challenge of Champions is having its fifth annual contest this year, and the prize is one Wish. We were going to enter, but if you need that Wish, we’ll gladly stay out of it.”

Kizzlorn thought for a moment. “You know, that might be just the thing. Let’s do it. When is the contest?”

“A few days from now.”

Jamison asked “What’s involved?”

“No magic, no weapons, no items. Just four people wearing clothes, solving problems with their wits.”

Grumbar spat all over the table as he yelled “NO WEAPONS??”

“Uh… that’s right. A word to the wise, Jamison should stay out of the team for the contest.”

Kizzlorn raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

They cast Detect Magic on anyone entering the contest, to scan for contraband magic. They’d find his illusion, and ‘Gregg Flamebrow’ would be revealed for who he is. I understand you’re still wanted in Greyhawk, Mister Crow.”

“Ahh. Well.” Crestfallen, Jamison swirled his flagon of mead.

Kyler sat up straight in his seat, suddenly. “Kizz!”

Kizzlorn blinked at him, surprised at the outburst. “What?”

“Is Nanny here?”

Raelin’s eyes gleamed. “Yeah, where’s Nanny?”

Kizzlorn stood up. “He’s upstairs! C’mon, I’ll take you to him.”

They ran upstairs and the dutiful shield guardian was approached by the two young men. “NANNY!!!” They laughed and hugged their former nanny, bodyguard, playmate, and scapegoat.

 “Ray-lin! Ky-ler!” Nanny’s big metal arms wrapped around them and picked them up. The scene was touching, until the Spellforge boys started signaling Kizzlorn to order Nanny to release them, because they couldn’t breathe. 

_*MORE TO COME...* _


----------



## Breakstone

Poor Jamison... 

I once sprung some Challange of the Champions puzzles on my players... good luck Knights!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Horacio began clearing plates from the table. He had to do it by himself now, as Vek wasn’t done raising the help.  *



LOL, Doc, LOL.  



			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *“Well, Gregg, let me tell you about our last adventure. Ever hear of the Plane of Acheron, and the Iron Fortress of Zandikar?” The group shook their collective heads. “Well, the long and short of it is that a half-dragon named Imperagon wanted to rule the world, we killed him, so now he doesn’t.”
> *



Hm, actually, I had thought that our knights would be a good level to try Lord of the Iron Fortress, but then again, your own campaign is much more interesting.



			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *“Ever hear of the ‘Challenge of Champions’? It’s a contest, out in Greyhawk. Sorta like the old King’s Games they used to run. Challenge of Champions is having its fifth annual contest this year, and the prize is one Wish. We were going to enter, but if you need that Wish, we’ll gladly stay out of it.”
> *



Yeah right, like they'd have a chance. In terms Vek vs. the Spellforge Boys, I'd give Vek three rounds to finish them off and put them with their aunt!


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*



> Yeah right, like they'd have a chance. In terms Vek vs. the Spellforge Boys, I'd give Vek three rounds to finish them off and put them with their aunt!





I don't know NW Knight. Raelin is a priest of Pelor, correct? Probably has the Sun domain and similar clerical power to Vek. It would all be about lucky saves and initiative.

Vek is affected by some of those High Level Sun domain spells and if Raelin is higher level, then a Greater Turning certainly wouldn't be good for Vek.

It would just depend on how Doc ran the Spellforge boys. Kizz would probably help her brother, unless they were very wrong. I still don't think she would kill her own blood.

Let's just hope that Vek and Jamison don't end up in a fight with the Spellforge boys. That would be devastating to the campaign IMO.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

I agree, Celtavian. I don't want them fighting as well, but I have come to believe that Vek's superior tactics can easily let him defeat foes that are beyond others of his CR. _(NWK leaves a slime trail for all to see...)_
The Spellforge Boys should be pretty tough, if they really did all they claimed to. The contest is about riddling anyway. 


Just posted this, as I am a big fan of Dartan vs. Vek posts and the like.  _(and I usually side with my favourite lich)_


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Hehe...NWK, Vek's Sycophant...)

When are we going to see you in the story as one of Vek's yes men? Perhaps an up and coming leader in Vek's knights.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Don't think so. Metus is a really cool captain of the Kinghts of Wee-Jas. 

Anyway, since Vek does tend to smell funny, I'd much rather observe from afar, from the citadel of Morrus, on the world of EN, through my 15" crystal ball, äh, I mean screen.

Besides, Celtavian is a much better name for Doc's story. Maybe Jameson's old boss, the creature that has never been named, could answer to it...


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

LOL...if it were any other name, I would not care. My username is from a character that is very dear to me. I would prefer that no one else use it in a story.

I am actually writing about the character right now in my own story thread. I know Doc would never use someone's name in his story unless they requested that he do so.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

now you've done it Celtavian, now we're going to see 30 posts asking Doc to put them in his story hour, and we're going to have the "WHAT, N'Sync is going to be in Star Wars?!?!?!" phenomenom again.


----------



## Dr Midnight

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *I know Doc would never use someone's name in his story unless they requested that he do so. *



Except for those times I did, with Tsunami and Horacio...

I'm getting the feeling Horacio's not loving the whole "Thees ees how I talk" thing. Is that not okay? Email me, Horacio, if that bothers you. I just thought it would be a funny thing, but if it's coming across abrasively, please let me know. Les poissons les poissons HEE HEE HEE ho ho ho.


----------



## Stone Angel

Hey Doc just wanted to chime in and say I still love your story. This thread is the I started coming to ENWorld at all in the first place, but with time I have learned to love every little detail.

Anyway I just wondered a few things like what the average party level is? I am also curious on how much steam is left in campaign? Was the Dragon the climax and are the ends going to be tied up with the Eye of Herioness(sp?) and the titans? Also you can use my name if you like, though it might be hard(My real name is Joe, if that is easier).

As a sidenote I noticed Wee Jas had posted that you might like some help drawing some of the campaign art. I mostly do B&W sketches and I am not really your caliber of artist. But I could send them to you and you could color them. I grew up on comics and in my early youth I wanted to be a Penciller for Marvel, but now it is just a hobby. But my main concern is that I do not want to infringe upon your domain, I would hate to upset you now, espicially since you have recently aquired the deity like status as a moderator(LOL). Anyway just wanted to say I'm hooked, until the next update make mine KoSK!!!

The Seraph of Earth and Stone


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *Hehe...NWK, Vek's Sycophant...)
> 
> When are we going to see you in the story as one of Vek's yes men? Perhaps an up and coming leader in Vek's knights. *



Hmm - now that I think of it...

Well maybe there'll be some *knights* from the far away town of *Neverwinter* in the *Challenge of Champions*, and there they'll be hugged by *Grumbar*, laughed at by *Kizzlorn*, frowned upon by *Oaken*, *Edge* will steal their gems before *Jameson* kills them in a cruel fashion. After that, *Vek* might raise them and give them all brooms. 

Or they could just be defeated in the contest...


----------



## Dr Midnight

I'm afraid Neverwinter is so far away that it doesn't exist. Forgotten Realms and drow: Not in MY campaigns, buddy.


----------



## Talix

*Wow*

I just finished getting through the entire story - KotSQ to here, and man, it is pretty amazing.  Congrats to the whole group on being a classic example of good roleplaying!

Yes, I have to admit that Vek is my favorite character - I gotta try the lich thing someday.    Jamison is a close second, even though I want to strangle him most of the time.

It's kind of a shock realizing that there isn't any more to read until you post again, but I'll try to survive somehow.  

Thanks for sharing!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *I'm afraid Neverwinter is so far away that it doesn't exist. Forgotten Realms and drow: Not in MY campaigns, buddy.  *



I can understand. FR is too munchkin-like for my groups as well, although a certain CRPG  is great despite the setting! 

But for PnP: Greyhawk rules!


PS: This means that I am safe from Doc's story.  Besides being addicted...


----------



## Dr Midnight

*23rd of Ready’reat*

“Good luck, Kizz.” Raelin waved, and Kizzlorn gave the signal.

The four Knights left the castle on a beam of light, teleporting across miles of stone and soil to the city of Greyhawk. They appeared in a flash of blinding gold sparkles. “We’re here.” Kizzlorn, Edge, Oak, and Grumbar were the members of the Knights selected to compete in the fifth Challenge of Champions. Jamison of course couldn’t come due to his identity, and Vek had things to tend to, corpses to raise. Anyway, it was not widely believed that a lich would walk the streets of Greyhawk unmolested. 

They registered to enter the contest. The official there told them to “Remove any and all weapons, equipment, magical items, and spell materials. Please move into line and wait for your group to be called.”

The Knights stood in line and waited nervously. “There are a lot of other contenders here,” Edge observed. “Do we have a shot of winning this?”

“We HAVE to,” Kizzlorn said. “If we don’t, we won’t find that orb. The fate of Greyhawk is in our hands. We cannot fail.” The others nodded somberly.

One of the officials finally called them. “The Knights of Spellforge Keep,” he shouted in a bored tone. 

Kizzlorn led them in with her head held high. “Let’s go save the world.” 

Two and a half hours later, they walked out and stood. Finally, Edge spoke. “What the hell.”

“How did we get eighth place?” Grumbar wondered aloud. 

Silence. Then, Edge spoke again. “What the hell.”

Kizzlorn looked disgusted. “Let’s just go buy the spell.”

That sounded good to everyone, so they found a powerful mage and paid him quite a few gold pieces in exchange for a ring that contained a Wish spell. They teleported back to Spellforge Keep. 

Raelin and Kyler were sparring in the yard when they appeared. “How’d it go?” Raelin asked with a smile. 

Kizzlorn grumbled something and walked past him. “Jamison!” she called. “Get out here and wish for your memory.”

“You must have won, or you wouldn’t have the Wish! Nice job, Kizz. I knew you could do it.”

“Shut up.”

Raelin and Kyler exchanged a look. 

Jamison came outside and slipped the ring on his finger. He said “I wish to remember everything I once knew about the Orb of Thuriaq.”

Kizzlorn, still in her dark mood, said “It might have been more helpful to wish for your entire memory back, Jamison.”

“Oops. Sorry.” His brow knotted as the spell took effect, and pieces of information blossomed in his mind like spring flowers. “Oh. Oh, that’s not good at all.”

“What?”

“Pretty much all of it. We knew the Orb of Thuriaq frees the creature to crush the earth. We knew that I was working with the creature freeing him. We knew that I hid the Orb when my mind came back to me. Here’s what we didn’t know.

“The she-beast under the cowl is known as Glamgorthea. She is very powerful, and has been orchestrating the return of several dozen titans… The deadliest is, of course, Thuriaq, who could easily consume the world in fire and death. The only things that could possibly do battle with the titans are dragons and colossal beasts that walk the earth. Glamgorthea has been collecting these monsters in mirrors, so that none will stand against the onslaught. Dragons all over the world. We found them, caught them. That is why Acessiwal was trapped inside that mirror. That is where my adopted father- Gorgoldand- is. We had dozens, maybe hundreds, more. Dragons of every color and size. We tried to imprison them all. This was fifteen years ago. Gods know what stage of the plan she’s up to now… 

“There’s good news and there’s extremely bad news. The good news is that she hasn’t found the Orb yet.”

Kizzlorn interrupted. “How do you know?”

Jamison replied “We wouldn’t be here if she had.”

“Oh. What’s the bad news?”

“The bad news is that I hid the Orb very, very well. I hid it in the lair of an ancient red dragon named Ashardalon, on another plane of existence, in the Bastion of Unborn Souls, where he dwells.”

Raelin said “I thought you said you captured all the dragons.”

Jamison shook his head. “No, I said we tried. Ashardalon was too powerful for us to make an assault on just yet. He’s as powerful and as wicked as dragons get. I remember Glamgorthea saying that he was among the few dragons that might be able to defeat Thuriaq in a one on one battle.”

Kizzlorn looked confused. “Well, isn’t this good news? I mean, if the Orb of Thuriaq is in a location where Glam… where the she-creature can’t reach it, and it’s being defended by a red dragon she won’t want to mess with, why should we consider this a problem?”

“Hmm. You’ve got a point. Even if she knew where it was, she couldn’t fetch it without incredible difficulty. I’m going to have to delve into the library and learn what I can of Ashardalon’s last fifteen years. The Orb may well be safe, but I’d best look into the matter and be certain.”

“Good idea.”

“Meanwhile,” Raelin said. “Kizz, I heard you recovered the Glaring Sun from Acessiwal’s horde. I was wondering if I might have it. It should be in the possession of a cleric, and a relative of Aunt Kyla’s, as well. I mean to destroy the black stone that bound Jamison’s soul to evil, and I need the medallion of the Shining One to do it.”

“Certainly,” she said. She searched her pockets and pulled it out. She passed it to him. “You’re right… Aunt Kyla would want you to have it. Use it well.”

“Ahh,” he said, turning it over in his hands. “The disc of power, used to turn an entire nation to rights again when Tharizdun assaulted us all. Pelor’s will shall use the Glaring Sun to fight Tharizdun’s evil one last time. Jamison, let’s get that stone and destroy it.”

Jamison grinned, very happily. Soon the thing that turned him into a killer would be destroyed for good.

*NEXT TIME: GUESS WHO’S BACK*


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> NEXT TIME: GUESS WHO’S BACK *




Well, I would normally say Dartan.  But I know Doc too well for that.  I'd say it's Gorgoldand.

Then again, we all know Vek should be back next week.  But that depends on if the story is up to date or not.


And I'd just like to say "Ouch" on behalf of the party.  Note to self: Curse when a DM mentions the Challange of Champions in any way related to my character.


----------



## Lela

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> *Erasmus *




I _so_ can't believe I didn't think of that.  I only wonder when Doc is going to bring him back everytime I come to this thread.  Dangit.


----------



## Dr Midnight

*EPILOGUE*

Jamison and Raelin stood over the blackened spot on the ground where the stone of Tharizdun had been blasted into dust. The power of Pelor had smote it in a blinding beam of white-yellow light, and now thin tendrils of smoke and a few grains of shattered rock were all that remained. They glowed like coals dying in an extinguished campfire.

The wizard sighed. “I’m so glad that’s over with. You wouldn’t believe the things it made me do… the madness I knew under its effects.”

Raelin put the Glaring Sun around his neck. “Pelor’s grace is boundless and kind. If you are truly sorry, you will be forgiven.”

“Will I?” He looked at the cleric. “I… I murdered hundreds of people. I laughed while I did it. I enjoyed it all.”

“That wasn’t you, though. You were bent to evil’s ways by an artifact… which has now been soundly destroyed. You are not at fault.”

“I’m not so sure. Would the families of my victims forgive me? Could they?”

Raelin smiled kindly. “Jamison, it’s only human to feel a want for revenge. What the followers of Pelor try to learn and understand is that it’s not our place to judge. That is for the Shining One. We act as agents of his will, but we always try to know of patience and understanding. Forgiveness is divine, it’s said… and redemption is one of the greatest gifts He can give. Do not be troubled.” He put a hand on Jamison’s shoulder, and the two walked inside. “Now… let’s go give Horacio something to cook up.”

“Dragon?”

“Dragon.” They walked into Spellforge Keep. 

The moon shone down on the land and lit everything up in a dim blue. The treetops blew as a wind skirted over them, and the clouds lay about the sky in a thin, rippled pattern. The grass waved at the spot where Tharizdun’s stone had been destroyed. The autumn breeze blew the dwindling tendrils of smoke about over the ruined black shards. The last glowing ember winked out. 

There was a noise like a candle being gently blown out. A dark form appeared, standing on the grass. 

“…Where am I?”


----------



## Lela

Doc, once again you beat us all.


And that's why I keep coming back.


----------



## JDragon

> There was a noise like a candle being gently blown out. A dark form appeared, standing on the grass.




This sounds bad.....

JDragon


----------



## Gumby

Dark Jamison?  Not a problem.  Surround him with _Books of Exalted Deeds_, and watch Mr. "Ooh!  What does *this* button do?" read himself into a babbling stupor.

*The O/C touching of everything under the gods' green earth can go both ways, people!*

Edit:  And after that, throw every cursed item from all the DMGs from all the editions at him, start a circus, and sell tickets to the "Comely lass who can't stop wheezing and choking as her mysteriously curvy spear keeps poking her in the back" attraction.


----------



## Breakstone

I think it's either Erasmus, or Tharizdun, who's back with a vengeance!

Or it could be Meepo, for that matter...

(Hey, if I guess every single NPC, I _have_ to get it right!)


----------



## Lela

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *I think it's either Erasmus, or Tharizdun, who's back with a vengeance!
> 
> Or it could be Meepo, for that matter...
> 
> (Hey, if I guess every single NPC, I have to get it right!) *




Na, you forgot CROW.  As in the evil version.


Holly cow, I just realized that this is just like tonight's episode of Angel.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

if big ol' Tharizdun would send anyone of his lovely clerics back , it would IMHO be Hedrack. He was also the biggest pain in the ass for the knights.

PS: Doc, did the knights suck so bad at the contest that you did not include anything in the story or what?


----------



## Morte

I think it's some nasty evil dude who was imprisoned in that black gizmo wot corrupted Jamison. The fing they just destroyed, like. Destroying it released him. He was its real power. And now he's loose.

Very nasty.

Very evil.

Probably quite powerful too.

And stood on the lawn.

*rubs hands*


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Doc is doing such a good job on the Spellforge brothers, I actually want to see them travel with the group and help out. They would be cool additions.

I hope they show up now and again to help put the smack down on any enemies the Knights face.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Morte said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Did the KotSQ ever actually kill Hedrack, or did he get away? *



Hedrack was one of the lone survivors of the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil campaign. The knights killed him in the Halloween session that followed, but not before he disintegrated Vek.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Goooood morning everyone...

I see we're chewing on the "who is that?" factor. I must say, I'm REALLY surprised by one of your answers.


> Doc, did the knights suck so bad at the contest that you did not include anything in the story or what?



Well, there is that, but mostly it was that we were playtesting a module for DUNGEON and its author, so I couldn't give details out about the adventure. Luckily, though, they sucked so horribly that it made for a nice comic "what the hell" scene.


> Did the KotSQ ever actually kill Hedrack, or did he get away?



They killed him, and he dead.


> Doc is doing such a good job on the Spellforge brothers, I actually want to see them travel with the group and help out. They would be cool additions.



They're still eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil, though. Right?


----------



## RingXero

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> There was a noise like a candle being gently blown out. A dark form appeared, standing on the grass.
> 
> “…Where am I?” *




ahh, if he was a real RBDM it would be the 'good' Jamison.

(but will have to side with Morte, one BBEG was just released)



RX


----------



## Talix

Heh, I loved the "What the hell?" scene, even if I am disappointed to not be able to see the contest.    And the "Aw heck, let's just buy it" afterwards was pretty priceless as well - so much for "the fate of the world rests on our shoulders in this contest!"


----------



## Wee Jas

/Cryptkeeper voice

Hello mortals!

The good lich of the east is back in town!  Don't bother dropping any buildings on me I'll only come back 1d10 days later.. REALLY mad!   

What did I miss... hmmnn.. Pelor boys... tsk tsk.  Meat for the beast I say.  Good luck trying to turn me.. I'm effectively 21hd for turning purposes you know..   Can't I use my turning ability to offset the turning score of a good cleric too? lol.  yup... pretty sure I can.   Anyhow,  I have a seat for that Pelor praising pup right here.. Move over Kyla.  You got company!

whaahahahahaaaaa!

Anyhow.  I thought of a great Idea for my part of the dragon horde.  

Who dares enter...HOUSE MORMONT!? 

mwhahahahaaaa!


----------



## Irony

Dr. Midnight, Wee Jas, and Metus, I have a question.

Do you mind if I base a character in the game I play off the storyhour, taking names, places, and events whole cloth from it?

Basically, my character, Phantos Usher, would be the eventual son of Captain Metus. At some unspecified point in the future, Metus would settle down and have a kid.

When Phantos is but a small boy, Metus sets out on a vague journey, and never returns. Eventually Vec learns of his death. The old lich decides to adopt the boy as the son he cant have. He trains him as a cleric of Wee Jas. Eventually, Phantos grows restless, and decides to set of adventuring.

At this point Vec tells him of Metus's quest, for the Narn Codex, an ancient spellbook which records the insanely cool spell Undeath to Life. So both to honor his father, help his adopted father (who by this time grows weary of undeath, and wishes to die as is the truly proper way), and serve his godess by finding honoring the knowledge of those who came before, he sets of to adventure.

Is this ok with you guys, or should i think up something not so... stolen?

Thanks,
Irony


----------



## Dr Midnight

My one consideration is: will there be a story hour featuring the character? If so, I'd like to decline my "permission", for what it's worth. Otherwise, Rock On with Capital LetterS.


----------



## Metus

Well I certainly wouldn't have a problem, although it'd be me agreeing more with the use of my name then the actual character.  As proud as I am to be mentioned in this SH, my character really is Doc's and Wee Jas's creation.

But I can think of some problems that arise.  What if Metus were to eventually turn undead.  How would he have kids?  What if Vek eventually died (for good)?  

But this is all conjecture, really.  It's for the guys up top to decide.


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*



> Can't I use my turning ability to offset the turning score of a good cleric too? lol. yup




You can, it just depends on the boys level. They sound as though they are fairl tough. They would have to be at least 17th level, or have a magic item that boosts turning level, and then roll fairly decent to turn you.

If they did, and happened to be using greater turning, it would be sayonara Vek, no save and no resistance. hehe.

I don't expect Doc to have the Spellforge brothers try to kill Vek anyhow. Seems they are helping Jamison out.


----------



## Lela

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Seems they are helping Jamison out. *




Naw, we all know the truth.  The boys are really evil clerics of Vecna who just happen to know what to say to sound like the "self-rightious Pigs of Pelor."  As for the artifact, that was just an illusion.  Vecna is taking a personal intrest in destroying the world this time and this way just happens to work for her.

If I turn out to be right, I promise that I didn't read the module (or Doc's mind). 


Metus: Don't forget the Marvel 2 universe.  It can still be in the future.  Just an alternate future that happens to have the same past.


----------



## Wee Jas

I think its a great idea!  Total alternate universe stuff.  

One thing though...

If I wanted to die a natural death I could just ressurect myself...  Undead can be ressurected.  The just have to agree to let the spell work.  99.999999999 % of the time thats not going to be the case.

Anyhow.. Wee Jas might not grant the spell.. after all that would be undoing a lot of hard work and might seem like I was ungrateful.. etc etc.  I like the book idea!

Go for it!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dartan said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Hey that's not fair Grumbar helped in some of the puzzles when strength was required. *



Just kidding with that. Do you still have control over Dartan as a PC or is Doc running him as an NPC? Can you tell us something about what the old grump is up to?


----------



## Dartan

Right now Dartan is a NPC, but i do have the option to play him again if i wish.  It's kinda hard right now since the party kicked him out.  But with upcoming events about take place you just never know what will happen.


----------



## Lela

Please tell me I'm right and GAMEDAY is tomarrow.

I can't wait for Doc's endless supply of cliffhangers.  It's almost like reading Robert Jordan.


----------



## med stud

It would be really cool if Dartan came back. He was the reason why I got hooked on this story hour from the beginning 

Even though I find every PC in the story this far to be interresting. I admire your (the party's) ability to make PCs you really want to find out more about.


----------



## Stone Angel

Yeah can't wait till Saturday get to stay up work out the last details for my game on Sunday, and read this wonderful story. Doc if you do ever get published, yeah I would pay a good fifty books for a novel of this. Anywhoo...Can't wait to find out who "guy on the lawn" is.

Question for the group, what exactly did you guys do with the dragon, obviously you are eating it. What I am getting at is that an animated dragon(replace Tsunami??naw), or draco-lich(though probably hard to control) might be a good adittion since you are probably getting ready to go up against some heavy hitters, prettys soon. Any way just curious.

 Ring Xero you are quite correct that is totally RBDM.

Till next update make mine KoSK


----------



## Dartan

med stud said:
			
		

> *It would be really cool if Dartan came back. He was the reason why I got hooked on this story hour from the beginning  *




You just never know with this group what could happen.  Dartan may make a return then again I am enjoying Grumbar right now, so it would be hard to come back and play Dartan.  Today is gameday and we find out who just appeared? Actually i know but you guys will have to wait for an update from Doc. Wahahaha.


----------



## Wee Jas

Gameday.. sorry Tsunami.  I got to say it....

Woah.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Hi- only just now got back (went out after the game), and it was a hell of a night for events. I'm going to go to bed, but when I get up in the morning, it's straight to the coffee pot, then straight to the keyboard, I promise. I've got a TON of stuff to write up for SESSION 51. I've got so many "woah" moments set aside for tonight... maaaan.


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> * I'm going to go to bed, but when I get up in the morning, it's straight to the coffee pot, then straight to the keyboard, I promise. *




/me recalls encouonter between 32 oz of NesQuick and keyboard.

_*Shudder*_


[Edit: Deleted the word "fun."  It was misleading.]


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

methinks the good doc and his crew celebrated last night and have caused the delay of the story post.


----------



## Horacio

Waiting that update...


----------



## Dr Midnight

*SESSION 51
25th of Ready’reat
FORGIVENESS*

The Spellforge Brothers relaxed with the Knights for several days. The whole while, though, there was a quest that wasn’t being accomplished. Raelin informed Kizzlorn that they meant to leave on the next day, because the world still had troubles, and titans beneath its surface waiting to rise. Kizzlorn made a decision, then. She would tell her brothers about Jamison’s secret past, and how he met their parents on that day in Acessiwal’s cave. It was only the right thing to do, she felt. 

She told Jamison about her intent. He nodded and seemed to understand. She assured him that the Knights wouldn’t allow him to be harmed if the brothers should become enraged. “You know who would want to be here for this,” Jamison said miserably. 

Kizz replied “Yes. I’m seeing him next. Take heart, Jamison- everything’s going to be alright.”

She stepped outside and walked up the dirt road into the woods. She walked for almost a full mile. The leaves above rustled and swayed in the air. A stream ran alongside the trail. Up ahead, at the side of the road, there lay a small tent. She approached it. The man there was scrubbing a piece of armor with a handful of sand. He looked up and acknowledged her. “Kizzlorn.”

“Dartan.”

“Didn’t expect you to come out and visit the rabble.”

“How are you?”

“Cramped and cold, but that would just be because I’ve been sleeping on the hard ground this past week. What do you want?”

She paused, uncomfortably. “I’m sorry about everything that’s happened. I wasn’t with the group when you were expelled.”

He snorted. “Would that have changed things?”

“…Probably not. You had one of your friends assassinated, Dartan.”

“He was evil,” Dartan muttered.

“But he wasn’t when you killed him. He was just Jamison. That look in your eyes tells me you feel doubt about what you did.” Dartan sat, silently, scrubbing his armor. “Look. I know what you’ve felt, because I’ve felt it too. I very nearly killed Jamison recently in a fit of rage. The difference is that I gave myself time to cool down, and I found in me the capacity to forgive. It’s in this spirit of forgiveness that I’d like to invite you to stay in the Keep tonight.”

Dartan finished scrubbing his armor piece and put it aside. “I’m afraid you forget, Kizz, that I was cast out. The gentle hint our rotting friend gave me is that if I return, I die.”

“I can guarantee your safety. Vek won’t do a thing. I need your assurance, though, that you will be a gracious guest. You don’t have to like Jamison, or me, or Vek. You do have to behave yourself.”

“I can do that.” He stood up and called to his sons, who were practicing their tactics about fifty feet off in the woods. “Blaze, Nova- pack up camp… we spend the night in the castle.” They walked amidst the falling orange and crimson leaves on the road to the castle, and the sun shone down on them. “Y’know, Kizz, I’m actually really looking forward to this. A warm bed. Dragon meat.”

“The company of old friends?”

He ignored that. “I’ll tell you what I’ve been enjoying, though, is some time away from your brother’s zeal for preaching the Shining One’s wretched nonsense. Get him together with my two boys, and the Pelor-praise just flies through the air.”

Kizzlorn laughed. “Yes, Raelin’s somewhat passionate about his religion, isn’t he? He’s been grating on Vek’s nerves, horribly.”

“Good. The corpse-lord could use a little grating, I’ve always thought. I almost look forward to seeing some of that tonight. Not that I look forward to sitting through the sermons once again.”

Kizz smiled. “Still godless?”

“Still godless.”

_*MORE TO COME…*_


----------



## Horacio

Wow! Dartan is back!

Great update, Doc


----------



## Dr Midnight

Still writing, I hope to have another chapter up sometime soon. Honest.


> Wow! Dartan is back!



On that note- I'd like to say that Dartan is not "back". He was invited to dinner and a night in a comfy bed. He is still a member of the Order of Valor. 

Don't go thinking the "GUESS WHO'S BACK" is now told... because it's not.


----------



## Dr Midnight

"I want to help make dinner."

"No. You cannot."

Horacio was frantically trying to roll out pie crust, glaze the Dragon roast, and monitor the cooking time of the vegetables all at once. Add to this the constant pleading of a half-orc with a newfound interest in culinary studies, and you have a sure-fire way to drive a chef mad. 

"PLEASSSSSE, Horacio. I'll be such a good chef's apprentice! I'll wear the little hat and I'll stir stuff in bowls and I won't lick the spoon unless you say it's okay."

"No. Go away! I have to make deenair, and I don't have time to show you how to be a good cook."

"What if I promise to not make fun of your silly accent?"

"GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!" Horacio chased Grumbar from the kitchen, bopping at his head with a saucepan. 

Grumbar stopped in the dining room, where everyone was looking at him. He cleared his throat and said "Dinner's almost ready." He sat. 

An uncomfortable silence was hanging over the table. The Order of Valor and the Knights of Spellforge Keep, on opposing sides of the long table, stared at each other. The presence of Dartan had sparked a curious tension. Vek watched him carefully. Dartan watched back with defiance. Jamison, who was again perhaps the least comfortable person in the room, avoided looking in Dartan's direction. He squirmed in his chair and tried to not think about how he was sitting at a table with one person who'd murdered him, and three people who were orphans because of him. 

The guard in the castle had been doubled. Sensing the possibility of trouble, Vek had ordered a sustained presence of the Knights of Wee Jas. Captain Metus, now resplendent in his new armor, watched the table carefully for signs. He wore a Mask of the Skull, exactly the same as Vek's. He now wore Shade's old vorpal sword on his belt, exactly as Vek had done. Indeed, Captain Metus looked like Vek himself. The lich had been dressing his lieutenant in like armor and trappings. The cunning reason for this, though, Vek did not share. 

Vek was dressed differently tonight. He wore his new dragonhide armor: a full suit of gleaming scaled white, sewn from the skin of the dead wyrm Acessiwal. He wore his Mask of the Skull and a new fine white cape. He was a vision of pallid death, and his morbid flair for style shone through. 

The psionic armor, worn first by Kolume the mind flayer, then by Shade, then by Vek, was now being itched and pulled at by Grumbar. It really didn't look good on him. The tentacles got in the way, he couldn't see well through the insectlike red eyepieces, and he complained that it "smelled funny". Vek had laughed and told him that before him, it had clothed three different corpses.

Jamison attempted to start a conversation. "So, I, uh, just put down a payment on my new tower."

Kizzlorn took the cue and jumped right in. "Oh yes? What's this, I haven't heard about a tower."

"I'm going to build a four-story wizard's tower not far from here. Use it as my home and laboratory. It's not much, but I'm very excited about it."

Silence around the table, so Kizz pursued the topic. "Will you be using labor from the people of Verbobonc?"

"No, they're so preoccupied with the reconstruction, I thought it would be helpful to bring in outside contractors. They arrive in a few days."

"Well, that was thoughtful of you."

Grumbar said "Yeah, and why would they help, anyway? You're the scourge of the land, right? Ha ha."

The half-orc meant no harm by the remark, but it struck a chord. "Don't fret all this, Jamison," Raelin said. “There’s naught a man can do about his past. Pelor deems you forgiven.”

Vek said “Pelor certainly has been doing a great deal of deeming around here lately. I think perhaps too much.”

Raelin smiled. “Friend Vek, I think Pelor doesn’t do near enough deeming around here. Some things would change, if he did.” 

“Not in our house.” 

“Didn’t we discuss this? The name on the deed, all that? You are the guest here, not me.”

Kizzlorn stepped in. “Stop this, both of you. Raelin, you speak of forgiveness. It’s easy to say you would forgive, but do you think you could bring yourself to forgive in a like situation?”

“I believe so, yes. Pelor preaches forgiveness.” He smiled at Vek.

“What if you were told about something awful done to someone you loved, by someone you knew and trusted. Do you think you could rise above the urge to seek vengeance, if there were no evil left in them?”

“I don’t see why not… Kizz, what are you driving at?”

Kyler spoke up. “I couldn’t. If I were a member of one of your victims’ families, Jamison, and I mean no offense, I probably wouldn’t rest until I’d cut your throat.”

“Kyler!” Raelin exclaimed. “What a thing to say. ‘Cutting throats’ and ‘backstabbing’. I dare guess you’re turning  evil yourself.”

The food was brought out, and the two adventuring parties ate at the table. Conversation flowered and grew again, and they all enjoyed each others’ company until the plates were cleared and they sat about, full of dragon and mead. 

Kizzlorn waited for a pause in the chatter before saying “Um… Dartan, Raelin, Kyler… I’ve wanted to gather you here so that I may tell you all something together. This is something very serious. I want you to act with level heads, and remain calm.” She took a breath. “The fact is that…”

"It's okay, Kizz," Jamison interrupted. “I’ll tell.” He stood up.

_*MORE TO COME...*_


----------



## Hammerhead

Go Kyler. Finally we get a real rogue, not some punk who uses a Vorpal Longsword. Go throat-cutting!

Can't wait for what happens next!


----------



## Breakstone

Dartan just gets more and more like Batman the older he gets...


----------



## Salthorae

*cliffhanger*

GAAAHHH! I can't stand the wait!

must....know....reactions...

Seriously though, I absolutely want to be a buttkiss and say that your writing is awesome, I just hate how you story hour writers leave me hanging...well I love it too...makes it that much better when we finally find out what happens.


----------



## Lela

One brother thinks he can forgive, the other believes he can't.  A true paradox.

The real question is whether Dartan can forgive or not.

And good for Jamison standing up like a man.  Gotta respect that.


----------



## Morte

Lela said:
			
		

> *And good for Jamison standing up like a man.  Gotta respect that. *




Or is it just another way of banging gongs he shouldn't?


----------



## Lela

Morte said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Or is it just another way of banging gongs he shouldn't? *




If it was going to be told, I'm glad it's Jamison doing the telling.  

Kizz shouldn't have to do that anyway.


----------



## Horacio

Doc, I NEED you to continue!!!
That's a so cliffhangerish cliffhanger...

Seriously, Doc, type fast, I want to know!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Okay, for YOU, Horacio, I'm going to try to hammer out another chunk before I turn in for the night. How long are you going to be up?


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Okay, for YOU, Horacio, I'm going to try to hammer out another chunk before I turn in for the night. How long are you going to be up? *




I don't know about Horacio, but I only have another 2-3 hours on me.  Pound it out Doc.  We'll let it rise and eat it while it's hot.


----------



## Horacio

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Okay, for YOU, Horacio, I'm going to try to hammer out another chunk before I turn in for the night. How long are you going to be up? *




Right now it's 7:15 am for me, so I'll be on for a long time 

THANKS, Doc!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Raelin stormed out of the castle, into the light rain that was beginning to fall over Verbobonc. Kyler followed. Kizzlorn was the last. She stood at the end of the drawbridge and called out into the night. “Rael? Kyler? Please don’t just leave like that…” She finally found them beneath the willow tree behind the Keep, standing near the graves of their parents. She ran towards them. “Please, please don’t be angry. I just thought you deserved to know.”

Raelin was between weeping and screaming. His face was red and wrung with hurt. The rain ran down his hair and into his eyes. “That… you… That wasn’t right, Kizzlorn. All that talk of forgiveness. You trapped me. That was cunning. And cruel.”

“You brought up the topic of ‘forgiveness’, Raelin,” she said, not unkindly. 

“I know.” He sniffled. 

Kyler was being very quiet. He was clearly very bothered, but to his credit, he’d stood up and left the dining room without any show of the violence he felt his heart calling him to. He stood and let the cowl hide his face, saying nothing, feeling too much. Raelin had said he'd forgive, and fled out of rage. Kyler had said he'd kill for revenge, and fled out of self control. Both had broken their boasts.

Kizz continued. “Raelin. I didn’t mean to make you feel trapped, but I had something to tell you, and I wanted to feel sure you wouldn’t attack Jamison for it. It was important to make sure he was protected. He’s not evil. He’s…”

Raelin waved her off. “That’s not important. What bothers me is that you waited this long. Five days we’ve been here, and in all this time, I’ve eaten with this man, shaken his hand, called him friend. Neither you nor he told me about this part of his past that WE HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW!” He was now shouting in his despair. “You keep these things from us, you worship Boccob, and you travel with liches and fiends, defending them against us. Backing up their claim to this castle… this STUPID castle… over US. I feel like I don’t even know who you are anymore.” He stopped and wept as the rain fell on him. 

Kizzlorn felt awful. “Please, can we go inside and discuss this?”

“No. We’re leaving. I can’t stay here tonight.”

“Nor can I,” Kyler said with a broken voice.

“Stay,” Kizzlorn said. “Please.”

“No. Tell Dartan and the others we’ve left. They’ll catch up, I’m sure.” He turned to go.

“Rael,” Kizz sobbed. He turned, and she held her arms up, uncertainly. He stepped into them and hugged her. She hugged back.

“We’ll love you always, little Kizz,” he said. “We’ll be back someday.” 

She hugged Kyler and stood watching the two brothers walk into the woods. Within a minute the rain swallowed them up, and they were gone. She folded her arms together and walked inside, not knowing what she was feeling. 

Inside, things were better. The fire warmed her, and the situation was far less dramatic. Dartan was sitting and drinking from a mug of mead. He didn’t seem too bothered by the goings-on. His sons were attempting to comfort Jamison with blessings of Pelor. Edge stood in the shadows. Kizz knew he’d be ready to leap out and protect Jamison from harm should Dartan lunge for his sword. Not that he would… would he?

“Dartan,” Kizz sniffled. “They’re leaving. They wanted you to know.”

“Damn.” He stood from the table. “I thought I was in for a warm bed tonight. Up, you two zealots.” His sons stood and readied their things to leave. Dartan shouldered his backpack and said “Jamison.” Jamison stood, not knowing what to expect. He eyed the fallen paladin carefully. “Kizzlorn’s right. It’s not for me to stand judge over you. You’re a careless little sot, but when not under the influence of evil artifacts, you’ve always had a good heart in the right place. It was wrong of me to have you killed. So. I’ve said my piece.”

Jamison smiled. “Thanks, Dartan.” 

“Just keep your nose clean, Crow, and you’ll be just fine.” The two old friends, who’d become bitter enemies, now stood facing each other. Jamison extended his hand. Dartan shook it. He walked out, and his sons followed, and The Order of Valor was gone from Spellforge Keep. 

Jamison sat back down in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. “Whew. I had no idea just how much a handshake from Dartan would mean to me.”

Kizzlorn picked up her wine glass and drank a large draught from it. “What did it mean to you?”

He thought. ”Redemption. Maybe if Dartan can forgive me, I can begin to forgive myself. I’m not such a bad person.”

“No one who knows you thinks that.”

“Except me. I never really talk about it, but the guilt I feel sometimes gets so big it’s about to swallow me. Who’d know it would take something as small and impossible as a handshake from Dartan the Godless to give me the absolution I needed?"

Oaken slipped out into the forest to summon an animal companion. Vek retired to his dungeon. Grumbar went to play with rolling pins and bread dough in the kitchen. Edge went up to bed. Kizzlorn and Jamison sat in the dining room for hours, drinking wine in front of the fire and talking of old, good times, with their familiars curled on their laps. 

*MORE TO COME…*


----------



## Spatula

Great stuff, doc, I liked how you skipped over the actual telling of Jaimson's misdeeds.


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *He wanted to kill Jamison but didn't in a feat of self-restraint. *




Well, he's in a room while he's outside.  And walking out of where?




But the rest, is well, amazing.  Even Grumbar going in to play with pins and bread dough was wonderful.  It seems like you're giving the other characters (i.e. not Vek) a chance to shine here and they are doing wonderfully.  Wow, Doc, I love it.


----------



## Metus

Hmmmm.  I think Raelin overreacted.  Either that or he's a wussy boy.  In any case, whilst I'm not overly fond of Jamison, I'm sure if those two come back looking for trouble Vek can kick them into another plane of existence.  So here's to that.  And here's to my new vorpal sword!   ::raises glass::


----------



## Dr Midnight

Lela said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Well, he's in a room while he's outside.  And walking out of where?
> *



No no, "he'd" left the room. It's just telling in flashback what he did when he learned. I've added some clarify-ey stuff to the paragraph.


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> No no, "he'd" left the room. It's just telling in flashback what he did when he learned. I've added some clarify-ey stuff to the paragraph. *




Okay, now that makes _so_ much more sense.  Thanks Doc.  You rock.



			
				Metus said:
			
		

> *Hmmmm.  I think Raelin overreacted.  Either that or he's a wussy boy.  In any case, whilst I'm not overly fond of Jamison, I'm sure if those two come back looking for trouble Vek can kick them into another plane of existence.  So here's to that.  And here's to my new vorpal sword!   ::raises glass:: *





::Raises glass, sloshing pink lemonade::  "Here, here!"


----------



## Horacio

Wonderful update, Doc!

Thanks!!!


----------



## DWARF

That was great.  Good character interaction with some storylines that have been a long time coming.  But after all is said and done, Doc has me biting my nails over whom this guy is!


There was a noise like a candle being gently blown out. A dark form appeared, standing on the grass.   
“…Where am I?”


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

That was cruel Doc...very cruel. Great build up. 

I am seriously wishing I could go to your house with a shotgun and a thermos full of coffee, pull you out of bed, make you drink lots of black coffee, and sit you at the computer to write. 

"Get that story done, boy. I can't sleep without knowing what happened. If I can't sleep, you can't sleep neither. Get to writing." 

hehe.

Very enjoyable.





> The lich had been dressing his lieutenant in like armor and trappings. The cunning reason for this, though, Vek did not share.




Hehe. This is great. Now everytime an enemy of the knights or Vek shows up, we'll be hearing Vek asking the following question using the Speak with Dead spell.

"Captain Metus, mummy or ressurection."...hehe


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Doc, I get the feeling that you don't like Pelor. Was it the Maximus brothers who did it?




			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> An uncomfortable silence was hanging over the table. The Order of Valor and the *Knights of the Silver Quill*, ...



Also, wrong knights  


Great update, Doc. Nice roleplaying, too, but are your players satisfied with or are we to see some action as well? Who is this guy? Maybe a new villain...


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

NW Knight,

You read the past stories. Those are those two characters personalities.

Dartan doesn't like any gods. Vek has always disliked Pelor for obvious reasons.

If Doc didn't like Pelor, he wouldn't throw so many priests of Pelor in his game.. Or maybe he just likes the drama.


----------



## Horacio

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *If Doc didn't like Pelor, he wouldn't throw so many priests of Pelor in his game.. Or maybe he just likes the drama. *




Flawed logic 

Maybe he dislikes Pelor so he puts a lot of Pelor priests, all intransigent and rigid, to show his disgust...


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

That could be it too Horacio. Who knows. I don't think Doc cares one way or the other as long as it makes a good story...)


----------



## Horacio

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *That could be it too Horacio. Who knows. I don't think Doc cares one way or the other as long as it makes a good story...) *




hehehe, I hink I agree with you, Doc knows that Pelor clerics add a lot to the drama, so he uses them... 

But I wonder if he likes or dislikes Pelor...


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

in the words of Wulf, "Up the sun!".


----------



## Wee Jas

Doc likes Pelor.  Every cleric of Pelor is wicked annoying though..  "sun this.. sun that".

Oh god.. I want them to try to kill Jamison.. PLEASE.  Kyla is so lonley in the basement


----------



## Dr Midnight

Guh! Thanks NWK, I still (obviously) have trouble separating the whole Knights thing. If I'm not concentrating, it's easy for me to make a stupid mistake like that. 


> Hmmmm. I think Raelin overreacted. Either that or he's a wussy boy.



Raelin's a sensitive, contemporary man who's not afraid to show his feelings. He sips NesQuik and wears Dockers.


> I am seriously wishing I could go to your house with a shotgun and a thermos full of coffee



Ha ha, joke's on you, I'd just plug my fingers into the shotgun barrel and the gun would explode in your face, and you'd look at the camera and blink twice with soot all over you.







> Doc, I get the feeling that you don't like Pelor. Was it the Maximus brothers who did it?



I've got no problem with Pelor, I just think clerics of a successful religion would probably rely on some cheap tactics like saturation and Pelor is the one true Big Good.


----------



## Ziona

Nicely done, Doc.  I think you did a great job capturing the essence of the moment...anger, sadness, forgiveness...nice work.

And speaking of work...get to it!! People are waiting on you, you know.  Inquiring minds want to know what happened during the rest of the session!


----------



## Horacio

Ziona said:
			
		

> *And speaking of work...get to it!! People are waiting on you, you know.  Inquiring minds want to know what happened during the rest of the session!  *




Yup, exactly that, we want to know!


----------



## Datt

Great updates Doc!

But I see by your glowing checkmark that you are currently online.  I would only hope that you are typing as I am typing so that I might refresh my screen and see an update!


----------



## Dawn

Whoa, I step away for two weeks and come back to whole new story hour!  And four updates!  Must have done something right in a prior life.

Great cliff hangers Doc.  ‘Course I was able to keep reading on through to catch the next update.


----------



## Breakstone

Poor Jamison...

But at least Dartan forgives him!


----------



## blargney

Keep it coming, Doc!  Woohoo! 
-blargney


----------



## Conaill

Yeah, get on with it you lazy bum! 

Oh, and Capt. Nemo is still swinging from that ceiling fan over in The Amazingly Slow Action Movie thread.


----------



## Lela

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *
> If Doc didn't like Pelor, he wouldn't throw so many priests of Pelor in his game.. Or maybe he just likes the drama. *




Doc?  Like Drama?  No, he's not like that.  He's the poster child for having all his PCs get along.  Why would anyone think he likes drama?



Not to mention that clerics of Pelor would be one of Vek's greatist threats.  And they'd have reason to hate him too.

But Doc would never think on those lines.  He's just not like that.


----------



## Wee Jas

> Not to mention that clerics of Pelor would be one of Vek's greatist threats. And they'd have reason to hate him too.




Bah, to get to me you got to get through Metus.  My man with the vorpal sword.   I'm sure he wouldn't shed a tear if a few followers of Pelor's heads went a rollin'.

We know the Lady of Book and Bone reigns supreme in Spellforge keep!


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Bah, to get to me you got to get through Metus.  My man with the vorpal sword.   I'm sure he wouldn't shed a tear if a few followers of Pelor's heads went a rollin'.*




Point taken.


			
				Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> We know the Lady of Book and Bone reigns supreme in Spellforge keep!
> 
> *




As well she should.  I support her entirely.

Which is why I'd like to request that when I die you make me into a Vampire or a Litch (with the "t") and not into woosy skeleton like those pesky, annoying, stuck-up, rigid, annoying, self-rightious, narcissistic, self-absorbed, _annoying_ clerics of Pelor.


----------



## Dr Midnight

* 26th of Ready’reat*

It was early in the morning. A pull on the front door’s bell brought Captain Metus to the drawbridge. He looked out at a plainly dressed man wearing a simple brown cape. “May I help you?”

“Yes. I’m certain that by now, you’ve noticed that your white-haired druid friend didn’t return last night.”

Metus shrugged. “Oaken? What, he didn’t return?”

“Oh.” The man seemed confused. “I suppose you didn’t notice. Aren’t you his friends?” 

“I’m Captain Metus. I don’t think he’s real close with anyone else just yet. Let me get someone.” Metus walked off and found Kizzlorn, who’d just woken up. She shuffled down to the door in her bedrobe. 

“Something about Oaken?” Her eyelids fluttered and strained to stay open. 

“Yes. He’s been abducted. May I come in?”

This might sound an odd way to meet someone, but when you’re a famous adventurer, this is no odder than buying eggs in the market. Kizz opened the portcullis and wandered over to a comfortable chair. “What’s all this, then?” she asked. “Pardon me, I’m just very tired.”

“Your friend has been kidnapped.” The man stepped inside, not feeling entirely that he was carrying the urgent news he was sure they’d be shocked to hear.

“How, when, where, why, and by whom? And who are you, while we’re at it?”

“I’ll tell you what I can. My name is Nurn. An opponent of my master, named Aameul, has been notified that the descendant of a powerful druid of old named Dydd could be used to double his own powers. This Aameul is a demon prince of the Abyss, and it is in my master’s best interests if he does not ascend to this level of power. At this time we do not know how he intends to ascend using your friend, but it almost certainly will mean his death. As you see, it is in both our interests if you act quickly.”

“Mm hmm.  Who is your master?”

“I am not at liberty to say. The name I know him by is Hethradiah. So may you name him.”

“Hethradiah, got it. Okay. Will you be helping us?”

“No. This is for you to do. I will be acting against the creature that took Oaken, but in my own ways.”

“What took him?”

“I know it only as The Cathezar.  It’s a half-woman, half-snake creature that is in truth half-demon, half-devil. It is extremely deadly, and is only the agent of the demon lord Aameul.”

Vek emerged from his dungeon. “It shouldn’t be a problem. We handle tougher beasties all the time. Just point us at it.”

Nurn looked up. “I rather think The Cathezar is stronger than you know. You would be wise to speak without such a smug air.”

”Smug air is the only air I have.” 

Kizz asked “So how do we find where they’re keeping Oak? Any advice you can give us?”

“No, I’ve spent too much time here already. You’re a powerful group… you should be able to figure the rest out on your own.” He turned to leave.

“How can we contact you, if we need to?” Kizzlorn called out.

“You can’t. Good day to you.” He left. 

Kizz sighed and stood up. “Well, that was exciting. Vek, can you get started in figuring out where Oaken is via a Scrying spell? I’ll rally the troops.”

“Will do.”

She yawned as she climbed the stairs. “Looks like today should be exciting.” 

*MORE TO COME...*


----------



## Horacio

And a new adventure begins!

Thanks, Doc


----------



## Lela

The poor man.  He thought he'd shock Knights of the Spellforge Keep?  Bwa, it takes more than the mear prospect of a new evil deity to do that. lol

Sounds like you need to give them a beat down Doc.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Lela said:
			
		

> *Sounds like you need to give them a beat down Doc.  *



Oh, just you wait.


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> Oh, just you wait. *




"Yayyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!"


That is, I mean, um, dang it Doc.  No hurting Vek.  That's just not nice.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> * 26th of Ready’reat
> 
> This might sound an odd way to meet someone, but when you’re a famous adventurer, this is no odder than buying eggs in the market.*



´

Marvellous, Doc, marvellous! 


I am eager to find out how you adapt this adventure to your campaign! Is Oaken's player taking a break or do you just send him out to play video games?


----------



## Datt

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> Oh, just you wait. *




Is it just me or does this sound like a very bad omen?


----------



## Ziona

Lela said:
			
		

> *The poor man.  He thought he'd shock Knights of the Spellforge Keep?  Bwa, it takes more than the mear prospect of a new evil deity to do that. lol
> 
> Sounds like you need to give them a beat down Doc.  *




Well, it's not that the Knights didn't care that Oaken was missing, and not _all_ of us were smug like Vek.   

The druid is often alone in the woods, so we didn't notice his disappearance right away, that's all.  All the hubbub with the Spellforge siblings was not much interest (or concern) of Oaken, so he stepped out to locate his animal companion. 

As for what Xaltar did while his character was captured... well, I'm sure the good Doctor is working on that part of the story right now..._RIGHT_ Doc?


----------



## Wee Jas

> and not all of us were smug like Vek.




Hey now... its not like any of us were afraid... after the whole titan incident  ;D

Doc left out the part were Edge asked "whats in it for us?".   Then we took his gems and sent him packing.  Later I found him and turned him into a skeleton.  Then Kizz made out with another chic after trying to polymorph her into something ugly.  Oh no.. I fear I revealed to much!


----------



## Ziona

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Hey now... its not like any of us were afraid... after the whole titan incident  ;D
> 
> Doc left out the part were Edge asked "whats in it for us?".   Then we took his gems and sent him packing.  Later I found him and turned him into a skeleton.  Then Kizz made out with another chic after trying to polymorph her into something ugly.  Oh no.. I fear I revealed to much! *




LOL   

Yeah, you've got me on the titan thing, but no more chicks for this chick!!


----------



## Victim

I know where this is going.  I expect true messiness, and Vek getting slapped into place.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Ziona said:
			
		

> *...but no more chicks for this chick!! *



DOH


----------



## Wee Jas

I guess he can't write.  Too busy admiring his new Swamp Thing Heroclix.


----------



## Dartan

Actually he's watching his Angel season 1 dvd's he got today.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

* BUMP * to remind Doc to write.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Vek scried and found Oaken in a small stone room with a closed wooden door. He looked unconscious, and very very bruised. He’d been through a hell of a fight.

Vek turned away from his scrying mirror and closed the door to his study. He sat on the floor and communed with his goddess. “Wee Jas,” he asked. “Show me where we might find the way to Oaken Stormfire.” Through a crimson mist of swirling tendrils he saw a green door with rusted iron hinges. Above that door was a number: 935. Pulling back, he saw a street sign: Acacia Ave. Pulling back further, he saw a sign welcoming visitors to the town: Ekbir. 

The lich stood and walked upstairs. There he found the Knights suiting up. “935 Acacia Avenue, in Ekbir,” he reported. “That’s the place where we all go.”

Kizz nodded. “Good work, Vek. Are we ready?”

Vek said “If this thing is as deadly as Nurn said, we could use an extra sword.” 

“What did you have in mind?”

“Captain Metus, would you join us?”

Metus, standing by the portcullis, turned to face them. “Me?” He sounded genuinely surprised. 

“Yes. We have need of your steel and skill.”

“Both are yours to command, my lord.” He stepped close to the group with pride in his step. 

Grumbar was in a bad mood. “It’s not fair. Why did Oaken have to get kidnapped today? I was going to help Horacio bake a cake in the kitchen.”

“Friends come first, Grumbar.”

“I know.” The half-orc sulked as the teleportation spells were prepared, and they flashed away to the coastal town of Ekbir. 

Here, they quickly found Acacia Avenue and the door in question, deep in the slums of Ekbir. “Be ready,” Kizz said. She knocked on the door. No one came. She knocked again. Still no answer. She was about to signal Grumbar to kick the door in when the door opened, and a shrewlike old man glared out at them. He stared at Jamison for a while in silence, then spoke.

“What?”

“We’ve come for Oaken Stormfire.”

The man screwed his nose up. “Who?”

“Oaken Stormfire. We know he’s here.”

“You got the wrong place, honey.” He began to close the door. Grumbar blocked it and walked in. The others followed him, all the while ignoring the old man’s cries. They strode in past him and down the stairs. When the last had moved inside, the old man muttered “Welcome, then.” He slammed the door and disappeared, laughing. 

“Good, I was beginning to think we’d really come to the wrong place,” Edge muttered. 

“Wee Jas never leads me wrongly,” Vek said. 

The hallway turned and came to a closed, locked door. Edge attempted to search it for traps. He found none, and tried to pick the lock. He sighed and gave up. Kizzlorn opened the door with a spell. The room beyond was coated in a thick layer of dust, seemingly unused for years. It looked as the basement of a slum might be expected to. 

“The first line of defense,” Vek said. “Make it look like there’s nothing here to attack.”

Edge stepped into the room, and a pulse of yellow energy washed over the group. It dispelled the magical effects protecting them. Then, another burst of energy from the same spot, and the air went white with frost. The blast of cold dissipated, leaving those Knights with pulses feeling desperately chilly. “Trap,” Grumbar announced kindly. 

“Thank you, Grumbar,” Vek said as he walked into the room. “Now, Edge, let’s check that next door for traps. I don’t trust that there isn’t a monster or something more challenging in h…” Another belt of icy coldness rippled through space around them, and the already chilled Knights were almost frozen solid. It had been six seconds. “The trap, it resets!” Vek yelled. “Run! Outside!” 

They barely made it out before the next pulse of magic went off. Jamison was dying. His breath came in plumes of white mist and his lips were blue. His jaw chattered. “H…h…heal…”

Grudgingly, Vek used the power of Wee Jas to heal the living. He truly hated doing that, and it always put him in a bad mood. If he wasn’t strangling the life from something or damning a corpse to the hell of servitude in unlife, it really wasn’t worth casting, as far as the lich was concerned. “New plan,” Vek said. “We open the door in that room from afar, and move into it without stepping on the floor at any point.”

They walked back inside and Kizzlorn cast a spell that opened the door. It soon swung shut again. Surprised, Vek said “All right. NEW new plan.”

Edge suggested something. “Kizz, you open the door. I’ll jump across the room and block it with my body.”

Jamison laughed. “The room must be forty feet across! Can you jump that far?”

“Easily.” 

The wizard shrugged. Kizz readied her spell. “Are you okay, Jamison? Best get your battle face on, we’re going to have to fight whatever it is that’s closing that door.”

“I feel terrific. You know what that’s like, Kizz? All today I’ve felt great. I think it’s because Dartan forgave me. It’s like I’ve been confirmed as a creature with a soul. I’m not just a shell that once did evil, and I’m not just a careless child who likes to pull levers. I’ve been forgiven. I feel like I’ve made my peace.”

She laughed. “That’s great, but it’s time to make war. Are you ready?”

“Oh, yes. Lead on.”

She opened the door and Edge took off like a shot. He ran across the hall and leapt into the air. He sailed easily across the room and landed at the door on the other side. There, he began fending off two immense devil creatures who were doing their best to shut the door on him. The halfling was holding more than his own. He dodged, spun, punched kneecaps, and struck vital areas in the blink of an eye. 

Vek led the others across the trapped room, which was bursting with cold energy. The Knights with him were safe, though, in Vek’s antimagic shell. No magical effects could touch them there. They reached the door and ran inside to do battle with the devils. Captain Metus now wielded the vorpal sword of Shade, and his worth was plain as an admiral in Sir Vek's service. The devils were soon defeated. 

Elsewhere, Oaken raised his head. His vision swam with blurs and odd shapes, but he concentrated and made out someone standing in the doorway to his cell. It was an old man. He dropped a plate of food into the room without courtesy, and spoke. “Your friends are here. Can you hear them?” Oaken listened and believed that he could hear the sounds of combat nearby. It gladdened his heart. “I’m going to go kill them. Maybe look for clues from one of your number before I act.”

“They’ll destroy you,” Oaken murmured. 

“No,” the man said as his form melted away to reveal The Cathezar- a seven foot tall woman with the lower body of a giant serpent. She had six arms, and with them gripped lengths of coiling, barbed chain. “I don’t think they will.”

_*MORE TO COME...* _


----------



## Breakstone

Whoa.

I'm glad we're seeing more of Edge, and that Jamison's getting some character developement.

I can't wait to see more, Doc!


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> Grudgingly, Vek used the power of Wee Jas to heal the living. He truly hated doing that, and it always put him in a bad mood. If he wasn’t strangling the life from something or damning a corpse to the hell of servitude in unlife, it really wasn’t worth casting, as far as the lich was concerned.
> 
> *




No that's the Vek we all know and love (to hate).  I wonder where he's been hiding.

Perhaps in the basement with his new friend?


			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> * Captain Metus now wielded the vorpal sword of Shade, and his worth was plain as an admiral in Sir Vek's service. The devils were soon defeated.
> *




Aw, Xaltar is Metus now.  Well, now that he's in the game, I think Dartan could take 'em.

Hay Xaltar, ever consider multiclassing into a Paladin?  Just to annoy Vek of course. 



			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> “They’ll destroy you,” Oaken murmured.
> 
> “No,” the man said as his form melted away to reveal The Cathezar- a seven foot tall woman with the lower body of a giant serpent. She had six arms, and with them gripped lengths of coiling, barbed chain. “I don’t think they will.”
> 
> MORE TO COME...  *




Oh, yeah.  That's gonna suck.


Wee Jas, you ever consider getting a Wand of _Heal_?  If you bought it from a cleric of Pelor (or had Kizz or Horacio get it for you) you wouldn't be forced to use the power of Wee Jas to help out the thankless living souls who don't even worship her grand majasty.  Pelor likes that kind of "selflessness."  Let him handle it.


----------



## Horacio

Great update, Doc!

And an cliffhanger!!!


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Doc has truly mastered the fine art of hanging people off a cliff.

*Celtavian hangs on to the cliff firmly hoping Doc will update before he falls.*


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

EDGE IS A HALFLING ???

Why, dammit, I must have overread that fact somewhere... Only a real roleplayer would play a halfling monk ! Respect!


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

Nah, I'd be more impressed if he played a dwarven monk.


----------



## Wee Jas

> Well, now that he's in the game, I think Dartan could take 'em




Actually, Xaltar ran a mock batlle with Dartan and cut of Grumbars head and Dartans head on his first to swings.  I was so proud of him!  /whipes tear away from his eye



> EDGE IS A HALFLING ???




Halfling/Half Dragon 



> Grudgingly, Vek used the power of Wee Jas to heal the living. He truly hated doing that, and it always put him in a bad mood. If he wasn’t strangling the life from something or damning a corpse to the hell of servitude in unlife, it really wasn’t worth casting, as far as the lich was concerned.




Actually I used my new sword to do that.  Lifetaker is so awesome.  He just needs Lilith as a partner!  Here he is: 



> Lifetaker:
> Intelligent +3 keen longsword of life stealing (AL NE; Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16; Ego 17)
> Speaks Common, Infernal, Abyssal.
> Can see invisibility at will.
> Grants Evasion (as rogue ability).
> Can Heal by touch once per day.




I just have to promise to feed him regularly


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

OK, what size is Edge then? Medium? Then I take back everything and pronounce him a true 3rd Edition munchkin. I'm very proud of you!


----------



## Wee Jas

No he is still small.  Half-dragons only advance in size if you go the Dragon diciple prestige class.   Gah.. I am a huge NERD!

Still... edge got some pretty nice bonuses for being a half-dragon.. lol.


----------



## Nail

Why didn't y'all just teleport in?

And why didn't you use a bit more divination to scout out the abilities of the bad guys?


----------



## Morte

Nail said:
			
		

> *Why didn't y'all just teleport in?
> 
> And why didn't you use a bit more divination to scout out the abilities of the bad guys? *




They don't do that sort of thing. This is the "rush in, swords blazing" fraternity. Occasionally, multiple deaths in the party will instill caution for a few hours.

The Knights play with the safety off...


----------



## Wee Jas

> Why didn't y'all just teleport in?
> 
> And why didn't you use a bit more divination to scout out the abilities of the bad guys?




Well.. We have 1 cleric, me.  Jamison and Kizz don't do divination.  So  I do the scrying, healing and offensive spells.

We didn't want to waste another day to mem offensive magic.

We didn't teleport in cause we didn't want to teleport in a jail cell.  There could've been protective magics there to prevent escape then we would all be captured.  Multiple deaths usually occur when we teleport places insted of following the adventure.


----------



## Spatula

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Well.. We have 1 cleric, me.  Jamison and Kizz don't do divination.  So  I do the scrying, healing and offensive spells.
> 
> We didn't want to waste another day to mem offensive magic.
> 
> We didn't teleport in cause we didn't want to teleport in a jail cell.  There could've been protective magics there to prevent escape then we would all be captured.  Multiple deaths usually occur when we teleport places insted of following the adventure. *



Actually in this case, the adventure expects you to teleport straight in.  Although you were wise not to do so...


----------



## Dr Midnight

With a gust of air that smelled of ozone, The Cathezar teleported into the room behind the Knights and attacked. Her cruel chains raked across them. 

Jamison cried out and turned to see her glaring down at him. “Why have you come here?” She demanded with a  devilish grin. 

“We’ve come to win our friend back, fiend!” Jamison cast a spell at her, but she waved her hand with a sneer and the bolt of energy smashed into the wall behind her. 

Her chains whipped out and whipped Jamison aside. Grumbar leaped forward and hewed at her with his sword, but her dancing chains blocked almost every strike. Sparks flew from the chains every time he struck them. Vek cast one of his destructive spells, and the energy of the magic dissipated in the air before her. She looked at Vek, and her face changed. It became, to his undead eyes, the face of Lilith- the vampiric shield he’d lost in the battle with Hedrack. Her face was of hammered iron. The eyes were lumps of wide, pupilless metal. It grinned at Vek with its four-inch fangs and hissed at him. “You. Mormont. You let me be disintegrated. If only Wee Jas could have known she’d chosen so ineffective a champion.” 

The lich was struck by suddenly being confronted by his shield, which he did miss dearly. Besides being deadly and effective in combat, it had suited his sense of style perfectly. 

The Cathezar lashed out and struck Jamison again. He flew to the wall and landed sprawled on the ground, his eyes closed. 

“Oh no,” Grumbar said. “I think Jamison’s dead again.” 

Kizzlorn shouted “We’ll take care of it, Grumbar, just concentrate on the battle… None of my spells are hitting it, someone do something!”

“I’ll do something,” The Cathezar said. Her barbed chains wrapped around Jamison and lifted him off the ground. Blood dribbled from his mouth over the iron links of chain. “I’ll take my new prize elsewhere, and see what he knows. Maybe torture him to death… again and again.” She disappeared as her laughter echoed off the walls. 

The shattered group pulled themselves together. “Dammit,” Edge muttered as he wiped blood from his lip. “That thing was tough. It never broke a sweat, and we barely managed to touch it.”

Grumbar looked worried. “Plus it’s got Jamison.”

Kizz laid a hand on Grumbar’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Grumbar. We’ll find him, and we’ll cleave that thing in two.” He nodded, assured. 

They walked through the door and found Oaken’s cell within a minute’s time. The druid was badly hurt but could walk. His equipment was located nearby, and with nothing left to do, the group teleported back home. They would wait for word on Jamison. 

Grumbar wandered into the kitchen, and Horacio tried to ignore his entrance. “Horacio, I’m sad,” Grumbar said. He grabbed an uncooked chicken breast from the counter and began gnawing at it. “We think Jamison’s dead.”

“Meestair Crow? Dead? He’s died many times, right? He weel be back. You know heem.”

“Yeah. It’s just sad. Shade gave up after a few deaths… he couldn’t handle coming back so many times. Makes me wonder if people have a shelf life.” He picked something from the garbage bin. “Like this piece of moldy bread.”

Horacio’s eyes widened. “Meestair Grumbar, that ees deesgusting.”

Grumbar chewed the moldy bread with a sad, wistful look in his eyes. “Yeah.”

Elsewhere in the world, a flash of light lit up a very dark room with moist stone walls. The cool air parted as The Cathezar appeared, carrying the limp body of a wizard. She laid the body on a cot and called to a robed man standing nearby. “Resurrect him.”

“Yes, my lady.” The man stepped forward and bent over the body. The Cathezar stood with all six arms crossed, and a confused look on her face. After a moment, the man glanced up. “My lady?” 

“Yes?”

“He will not return.”

Her mouth dropped open. “What? That… that doesn’t make any sense.”

“He says his work is done, and he is ‘absolved’, whatever that means. He will not return, and I cannot force him.”

“No, you’re mistaken. I know him. This is Crow. He’s the one who suggested this damned plan in the first place! Why would he aid me, then travel with a group seeking to destroy me, then decline to be resurrected? I only killed him so I could take him here and ask what the change to the plan was without suspicion from the others…”

A voice spoke from the darkened doorway behind her. “There is no change to the plan.” The Cathezar whirled to face the door. “I see how you would be confused,” the voice said. “But… THAT is Jamison.” The man stepped from the darkness. He was the mirror image of the dead man on the cot. He smiled wickedly. 

“*I*… am Crow.”

_*MORE TO COME...* _


----------



## arwink

Thats...Thats...That's an evil and nasty thing to do to your players.

I like it.


----------



## Breakstone

But-

no way!

I can't-

Jebus!

Holy moly!


----------



## Dr Midnight

I'd just like to point out that somehow, someway, Lela guessed  this one a few pages back... even going so far as to correctly predict the "name". Nice going, Lela.


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *I'd just like to point out that somehow, someway, Lela guessed  this one a few pages back... even going so far as to correctly predict the "name". Nice going, Lela. *




Really?  I'm gonna hafta go look at that.

I thought it was too obvious to be right.  I mean, didn't he, ya' know, come from the ashes of the artifact that originally made him Crow in the first place?


----------



## Immort

Well done.

-Immort

btw, is Xaltar actually Metus or is Metus just a cohort of Vek's?  Or is he a cohort that Xaltar played until he could git Oaken back?


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Great twist Doc. I pity the Knights. The evil Crow sounded like a serious badass. 


Does your gaming group enjoy having these twists sprung on them as much as we enjoy reading about them?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wow Doc, that is your greatest plot twist, yet. 

I don't know how, and I don't know when, but Jamison HAS GOT TO COME BACK! I want an epic fight between Jamison and Crow!


----------



## med stud

Now that everyone will believe that Jamison has changed sides it seems pretty probable that Dartan will be back with a vengeance


----------



## Stone Angel

Lord have mercy. All week long I have waited patiently, and now I can't believe it. Great update Doc, and what villains the knights were outclassed. But keep the faith knights you shall prevail.

Untill next time make mine KoSK


----------



## Ziona

Immort said:
			
		

> *
> ...is Xaltar actually Metus or is Metus just a cohort of Vek's?  Or is he a cohort that Xaltar played until he could git Oaken back? *




Xaltar played Metus until he was able to get Oaken back. 



> _Originally posted by Celtavian_
> *Does your gaming group enjoy having these twists sprung on them as much as we enjoy reading about them?*
> 
> Actually, I think it was a bit of a twist to Doc when Jamison said he wasn't returning. I thought Doc was gonna squirt some...
> 
> LOL


----------



## Conaill

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *I'd just like to point out that somehow, someway, Lela guessed  this one a few pages back... even going so far as to correctly predict the "name". Nice going, Lela. *




Check again buddy! I believe I was the first one to suggest evil Jamison would be back. Except I called him "Jamisonus" (a la "Angelus" in the latest _Angel_ episodes).


----------



## Wee Jas

> is Xaltar actually Metus or is Metus just a cohort of Vek's?




Xaltar played Metus great though.  He actually forced the man who was holding Oaken aside so that I could move through unhindered.  He interperted my will nicely and fought like the knight Metus is!   Maybe he will run Metus
if Oaken has an "accident"


----------



## Dr Midnight

Ziona said:
			
		

> *Actually, I think it was a bit of a twist to Doc when Jamison said he wasn't returning. I thought Doc was gonna squirt some...
> *



Very true. I love Jamison, and when I heard, my jaw did the ajar-jaw binks and I said "Noooo!" 


> I believe I was the first one to suggest evil Jamison would be back.



I didn't say she was the first, I just said she guessed the name and really impressed me... which she did. Jamisonus? Gamer please. I take a lot of my cues from the Buffyverse, but c'mon. Not that I don't model Crow very strongly on Angelus... OKAY, FINE, full marks for you as well Conaill. 

Damn readers.


----------



## Datt

Two words Doc.


Pure Genius.


----------



## Metus

Ziona said:
			
		

> *Actually, I think it was a bit of a twist to Doc when Jamison said he wasn't returning.*



But a character's able to see who's trying to raise him, correct?  So hypothetically, Jamison could just be waiting for the party.


----------



## Elocin

Damn!!!!


I was not expecting Jamison to refuse to come back but after reading it I am not surprised.  He plainly stated that he was content with life now that he felt absolved.  I greatly admire the player for the awesome roll-playing he did.


Damn!!!!


Now as for the Evil Crow being back, I think the Knights are going to be in some serious doo-doo, and peronsally (no offense Vek) but I think the second Crow sees Vek he will try and take him out first and I think he will succeed.

Nice job Doc.


----------



## Lela

For some, peace only comes in death.

The riddicule falls away and the hatred leaves its victom far behind.

Fair thee well Jamison.  The knights, while they may curse thy name and hate the shaddow that once held you, thinking you have once-again turned to darkness, will avenge your death and bring peace to the world.

Take a load off, you've earned it.


----------



## Lela

Richards, how about a "You're so evil" set to the tune of "You're on Fire" in honor of Crow (or maybe Vek)?


----------



## Horacio

Speechless Horacio


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Props to Jamison, that was a great roleplaying reason for him not to return. Gave Doc some really touching material for his story, though he will probably have to write it again when the Knights find his body.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Was it really a great roleplaying reason not to return? Or was it maybe just the loss of another level that would have made him too weak for the party? I wonder...


Doc, you need not reply to this, but I would really like a Jamison vs. Crow battle!!!


----------



## Wee Jas

> Was it really a great roleplaying reason not to return? Or was it maybe just the loss of another level that would have made him too weak for the party? I wonder...




The baddies used a true rez on him but he still didn't want to come back.

As for evil Jamison targeting me first:  Whynot?  Everybody else does!  Every peasent in every town knows my strengths and weaknesses!   

Thats why I have meatshields to get in their faces.. haha.


----------



## Richards

Originally posted by Lela:







> Richards, how about a "You're so evil" set to the tune of "You're on Fire" in honor of Crow (or maybe Vek)?



  <----  (Note the "embarrassment" image)

Uh...I'm afraid I don't know that song.  (I hope my "coolness rating" doesn't slip as a result of admitting that.)  In any case, I thought of a different possible tribute song to Jamison Crow, which I'll work on this weekend.

Johnathan


----------



## Richards

Well, that didn't take nearly as much time as I thought.  Here then, is my tribute to Jamison Crow.  I normally don't use rap lyrics (ugh - I can't stand rap), but MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" seemed too appropriate not to use to create "Hey, Don't Touch That."  So, without any further ado...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
*HEY, DON'T TOUCH THAT*

Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!

My, my, my friends all hit me so hard
When I let down my guard
Whack me, hard on the arm
They say it's a lesser form of harm
They mean well, when I've got the urge
To mess with some super-bad power surge
I'm known to do such
And that's why they say, uh, "Hey, don't touch!"

"We told you, Jamie" (Hey, don't touch that!)
"We'd rather stay living - well, 'cept Vek" (Hey, don't touch that!)
"Listen to me, man" (Hey, don't touch that!)
"Yo, both hands in your pockets, wizard!" (Hey, don't touch that!)

Old habits, die hard
You gotta like those evil-warping crystal shards
So hey, I'm curious
No need to get mad and all furious
Curiosity killed the cat
But you gotta give me a little more credit than that
Look there, a gong!
You know I can't hold off all that long
You know my Wisdom ain't much
And that's why you say, uh, "Hey, don't touch!"

"Crow, I told you" (Hey, don't touch that!)
"Why you standing here, Crow?" (Hey, don't touch that!)
"Crow rang the gong, here comes the titan!" (Hey, don't touch that!)

Maybe I went just a bit
Overboard, but I just can't quit
Now, they know
You talking 'bout mass murder, you talking about Crow
That's fair, all right
Did me some killing, and killed me some Knights
They all learned, in the end
You can't let your guard down, even with your friend
They're dead?  How nice
Think I'll bury them here under the ice
That's my work and now they say...
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!

Evil Crow!
Stop: Jamison

That's in the past, all behind
And I'm left to deal with the demons in my mind
Kizzlorn's been great, no joke
She forgave me, when she learned I'd killed her folks
So what's next, for the story?
Doc better post or it's gonna get gory
Doc, get off your rump!
Story Hour Addicts, let's all do the bump, bump, bump

"Crow..." (Hey, don't touch that!)
"Look, man" (Hey, don't touch that!)
"You better get prepped, man, because you know" (Hey, don't touch that!)
"Get the door, Dartan's back!"  (Hey, don't touch that!)

Open up!
Stop: Dartan time!

I finally see the guy
Who hated me so much
He paid a guy to kill me just to stop my touch
Now why would he ever stop hating me?
Well he did, and the thought's elating me
My guilty heart was lightened
When Dartan shook my hand
And later I was killed - yeah now I'm dead, really dead
And you know what?  I feel grand

Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!
Hey, don't touch that!

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

Johnathan
Self-Appointed, Unofficial Bard to the _Knights of Spellforge Keep_ Campaign


----------



## Dr Midnight

T'was game night, and for the first time in a long time, I'm behind on the story hour. I plan to finish Session 51 tomorrow and try to begin work on Session 52. I'd like to tease you, though, with this:

NOW guess who's back?


----------



## Lela

Erasmas, Groganland (sp?), bigA, littleA, Dartan, (one of) the brothers Pelor (those PCs whose ashes reside together, can't remember their names), or Dartan's wife (turned evil of course).

Either that, or that blasted skeleton with a broom.


----------



## DWARF

Well, since Lela decided to take all the possible answers already,  , I guess that leaves the off the wall stuff.

I'll say Bree or Kryn...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

What if Jamison's player changed his mind this session ???


----------



## Horacio

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *NOW guess who's back? *




I don't dare to guess...


----------



## Despaxas

Vek prolly brought along that skeleton he keeps in his dungeon, forgot the name, too lazy to check it  But you know who I mean.


----------



## Dr Midnight

* 27th of Ready’reat*

“He’s not coming back.”

“What?”

Vek said it again. “He’s not coming back.”

Jamison’s body had been located floating in the Dramidj Ocean. It had been retrieved. All his items and equipment were gone, but the others were just eager to have Jamison back. His earnest enthusiasm for adventuring lightened the spirits of all, even when he was setting off traps. Now, Vek was telling them that Jamison Crow was really dead, and he had no interest in returning to his body. 

“He says he’s done. He’s been absolved.” 

Grumbar began to cry. “No, oh, no…”

“He has a last request.”

“What’s that?” Kizz asked. 

“’Bury me next to Dekker’.”

“Dekker?”

“One of his first partymates, and a childhood friend. I know where that is. Don’t worry.” 

Kizzlorn walked away.

Edge called out to her. “Kizz? Where are you going?”

“I have to write a letter. There are people in the world who’d want to know.” She walked upstairs and she wrote. 

Dear friends
I know you only just left, but I am grieved to inform you that Gregg Flamebrow has just fallen in battle. He has chosen to not return to life, citing absolution as his reason. He has requested burial in Poddleton beside his childhood friend Dekker on the 1st of Suns’ebb. We hope you’ll attend. 
Love, 
Kizzlorn 

Oaken gave the letter to a dove and instructed it to fly west and find the Order of Valor. 

The Knights spend two days grieving. 

* 1st of Suns’ebb*

A light rain was falling over Poddleton, and the cooling air of the first day of winter cast a grey shade over everything. The Knights of Spellforge Keep rode into town for the first time. The only one of them who’d been here before had been Jamison. 

Tsunami and Sunshine pulled a wagon bearing Jamison’s casket. They walked past the rows of houses and the spot where the Silver Quill had once stood. They walked to the cemetery. They walked past extravagant headstones and simple stone markers. They read the inscriptions as they walked. There was PAPPY ROUGHFOOT (father and friend), FLUDO (beloved pet), BREE (killed by Utreshimon, the blue dragon, Earthday, 6th of Patchwall), and finally DEKKER ROUGHFOOT (my boy). 

The Knights got out and levitated the casket over the grave, preparing to lower it. Kizzlorn looked around, seeing no one. “Maybe they didn’t get the letter…” She turned her head, looking about, and squinted. To the west, from the mist, someone was walking. His hulking gray form lightened as he neared. 

It was Dartan, and he was alone. 

_*MORE TO COME...* _


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

This knight, also gives a final salute to Jamison!


PS: Dartan, please, you have to be the one to rid the world of Crow, now !!!


----------



## Breakstone

Wait a minute, he's alone?

This doesn't sound too good...


----------



## Lela

Aw, the cleric of Pelor cannot practice what he preaches.  Dartan was right all along.

And it may be that Order of Valor will finally meet its end at the hands of Knights of the Spellforge Keep.  Might give Kizz a problem though.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

*Re: re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *Man, that was a sad show by Vek. I hope Doc gives you an alignment shift if you do something like that. That is not lawful neutral behavior in the slightest, nor honorable for that matter. Unbelievable.*



I thought it was pretty cool though and would have said so, if I wasn't too sad about Jamison's final demise.


----------



## Horacio

Dartan! and alone...

Either Kizz brothers can't do what they preach with all thos ePelor good words... or they are in problems and the Knights (and Dartan!!!) will have to rescue them... or Doc will surprise us again


----------



## Metus

*Re: re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *Man, that was a sad show by Vek. I hope Doc gives you an alignment shift if you do something like that. That is not lawful neutral behavior in the slightest, nor honorable for that matter. Unbelievable.*



Well Jamison WAS wanted by the law, and I thought part of being lawful was trying to uphold the laws of society.  Vek didn't turn him in while he was alive, so why not dead...?

Moreover, I would think that the reward would help adventurers do a lot more *good* then burying a corpse.  And hey, it's not like Jamison will miss his dead body.  I dunno.  I could see even a good character being able to justify it rationally.  I would've turned the corpse in.

Vek even said he'd teleport in and retrieve it too.  Sounds like easy money to me!


----------



## Lela

I'd say it was either LE, CG, or CN (in that order of likelyhood).  LE would be lawful in that he _is_ fullfilling a lawful mandate in a lawful manner but evil in the deception and disrespect involved.  CG in that he's _using_ the law to his own ends but those ends are justified in helping the greater good.  CN in simple terms of greed.

But Vek is just getting more evil all the time.  Perhaps we should hear from Wee Jas on the issue.  Is Doc just portraying Vek in a bad light (unintentionally of course) or are we dead on?  And what's your take on this Doc?


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*



> I thought it was pretty cool though and would have said so, if I wasn't too sad about Jamison's final demise.




You've got to be kidding me.




> Well Jamison WAS wanted by the law, and I thought part of being lawful was trying to uphold the laws of society. Vek didn't turn him in while he was alive, so why not dead...?
> 
> Moreover, I would think that the reward would help adventurers do a lot more *good* then burying a corpse. And hey, it's not like Jamison will miss his dead body. I dunno. I could see even a good character being able to justify it rationally. I would've turned the corpse in.
> 
> Vek even said he'd teleport in and retrieve it too. Sounds like easy money to me!




I would expect no less from his henchman.


----------



## Lela

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *
> 
> You've got to be kidding me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I would expect no less from his henchman. *




And he meant that in a nonconfrontational, we-all-love-this-story-hour kinda way.

I think


----------



## Wee Jas

> Perhaps we should hear from Wee Jas on the issue. Is Doc just portraying Vek in a bad light (unintentionally of course) or are we dead on? And what's your take on this Doc?




Mnn.  I emailed Doc about this last night.  We joked about this out of game a bit.  Edge argued "why not?" but I said we were just going to bury him.  Actually I don't know if Edge and I even know about the reward.  Neither of us went to Greyhawk on the trip Grumbar found that out.

 I was never going to turn him in.  I have no need for the money and Vek really liked Jamison  (Jamison always respected him and never said he smelled or anything).   

At the table Kizzlorn never argues against me or chastises me in any way either.  That is "DM magic".  I'm considered the level-headed statigist or "uncle Vek".  

Don't take my word for it though, ask the other players


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Ok, Doc was playing with us. I hope you can see how the way he wrote it seemed more than a little un-Vek like given his previous behavior and...hmmm...I think friendship with Jamison.

Lela,

Yes. I am just ribbing NWKnight a little...)


----------



## National Acrobat

Wow. good stuff, keep it coming Doc. It is nice to see Jamison get the peaceful rest that he so tried to have in life. Now who is going to run around and touch all of those things that DM's place in their adventures, just knowing someone will touch them?

BTW, Nice new sig. picture Doc. I rather like it, although I am a bit biased...


----------



## med stud

*Re: re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *Man, that was a sad show by Vek. I hope Doc gives you an alignment shift if you do something like that. That is not lawful neutral behavior in the slightest, nor honorable for that matter. Unbelievable.
> 
> At least Kizzlorn has a strong sense of honor. I am so glad the Knights didn't go along with Vek. I can't imagine that Doc would have enjoyed writing such a situation up and I certainly would have been disgusted reading about it.
> 
> Other than that, good write up Doc. Great roleplaying by Kizzlorn and the child-like Grumbar. *




I dont agree with the corpse situation.
1) What is Jamison going to use his body to when he doesnt want to come back? Nothing. It will be eaten by worms and bacterias in a couple of months, and no more. The bounty would be better in that case.
2) The victims of Crow would certainly get some satisfaction by seeing Jamisons body being torn into pieces or fed to some dogs or something like that as a compensation for the killings of their relatives who were alive when he killed them and didnt have the means to resurrect. Jamison wouldnt be hurt from this process.
3) Would a priest of undeath care very much about funerals? He has even animated his own corpse! It would be strange from a roleplaying POV if he were very serious about a funeral.


----------



## Horacio

*Re: Re: re*



			
				med stud said:
			
		

> *
> 3) Would a priest of undeath care very much about funerals? He has even animated his own corpse! It would be strange from a roleplaying POV if he were very serious about a funeral. *




IIRC Wee Jas is a Goddess of Death, not undead. Vek is not a priest of undead, he has made himself undead to better serve his Goddess...


----------



## Dr Midnight

Well, I didn't just "throw it in", nor was it "DM magic"... I was poking through the module, and I looked up to watch the conversation going on. Now I'm being told "No, no, that was out of character," so I'm all like "What WHAT!" And Wee Jas is totally "For real, dude, I never said that" and I says to Mabel, I says. 

So, I'm about to wipe that part out... which is too bad, because I really liked it. STUPID PLAYERS! I hate them. I need to smash them with Heroclix. 





I tried all yesterday to write, but it wasn't coming. I'll try more today... I've got a lot to catch up on.


----------



## Wee Jas

> I was poking through the module, and I looked up to watch the conversation going on




Read the module first and pay attention to us more.. your buried in that book its why we go out of character   

You should see some of the things Doc has Horatio say "OOC"... lol.


----------



## Ziona

There were several jokes _out of game_ about the reward for Jamison's body, but it was *never* said in character.  

And, as Wee Jas pointed out, none of us knew about the reward. Grumbar found the wanted poster with Jamison's face on it & showed it to him. Since Grumbar can't even read, Jamison is really the only one who knew (in game) what sort of reward was on his head. 

So, you can all relax and think good things about our lich friend.  

And as for Hero Clix, Doc, you're silly Swamp Thing is nothing in comparison to my (homemade) Wonder Woman!!

Edit: Uh, why is it suddenly showing her backside?  That will have to be fixed when I get home tonight! LOL


----------



## Dr Midnight

What, your (homemade) Wonder Woman's star-spangled butt, or her broken leg? 

I don't think you want to step up to THIS, Diana. You're based on a veteran Rogue? Please. I have impervious, super-strength and phase. I'll hit you with a trash bin for five clicks, baby. I can smash you to bits before you even touch me, you amazonian trollop. 

Or, in character: "You... have offended... the GREEN... and you must... be made... to PAY." *smash*

Yes, I stole Acessiwal's speech from Swamp Thing. You could do worse than to rip off Alan Moore. Which I've done. Several times.

Wonder Woman and the WHOLE JLA couldn't beat Woodrue. Who could? Swamp Thing. Who beat the HELL out of Batman on his own turf? Swamp Thing. Diana may be some kind of weirdo stone lady, but Swamp Thing is a god of nature. He'll rip ya damn head off, and Linda Carter's too.

More story coming up in a few minutes!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Together they lowered Jamison into the ground. No one said much. 

Dartan stood looking down on the casket of his last childhood friend. Long ago, when Jamison had turned evil, Dartan had had a hard night coping with everything that had happened. He was the last Knight in the party. Now, with Kryn, Tenchi, Bree and Dekker long dead, Gorgoldand imprisoned in a mirror, and the only newly reformed Jamison cut down, Dartan was truly the last remnant of the age… barring Snooky, who was sitting on the ground looking at the grave with him. The past had been happy, and Dartan missed the old times terribly. 

Even the others, that came later- Mallick, Erasmus, Myramus and Menerous, Hannah, Angelique, and so forth- all gone. Only Dartan remained. _I’m not even a Knight, now,_ he thought to himself. _I’m a member of the Order of Valor. There are none left. It’s all new blood._ He wiped a tear from his cheek.

When Jamison Crow was buried at last, the Knights and Dartan walked away. “Tradition around here was to have a drink at the Foamy Head when someone died,” Dartan said. 

“We really should be going back soon,” Vek replied. 

“Well, uh…” Dartan seemed to be feeling uncomfortable. “May I... I mean... The thing is, I had a fight with my companions. A disagreement, rather. They didn’t approve of coming to Jamison’s funeral. I may have said some harsh things, and they may have said more in turn. In the end, I may have said I’d rather spend a day in the company of my dead friend than in the earshot of a group of preaching, pompous zealots.” The Knights stared at him. _They’re going to make me ask,_ he thought. _Well, so be it._ “May I stay at the Keep for a few days? I’m in no mood to go back to my group.”

“Of course,” Kizzlorn said with a smile. 

On the way back, Grumbar couldn’t stop weeping. “He was so nice,” he’d sometimes say between sobs. “I don’t like that people die. It happens all the time, but I really don’t think it should happen.”

Vek spoke. “Soon, Grumbar, I will learn how to bring a body back from the dead with no weaknesses. Soon, none of us will have to fear death any longer.”

“Maybe. I’ve just been gotten to thinking, lately. With all this death going on, why am I not doing what I want? Life’s too short. I have a calling.”

Kizz asked “What is that calling?”

“I’m going to be a CHEF!!”

The sensitive half-orc had been inconsolable for much of the trip home, and it was good for the others to see him perk up. They encouraged him. It brightened his mood, though no one really had much faith in Grumbar’s culinary abilities. 

Kizzlorn’s enthusiasm for Grumbar’s choice made him smile, so she kept it up. “Grumbar, I didn’t know you knew how to cook.”

“I don’t,” he said. “Well, I can roast a mean piece of meat on the end of a stick, but that’s not cooking.”

“Well- how are you going to be a chef, if you don’t know how to cook, dear?”

“Horacio’s gonna teach me!”

Kizzlorn said yes, that was a very good idea while the others did their best to hide the fact that they were laughing... all except Dartan. He sat there wondering what was so damned funny. 

Later that day, when Horacio’s shouting had turned to dull moans, and Kizzlorn had threatened unemployment if he didn’t take Grumbar on as an apprentice, the Knights got to work. 

Edge had stolen from The Cathezar’s abode a few pages of notes that seemed to be pieces of a journal. They read:

 _Aameul learned of the mysterious Bastion of Unborn Souls, a name older than time immemorial, even though no one knows what it is or where it might be found. Aameul has learned the truth: The Bastion of Unborn Souls is a source of virgin souls, souls yet unsullied by physical incarnation, possibly one of many disparate “soul fonts” in the multiverse. Aameul learned that if he could obtain a “soul-charged” demonic heart that is then grafted into a great wyrm’s chest, he could slay Hethradiah with impunity, graft the stolen demon heart (and soul) into his life essence, and so direct the soul’s growth and maturation as a mind in accordance with his own desires. Demogorgon seeks to remake himself at the expense of himself. Might I do the same?

Aameul learned of the Bastion of Unborn Souls after demon-hearted Ashardalon, a great wyrm red dragon, breached it. The Church of the Elements has more information about Ashardalon and his ancient enemy, a woman named Dydd. Once I have time, I propose to find and visit the temple. Presumably, the descendant of Dydd offers some power over the dragon. I must go to the Church and see what they can tell me. 

Aameul’s dual nature is the reason for infrequent contact. I wonder if any possibility exists of blackmailing the demon prince against revealing his true dual and warring natures to selected enemies? Demogorgon is a power to be reckoned with- perhaps I’d better wait._

“Why is this whole Bastion thing coming up, when we only just found out about the Orb being in Ashardalon’s horde?” Edge asked. “I mean, we discover that the Orb is there, and then soon afterward this Nurn fellow and The Cathezar come out of the woodwork. Is it a coincidence?”

“Perhaps,” Vek said. “Stranger things have happened. Me, for instance.” He laughed. 

Oaken said “The Church of the Elements is a sacred location. Nature’s influence there is nigh absolute, and many things can be known and told. It is very well-guarded. I doubt even The Cathezar could easily get in and find what she wanted.”

“What’s there?” 

There is a ring of obelisks. Inside is a creature known as Semphelon, who has mystical abilities to see what can not otherwise be known. It might be good to have a visit.”

“Let’s go, then,” Vek said as he stood from the table. The preparations were made and the Knights left for Celadon forest. 

Dartan walked through the castle, later, wondering where everyone had gone. Grumbar jumped out at him from the kitchen with something in his hands. Dartan’s hand went to his sword hilt, and then he smelled what was underneath his nose. It looked like it was supposed to be bread, but it certainly didn’t smell like it. 

“Try some!” Grumbar said with a big grin.

_*MORE TO COME…*_


----------



## Sammael99

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Or, in character: "You... have offended... the GREEN... and you must... be made... to PAY." *smash*
> 
> Yes, I stole Acessiwal's speech from Swamp Thing. You could do worse than to rip off Alan Moore. Which I've done. Several times.*




Too true... Although I've never been a big Swamp Thing fan, I'm sorry to say. 

Next you must quote "From Hell". I'm sure there's lots of good quotes you could pinch in there ! I'll suggest a couple when I get back home if you like !


----------



## Ziona

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Who beat the HELL out of Batman...*




Wonder Woman did.  Haven't you read The Hiketeia?  Just look at the cover!  She romps him!



> *Diana may be some kind of weirdo stone lady... *




What are you talking about?? She was molded from the clay of the earth, and the gods breathed life into her. She's not made of stone, you poor, confused man.  

Nevermind.  A guy made of mold and dirt could never understand the complexities of such a classic character anyhow.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Ziona said:
			
		

> *Wonder Woman did.  Haven't you read The Hiketeia?
> *



No, I read comics. 


> _Originally posted by Ziona _*What are you talking about?? She was molded from the clay of the earth, and the gods breathed life into her.  *



Right, she's not a god herself. Pathetic.


> _Originally posted by Ziona _*Nevermind.  A guy made of mold and dirt could never understand the complexities of such a classic character anyhow.  *



As opposed to cheesecake made of clay? C'mon. Classic character... they just wanted a Lois Lane that could jump around with a skirt, and it met with horny fanboy approval. That's classic? 
SWAMP THING = L337 H4XX0R 
YUO = L0054R 

Actually, in reality, I don't think either of them could kill the other. But it's fun to talk trash. Let's just both pick on Iron Man, who we could both easily smash to pieces.


----------



## Ziona

Actually, Diana was the Goddess of Truth, but decided she was needed on earth more than in the heavens, and returned to the world as Wonder Woman. 

And, oh yeah, Iron Man is a drunk.  

I can't actually pick on Iron Man much...Xaltar likes Iron Man.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Ziona said:
			
		

> *I can't actually pick on Iron Man much...Xaltar likes Iron Man.  *



That's why I singled him out. TAKE THAT, XALTAR! Unprovoked attacks on a quiet, peaceful guy are always funny. 

We should play a game of Clix with our favorite characters in the lead. That is, if Z and X can bring themselves to PLAY sometime!

Xaltar - Iron Man
Wee Jas - Doc Doom
Me - Swamp Thang
Ziona - Wonder Woman
Dartan - Green Lantern

Iron Man and Green Lantern are forthcoming, and you have a WW. We'll all get crushed under Wee Jas, but that's just because he's the best player. 

Yeah, I'm pretty much livin' for Clix these days.


----------



## Wee Jas

> Yeah, I'm pretty much livin' for Clix these days.




Me too.  I've been inputting Clix info into a database all morning!

Can someone do my DnD homework and suggest my 18th lvl feat for me.   I was thinking of taking Leadership again...  maybe Landowner... or REACH SPELL for HARM!


----------



## Victim

Spell Penetration or Greater Spell Penetration.  Almost everything at high levels has spell resistance, and you want to your spells to do something.  Alternatively, Spell Focus or Greater Spell Focus for Necromancy.  All 4 would be pretty sweet.  Resist this Destruction!


----------



## blargney

*Rogues' Gallery?*

Is there a Rogues' Gallery for the Knights?
-blarg


----------



## Elemental

It was good to see at least two Knights getting a happy ending. So, is Dartan back with the group now, or is the player coming up with a third character?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Dartan is not back with the group, he is relaxing in the castle while his party cools down.


----------



## Richards

Hey, I'm glad to see that Grumbar's continuing his cooking pursuits...so happy, in fact, that I wrote my latest parody song from his point of view.  (Let's just hope that Grumbar has a better singing voice than I do!)  In any case, it's sung to the tune of Phil Collins' "Sussudio," and is dedicated to our favorite French-Spanish Story Hour Addict.

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

*HORACIO*

There's this chef that's been on my mind
All the time, Horacio, oh oh
Now he don't like to see my face
'Cause I mess up his clean kitchen space
Horacio, oh oh

He talks funny for what it's worth
His accent is not from Oerth
So when he talks, I feel mirth
I laugh so hard when he just says, "eet ees"
Horacio, just say "eet ees"
Oh Horacio

Now I know that I'm no cook
But if you'd take a look
Horacio, oh oh
Ooh, give me a chance, I sure can learn
So far I've mastered "burn"
Horacio, oh oh

Ah, I've just got to have you teach me how
To find those hidden steaks in a moo-cow
I'd pay attention to what you say
And I'd feel so good if you'd just say "okay"
Horacio just say "okay"
Oh Horacio, oh

I'll be a good chef, be sure of that
I'll even wear that funny little hat
Horacio, I just want to bake
Oh Horacio, let's make dragon cake!
Oh Horacio, don't look that way
Horacio, oh oh oh
Say "eet's okay"

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

Johnathan
Self-Appointed, Unofficial Bard to the _Knights of Spellforge Keep_ Campaign


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Xaltar - Iron Man
> Wee Jas - Doc Doom
> Me - Swamp Thang
> Ziona - Wonder Woman
> Dartan - Green Lantern
> 
> *




The only one of those that surprises me is you Doc.  But I was never a big Swamp _Thang_ fan anyway and I've never seen one of your characters.

But Doc Doom hits Wee Jas on the head right there.  Smack.

Good thing it's subdual.


----------



## Lela

You know, I think there's a conspiricy going on here.  Doc and Tsunami are trying to make sure the title of Knight's Official Fanboy stays where it is.

Wee Jas, you're my only hope.


I'm screwed


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*



> Wee Jas - Doc Doom




This doesn't surprise me at all. Doctor Doom, the greatest Marvel Villain ever to exist. Magneto is really the only villain that comes close to equalling the coolness of Doctor Doom.


What is Heroclix?


----------



## Talix

Back on topic, I'm astounded at the character turn-over in your games - do you people get bored easily, or what?  

(Ok, ok, Jamison has been there for a long time, it's just the impression that I get )

Great storytelling as usual, Doc, thanks!


----------



## Kesh

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *What is Heroclix? *




It's a miniatures game (similar to Mage Knight), but using super hero characters from Marvel & DC comics.


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Thanks for the info Kesh. I looked the game up on the Internet. Looks fairly cool.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Very short update here. Sorry for the brevity, but I have to get to writing Session 52. I'm getting way behind so I'm condensing things somewhat. 

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

The Knights returned later that night. Kizz yawned and said “We’re not back for long- we’re just picking up some provisions, then it’s off to The Guild of Sleep.”

Dartan asked “What’s that?”

“It’s a den of vice, apparently. Dreams for sale. A place where people can go and buy a dream… they put you to sleep under the influence of some kind of drug, and you can dream of anything you want.”

The fallen paladin looked confused. “Why would you go there? You’re looking for access to this font of souls on another plane of existence, right? Why go to a haven for junkies?”

“Apparently, the Semphelon- that’s the oracle we spoke to- believed we might find something there. There is a force blocking us from learning about the Bastion or traveling there ourselves. Something called the Ban of the Unborn. No deity will break it, so we cannot pray for information, and we cannot find out what to do. The Semphelon thinks perhaps that dreaming may be an unrestricted key to learning what the Ban of the Unborn keeps hidden.”

“Oh. Is that all?”

“No. Oaken is the descendant of Dydd.”

“I was being sarcastic.”

“At any rate, we’re off.”

“Will there be danger?”

Kizz thought for a moment. “At the Guild of Sleep? I don’t know… these people are addicted fanatics. There may be some trouble if they don’t like the questions we ask.”

“May I come along?”

Kizz glanced at Dartan and saw he seemed embarrassed to ask to accompany them. “I don’t see why not. Get ready, we’re leaving in a few minutes.”

“I’ll go get my sword.” He hurried off and put his sword on his belt. He rejoined the others, and Dartan the Godless was back. 

The Knights gathered outside and teleported away. Captain Metus resumed guard at the drawbridge. 

From the bushes in the treeline, a group of shadowy figures watched. “Enjoy your little trip,” one said. “For soon we will have our vengeance … you will know torment for what you did to me.”

That night, under cover of darkness, the group moved across the field to the castle and executed the first stage of their plan. It almost went off without a hitch, but in their excitement, they tripped and fell down all in a heap, then began snarling and biting at each other. 

“Stop tripping me up!”

“YOU tripped! You shut up!”

“Take that back!”

“I’LL BITE YOUR EAR OFF!!!”

The six or so would-be saboteurs rolled about on the grass, hissing and clawing and forgetting their plan for revenge almost entirely. 

They were, after all, only kobolds.

_*NEXT: THE FALLEN GOD* _


----------



## Horacio

Kobolds!!!!

I love kobolds!

Great, Doc, my favorite pesky race is in your story, GREAT!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Alright, first ENBoards are back, then Dartan is back and now Meepo is back !!!


----------



## Celtavian

Meepo wants revenge against the knights? This must be a cross-over story...


----------



## Dr Midnight

FLASHBACK

*Godsday, 4th of Brewfest*

Tenchi's quivering muscles felt much better by morning. He got up and practiced some meditative excercises. He then went downstairs and met the refreshed group. He announced "All right... I've been thinking about it, and I think it would be irresponsible of us to leave a maturing dragon in the depths of the Citadel. I say we destroy it." The others somberly agreed.

They met Kryn and Meepo at the outskirts, who'd both enjoyed a significantly less comfortable night. Kryn seemed fairly cranky for a holy man. Meepo was told that they were going to rescue Calcryx, and his eyes brightened. "Great!" he said. "Give me a weapon!" 

They descended once more into the ruins of the Citadel. At the door where they'd seen the frozen goblin smash into pieces, they readied and opened the door. 

This room was a mess... Calcryx had broken loose of his leash and destroyed the little trophy room. Ornamental stuffed heads of rats and kobolds hung on the walls, and smashed debris lay all over. The floor and walls were coated in thin layers of ice. Meepo threw his hands up with joy at seeing his beloved pet and cried "CAAAALCRYX!!" The dragon turned its head at the familiar voice- and leapt forth, attacking! 

Apparently it preferred its new home as mascot of the goblins in a large room to that of its previous home in a small cage. It was NOT happy to see the cheerful kobold, and spewed a fifteen-foot long cone of icy wind. Most of the party was caught in it, but no one was seriously injured. Dekker, in fact, seemed to enjoy the icy blast on his badly burned upper torso.

Dartan announced "I just saw it through the might of Heironeous... it's evil." The party nodded. To Meepo's absolute horror, Dekker, Bree, Tenchi and Dartan rushed into the room with weapons swinging. They had lied to him- they were trying to kill his pet! "Noooo!" he yelled. "Don't kill him, he's just a baby!" Kryn held his leash firmly, and Meepo tried unsuccessfully to bite at his kneecaps.

The dragon was smashed to the ground and slain. Meepo sobbed in despair. "Aww, cheer up, Meepo..." Tenchi suggested. "You're now king of the kobolds! You're free now. Just don't let us ever hear of you or your people again, or we'll be back to finish the job."

Meepo nodded, still crying uncontrollably. He was let off his leash and walked slowly, head down, toward the kobold common area. His chest hitched and eyes teared. He was now king of the kobolds, but his spirit and his heart were broken.

END FLASHBACK


----------



## Horacio

Poor Meepo


----------



## Datt

I underestand why Meepo would be back to take care of the Knights.  I just hope he knows what he is getting himself in for.


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

I will laugh my ass off if the Kobold's manage to kill even one night. That would be hilarious.


----------



## fenzer

Nice update Doc.  I love the idea of Meepo seeking revenge.  I shutter to think of a mid to high level Meepo.  

I ran a similar deal with my players but instead of Meepo it was the Kobold queen.  She ambushed the party with some 200 kobold troops.  It was a DM's legistical nightmare but a fun time.  

After you have written up the kobold "attack", I would like to know what revenge options you thought of before arriving at the one you did.  It took me a while to decide what the queen would do.  The party wiped out her entire clan in the citadel.  I finally decided she would put together an army as quickly as possible and attack at night with surprise.

Anyway, a fun idea.  I hope they go easy on poor old Meepo.  By the way, my party used Meepo as cannon fodder and ended up throwing him into one of the spiked pits in the citadel - "accidentally".  He didn't make it.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

Meepo, the unholy chosen of Kurtulmak, hell-bent on revenge!

Poor Metus, I wonder if he dies enough if he'll choose either to not return, or just give-in to Vek and become a mummy. I'd hate to see his gravestone when he's finished though.

Here lies a valiant brother of the Order of Wee Jas <a division of Vek Mormont industries>.

 - died Aug 12. big bad dragon
 - died Sept 3. pack of kobold-dogs
...


----------



## wolff96

fenzer said:
			
		

> *Nice update Doc.  I love the idea of Meepo seeking revenge.  I shutter to think of a mid to high level Meepo.  *




Heh.

In the campaign I ran the Sunless Citadel, the group was very friendly to the kobolds in return for their help. Meepo, who for years had been trying to train the dragon without killing it, had developed his own martial arts style -- of sorts.

So, much later in the campaign, the very high-level party dropped in on the Citadel for a visit. There they ran into a Young Adult Calcryx and a very high-level (and old -- I decided kobolds had a short life-span) Meepo the Monk. He even offered to train them in the "Dragon Style" of combat.

It was a fun encounter. The group still chuckles about Meepo occasionally.


----------



## Malachai_rose

Meepo... 

Please don't make Meepo a wuss. He deserves SO much more  I mean just imagine /Epic Meepo ! 

Okay my fan bois pleading for Meepo is done. Heh, great twist though. I love it when a DM brings things from the past back. It enhances the sense of continuity  in a story (for both the readers and players).


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *I will laugh my ass off if the Kobold's manage to kill even one night. That would be hilarious. *




Do you mean "one *k*night" ???


Anyway, by now, Meepo is a Kobold Fighter12/Kobold King8. A toast to templated kobolds and 3E


----------



## Conaill

*Re: Re: Re*



			
				Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Do you mean "one *k*night" ???




Nah, they're just killing time.

Well, _trying_ to anyway... As Celtavian indicated, they may be too incompetent to accomplish even that.


----------



## Metus

Dursk Starkfire said:
			
		

> *Poor Metus, I wonder if he dies enough if he'll choose either to not return, or just give-in to Vek and become a mummy. I'd hate to see his gravestone when he's finished though.
> 
> Here lies a valiant brother of the Order of Wee Jas <a division of Vek Mormont industries>.
> 
> - died Aug 12. big bad dragon
> - died Sept 3. pack of kobold-dogs
> ... *




Pfft.  I could take on those kobolds any day.  Whip out my vorpal sword and give Horacio some kobold steaks.  And hey, it's not like I have a record for number of deaths or something!  I'd rather be a vampire then a mummy anyhow, although I realize a vampire is usually evil (and hokey?).

More story!


----------



## Breakstone

It's time for revenge... kobold style...

Meaning, most likely, a lot of bumpling around, poking of eyes, and "Nyuk nyuk nyuk"-ing.


----------



## Dr Midnight

*SESSION 52
2nd of Suns’ebb
THE FALLEN GOD*

The Knights left the Guild of Sleep. They’d had to speak to someone known as the Dreamer Prime. She’d been asleep for the last seven years, dreaming endlessly under the influence of the drugs that were continuously injected into her bloodstream. To speak to her, they had to wake her. Her spectral form greeted them- a projection of her dream-self. She did not want to be awakened, and had threatened to kill them if they tried. They told her of the great need of Greyhawk. They managed to convince her that their need was greater than her wish to be undisturbed, and she grudgingly allowed them to wake her. When she awoke, the Knights saw that her beautiful dream self was nothing like the real her- she was aged and haggard. 

She had indeed traveled across many planes in her dreams, and known many strange things. She was able to tell them what they wanted to know. 

“The Bastion of Unborn Souls is a font of preincarnate souls in which spirits the multiverse over have their origin. Your soul, and mine, likely originated in the Bastion, or perhaps a font much like it. There may be other fonts, I know not, but I do know that the Bastion grows souls- and the deities are banned, by ancient decree. The deities obey the Ban, lest they be stripped of their power, like Desayeus.”

Vek asked “Desayeus?”

Dreamer Prime sighed and said “I’m getting to that. Ashardalon, the red dragon in the Bastion, is an entity of power, possessed of a maturity that few dragons ever achieve. Bending all its powers, its hoard, and several centuries of research toward the goal of preserving its life without resorting to lichdom, Ashardalon determined that it required a new type of diet: preincarnate souls from the Bastion of Unborn Souls. By feeding on such souls, it hoped to extend its life indefinitely. But each preincarnate soul it digests is one more empty mortal shell vomited forth on the Material Plane. It seems that Ashardalon’s hunger is great, and may be accelerating.”

“He’s eating souls?” Kizz was shocked by the monstrous act. 

“I see nothing wrong with ‘resorting’ to lichdom,” Vek laughed. “How do we find and travel to the Bastion?”

“Three ways to get into the Bastion of Unborn Souls exist, and Ashardalon used one of them- one of the three pieces of Desayeus’s Soul Totem. The Soul Totem was sundered when Desayeus was cast down by a conclave of deities who worried that the Ban would be violently and indiscriminately enforced, and that all deities would suffer for Desayeus’s impertinence.

“Desayeus was a deity with grand plans, who by his own divine decree claimed the souls of the unborn as part of his portfolio. The Soul Totem was the symbol he took, and he invested it with much of his divine power. His new portfolio lasted seven hours before he was cast down. One third of his Soul Totem was lost (and later found by Ashardalon), another third is in the keeping of a power I cannot perceive, and the last third Desayeus treasures yet, the last vestige of his divinity. Desayeus rots in a lost vault of Agathion, in a region of the Outer Planes called Pandemonium. Only his Gatekeeper can gain entry.”

Dartan was getting tired of the overly long exposition. He rolled his eyes and said “Okay, tell us how to find the Gatekeeper already.” He seemed mostly disappointed that the Dreamers here didn’t seem to want a fight.

“Desayeus’s Gatekeeper is Eco, a celestial being with topaz eyes, golden skin, white wings, and a heart harder than iron. Seek her if you seek Desayeus. Eco abides in the layer of Pandemonium known as Phelgethos, one layer above the vault of Agathion.”

“Fine,” Kizzlorn said. “What does any of this have to do with that Cathezar creature or her master, Aameul?”

“Aameul, yes. No one knows, not all the demons of the Abyss. But I know, oh yes. I’ve spied his dreams. Can’t you guess? It is an aspect of Demogorgon who seeks Dydd’s blood. He seeks to free himself from the other aspect that wrestles for dominance over Demogorgon. He has discovered that through eating Ashardalon’s heart, he may gain more power than he’d imagined possible. Ask only one more question of me- I wish to return to my dreams.”

“Tell us about Pandemonium,” Vek said curtly.

“Wind and noise and rock. Deadly wind, deafening noise, and barren rock. Leave me.”

With Dartan still spoiling for a fight, and everyone else ready for action, they wanted to travel straight to Pandemonium. It was decided that it would be best if the return to the Keep- Vek had a thing or two to look up about shifting between planes. They teleported home. 

When they arrived, the Knights of Wee Jas were rushing about the castle’s courtyard. Something was happening. Captain Metus approached the heroes. “My lord, I’m glad you’ve returned. There is a situation.”

_*MORE TO COME…*_


----------



## Lela

Metus said:
			
		

> *
> I'd rather be a vampire then a mummy anyhow, although I realize a vampire is usually evil (and hokey?).*





Well, so is the commen lich.  Your major problem would be sunlight.  Hard to be a defender of of a city when they have a tendency to want you to talk to them in, well, daylight.


----------



## Horacio

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *When they arrived, the Knights of Wee Jas were rushing about the castle’s courtyard. Something was happening. Captain Metus approached the heroes. “My lord, I’m glad you’ve returned. There is a situation.”
> 
> MORE TO COME… *



*

HEHEHEHE

I'm dying to know what's exactly the situation...

What will Meepo and the kobold-ninja have done? *


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

I bet they have Chef Horacio as a hostage and are threatening to kill him if the Knights don't give them some major reparations for what they did to Meepo.


----------



## Sammael99

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *I bet they have Chef Horacio as a hostage and are threatening to kill him if the Knights don't give them some major reparations for what they did to Meepo. *




Let's not forget that Horacio is responsable for cooking insane amounts of Dragon meat ! What an increadibly evil act !!!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Also, Doc changed the title of the thread from

*The Further Adventures of the Knights of Spellforge Keep*

to

*The Further Adventures of the Knights of Spellforge Keep: The REVENGE of MEEPO*


So this looks like good ol' Meepo will play an important role in the upcoming events. Doc, as a suggestion, maybe Meepo has somehow become a manifestation of one of Demogorgon's personalities... 

Or go along with the templated Kobold suggestion I made earlier.


----------



## Elemental

Lela said:
			
		

> *
> 
> 
> Well, so is the commen lich.  Your major problem would be sunlight.  Hard to be a defender of of a city when they have a tendency to want you to talk to them in, well, daylight. *




Instead of a common mummy, you could use the Greater Mummy template from Deities & Demigods. Retain all your intelligence, gain a bunch of nifty abilities such as immunity to cold, despair and slam attacks, no enforced alignment change, plus you can polymorph yourself, to avoid scaring the locals.


----------



## Lela

Horacio said:
			
		

> *
> 
> 
> Good, I want to take another level of Expert! *




You know, I actually wrote up stats for a frying pan once (as a weapon, not a character).  Homemaker was rather attached to that and used it to good effect when a group of gnolls decided to take out her house.

I think: d6 damage, x2 crit, -1 to hit (unwealdly).  If it was poor craftsmanship, it'd break on a crit or after doing a good amount of damage (DM discretion).

Perhaps Horacio could try that.


----------



## Horacio

Lela said:
			
		

> *
> 
> You know, I actually wrote up stats for a frying pan once (as a weapon, not a character).  Homemaker was rather attached to that and used it to good effect when a group of gnolls decided to take out her house.
> 
> I think: d6 damage, x2 crit, -1 to hit (unwealdly).  If it was poor craftsmanship, it'd break on a crit or after doing a good amount of damage (DM discretion).
> 
> Perhaps Horacio could try that.  *





My frying pan ees masterwork, eet wont break!


----------



## Lela

Horacio said:
			
		

> *
> 
> 
> My frying pan ees masterwork, eet wont break!  *




I never had any doubt, My Good Chef.  Would you mind passing the cat'sup?

*Ducks*


----------



## Horacio

Lela said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I never had any doubt, My Good Chef.  Would you mind passing the cat'sup?
> 
> *Ducks* *




Cat soup? I don't cook cats, señorita, I'm a respectable Chef!

Cat soup, what a deesgusting eedea...


----------



## Horacio

Sammael99 said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Shouldn't that be "mademoiselle" ?
> 
> *




Remember that I'm a fake French Chef


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Doc, where's the story? Not to sound impatient, but I feel like a tanbrush junkie and you must be Tal Camish...


----------



## Dr Midnight

Gamed last night... I did okay, considering how little I felt prepared. The whole fire just down the road and all kept my attention when I should have been reading the module.  

I write. I have another game to play today at Gospog's house (!) so I may not get anything else up before tonight. 

I think Ziona made me sick. My throat's all sore and my head feels like a candy apple.


----------



## Horacio

Oh, I hope you (and Ziona too) will go better soon...

But being sick is not an excuse for not updating! 
(joking only)


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Horacio said:
			
		

> *Oh, I hope you (and Ziona too) will go better soon...
> 
> But being sick is not an excuse for not updating!
> (joking only) *



Yeah, please get well soon. On the other hand, being sick should give you more time to write the story. 

Please.
Pretty please !!! 
Pretty please with sugar on the top !!! 

Rabäh, Wee-Jas, help us !


----------



## Lela

Dat's monkey funky Doc.  Better take revenge on her character.   Have her brothers attack the knights and let Vek kill them. 

Or have them attack Crow and die trying.


----------



## Caliber

From a completely academic point of view, exactly WHAT does a candied apple FEEL like?

Inquiring minds want to know.


----------



## Dr Midnight

“What is this situation, Captain Metus?” Vek asked. 

“A troll, sir. We answered the front door to find a troll standing there. I’m proud to say I killed it before it could hurt anyone. It keeps trying to regenerate, though, so we’ve got it out back. I’ve got one of the men continually cutting its head off, so that we could wait for your word on what to do.”

“That’s odd. What did it want?”

Metus blinked. “Want?”

“Yes. What did it want.”

“Uh, begging your pardons, my lord, but it was a troll.”

“Trolls can and sometimes do possess the ability to speak and act in a civil manner. Did it attack you before you attacked it?”

Metus turned red. “N… no. I didn’t think that trolls could…”

“You’re an experienced fighter, Captain Metus. You don’t know about trolls?”

“All my fighting experience is military and training-based, sir. I don’t have much field work under my belt.”

Vek walked to the rear of the castle. “Well, we’d best go see if this thing wants to talk or to eat. By the way, Metus, you kill these things with either acid or fire. They do not recover from that.” They rounded Spellforge Keep and called to the man with his blade poised over the body. “Hold. Step back from the troll.”

The man backed off, and the troll’s head slowly grew tendrils that seeped into the neck wound. The tendrils knotted together and the neck turned solid once more. The troll blinked and sat up. He rubbed his neck and glared at the Knight of Wee Jas who’d been continuously cutting his head off for the last five hours. “OW,” he said pointedly.

“State your business,” Kizz said. “Friend or foe?”

The troll stood. “I don’t KNOW! I normally don’t make friends with people whose lackeys attack me without reason.”

“You’re a troll,” Metus said, bewildered.

“And you’re a speciesist fool who attacks guests without warning, just because they happen to be monsters. I have feelings, you know.”

Vek said “Captain Metus here was only acting in what he believed were our best interests. We are sorry for the misunderstanding. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Still sore, though. Regeneration always leaves me feeling a bit tender.”

“What can we do for you?”

“Oh, yes. My name is Broldek. I wish to join you.”

“Why?”

“I heard from a half-orc that you were after a dragon. I want in. I kill dragons, and I do it well.”

Kizzlorn sighed. “Grumbar told you, eh… so… you heard we’re going to fight a dragon, and that’s your reason for wanting to join.”

“Pretty much, yes.”

Edge said “That’s how I came to the group.”

Kizz threw up her hands and walked to the castle. “Adventurers these days. They don’t even try anymore. Alright, you look like you can handle yourself. Grab your things and come in.”

The group and their new troll companion gathered in the Keep, readying for the next leg of the quest. They ate and introduced themselves. Broldek, by all indications, was an earnest and eager fighter ready to sink his sword into the next dragon he came across. 

Edge made polite conversation with Kizzlorn, asking about her history with the group. It was unclear as to whether the halfling was attracted to her or merely avoiding the uncomfortable topic of slaying dragons as a living… Edge was conspicuously keeping his head turned from the troll, and rumors had begun to circulate about a half-dragon heritage. He hid his fangs and did his best to keep the scaled patches on the back of his neck from showing. 

Grumbar emerged from the kitchen with a new recipe he’d created. He’d learned not long ago to make bread. Now, he had his new masterpiece: bread soup. 

GRUMBAR’S BREAD SOUP
Bread
Water
Combine ingredients in bowl, mix till it gets all mushy
Serves six

He placed the bowls of flavorless paste in front of the Knights and watched eagerly as they tasted it graciously. “Ummmm,” Kizzlorn said. “That sure is something, Grumbar. How do you do it?”

“The secret ingredient is bread,” the half-orc giggled. He was quite pleased with his new recipe.

Captain Metus stepped into the dining hall. “My lord,” he said. “There’s something you should see.” He walked over and gave a small tattered piece of parchment to Vek. 

On the front, in a childish scawl were the words: KNIHTS OF SILVORGE KEEP

Inside, it read: BEWARE SOON YOU DIE!!!
Below this was drawn a crude skull and crossbones. 

“Toddler pirates?” Dartan ventured.

Metus said “This was tied to a rock, found laying on the grass outside. We suspect someone meant to throw it through and… uh… failed.”

Vek sighed and stood up with the note. “Excuse me for a moment,” he said. “I’m going to find out who did this. Metus, prepare a squad of men and ready for an expedition.”

“Yes, my lord.”

In the woods, just beyond the treeline, a group of kobolds were dancing about and cheering. “The first part of our master plan is complete,” one said. “We have sullied their freedom. Soon, we will crush their spirits… and then, we shall TAKE THEIR LIVES!!!” The four other kobolds cheered. “Before they die, I will make myself known. I want them to know who did this to them.”

“We know,” a voice said right behind him. The kobolds screamed and scattered. Edge ran around their camp, kicking them towards Broldek, who caught them in a large burlap sack. 

The last kobold, the one who’d been giving the speech, was picked up by the scruff of the neck. He whined and kicked and scratched, but he was held fast. He opened one eye and looked into the glaring, cold eyes of Dartan the Godless.

“Meepo.”

Meepo grinned nervously and lifted his shoddy, gold-painted wooden crown in a gesture of greeting. “Oh, hello!”

_*MORE TO COME...* _


----------



## Despaxas

There's only 1 thing to say: ROFLMCAO!!!!!!!!!!!!


there, nuff said


*poor meepo*


----------



## Breakstone

Heh heh heh...

Failed to throw a rock...

On another note, who's playing the troll?

And will the player be posting inflammatory messages about how stealing from the dwarf was evil?


----------



## Hammerhead

He he. Stupid kobolds too weak to throw a rock through a window. Is the troll a PC? And why was Metus, a lowly (although powerful) cohort able to kill a powerful troll, with levels, I imagine?

Great update. I can't wait to see Meepo get locked in another chest or something. Oh wait. That was Fleebo. Well, I just can't wait to see what happens to Meepo.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> *Is the troll a PC?*



Yes.



			
				Hammerhead said:
			
		

> *why was Metus, a lowly (although powerful) cohort able to kill a powerful troll, with levels, I imagine?*



Shade's vorpal sword. Metus is wonderfully skilled at beheadings as we'll see again soon.... 



			
				Hammerhead said:
			
		

> *Well, I just can't wait to see what happens to Meepo. *



I daresay your expectations will be met with satisfaction. I should get writing...


----------



## jonrog1

What is it with Meepo?  I couldn't resist using him in my Scarred Lands campaign.  Is it the name?  The pathetic "make nice"?  WHAT IS IT?

Great as always.  looking forward to more.


----------



## Cyronax

*GREAT!!!!!*

WOW! Doc Midnight it took me awhile, but I finally finished reading your entire story hour. Its really good, and I have to say that its now in my Top 3. Your narrative style and this story's "classic" fell are really enjoyable. Count me in as a regular now!

Thanks,
C.I.D.


----------



## Horacio

ROFLOL!!!!!

Wonderful update, Doc!


----------



## Lela

*Re: GREAT!!!!!*



			
				Cyronax said:
			
		

> *WOW! Doc Midnight it took me awhile, but I finally finished reading your entire story hour. Its really good, and I have to say that its now in my Top 3. Your narrative style and this story's "classic" fell are really enjoyable. Count me in as a regular now!
> 
> Thanks,
> C.I.D. *




Welcome.

Couple questions, Do you prefer Dartan or Vek?  In a fight?  How do you feel about Jame Zon?  Do you like skeletons with brooms?


Great update Doc, just run around and, well, kick them into a sack.  Brilliant.

I need goblins. . .


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

OK, I have two questions, but before that, Doc, that was a really funny update. Thx.

Now:

1. A troll fighter volunteering to go fight a red (firebreathing) dragon? Come on.

2. How come Meepo didn't kick the knights' asses? 



Welcome Cyronax, wazzup...


----------



## Cyronax

*Re: Re: GREAT!!!!!*



			
				Lela said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Couple questions, Do you prefer Dartan or Vek?  In a fight?  How do you feel about Jame Zon?  Do you like skeletons with brooms?
> *




Though I think Dartan is my favorite character in this story, I think that Vek would ultimately win in a fight.........unless of course Dartan decided to play dirty.

Jame Zon is friend!

Skeletons with brooms ...... uh.....no comment  

C.I.D.


----------



## Wee Jas

> 1. A troll fighter volunteering to go fight a red (firebreathing) dragon? Come on.




1. A particularly brave (slow) and fearless (slow) troll?  ;p



> unless of course Dartan decided to play dirty.




Like throw sand in my eyes? lol.  Dartan is really good at 3 things: Being a bitter cranky old man, abandoning his gods  and hitting stuff with his sword.  He doesn't fight dirty.



> 2. How come Meepo didn't kick the knights' asses?




Because skeletons do as they are told!


----------



## Elemental

Well, Dartan and Vek can't fight yet. First, they need to discover a sword that splits into two parts, one of which channels positive energy, the other negative energy, and get one half each. Also, Dartan should gain a cowardly riding beast, which can transform into an armoured dire tiger. Then Vek builds a castle of his own, in the form of a skull, and gather various wacky henchmen with bizarre powers to his side. Also, he should develop an annoying, high-pitched laugh and engage in improbable plans to conquer the world. Dartan opposes him, but Vek always teleports away, vowing revenge.

Come on, nobody else spotted the parallells?


----------



## Wee Jas

> Well, Dartan and Vek can't fight yet. First, they need to discover a sword that splits into two parts, one of which channels positive energy, the other negative energy, and get one half each. Also, Dartan should gain a cowardly riding beast, which can transform into an armoured dire tiger. Then Vek builds a castle of his own, in the form of a skull, and gather various wacky henchmen with bizarre powers to his side. Also, he should develop an annoying, high-pitched laugh and engage in improbable plans to conquer the world. Dartan opposes him, but Vek always teleports away, vowing revenge.




Psssshhh.. more like Dartan sprouts hair and fangs and gathers beasts to help me rule the world.  



> You turned Meepo into a skeleton. Vek, you bastard!!! How could you do that to Meepo?




I was jus' foolin'


----------



## Nail

Horacio said:
			
		

> *My frying pan ees masterwork, eet wont break!  *



Proof, once again, that Horacio is one classy ENWorld-er.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Elemental said:
			
		

> *Well, Dartan and Vek can't fight yet. First, they need to discover a sword that splits into two parts, one of which channels positive energy, the other negative energy, and get one half each. Also, Dartan should gain a cowardly riding beast, which can transform into an armoured dire tiger. Then Vek builds a castle of his own, in the form of a skull, and gather various wacky henchmen with bizarre powers to his side. Also, he should develop an annoying, high-pitched laugh and engage in improbable plans to conquer the world. Dartan opposes him, but Vek always teleports away, vowing revenge.
> 
> Come on, nobody else spotted the parallells? *



Memories, from the corner of my mind. Must be water-colored memories, of the way we were...


----------



## LGodamus

ok doc ...enough of that other junk you like to call a life....its is time to post


----------



## Dr Midnight

LGodamus said:
			
		

> *ok doc ...enough of that other junk you like to call a life....its is time to post *



Yessir! Updating in a few minutes.


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> Yessir! Updating in a few minutes. *





Updates, updates, updates galore,
And yet, as always, Lela wants more.



Sorry, just some bleed off from Tsunami's Story Hour.


----------



## Dr Midnight

_LAST TIME: The last kobold, the one who’d been giving the speech, was picked up by the scruff of the neck. He whined and kicked and scratched, but he was held fast. He opened one eye and looked into the glaring, cold eyes of Dartan the Godless.

“Meepo.”

Meepo grinned nervously and lifted his shoddy, gold-painted wooden crown in a gesture of greeting. “Oh, hello!”
_  

“What are you doing here?”

Meepo’s face darkened and he grinned with malice. “REVENGE! Revenge for what you did to Meepo!”

Dartan rolled his eyes. “And this would be…”

“Knights killed Calcryx,” the kobold said sadly. 

“We didn’t kill YOU, as I wanted to. We left you as king of the kobolds.”

“You left Meepo hurt and broken. Now Meepo has taken revenge, and will continue to mush your good feelings into bad ones!”

They were walking back to the castle. Kizz asked “What revenge have you taken, Meepo?”

“HA! Devee-yus and insidy-yus plans has Meepo put into action. Your doom is already at hand.”

Edge said “Answer the lady Spellforge’s question question or I make your legs bend the other way.”

“We peed in the moat,” Meepo whimpered. 

Kizzlorn wrinkled her nose. “That’s disgusting.” Vek leaned over and whispered a suggestion to Kizzlorn. She smiled and said “Yes. Meepo, welcome to the fate you made for yourself.” She polymorphed him into a little red-colored goldfish and dropped him into the moat, where he swam around frantically, not quite believing what he was breathing. 

“My lady?” one of the Knights of Wee Jas was calling to Kizzlorn from the side of the castle. She went and saw what had been scratched there with a charred stick. 







“That’s it.” Angered, she turned the other kobolds into goldfish as well and dumped them into the moat, to swim about in their diluted filth. “Let’s let them stew for a while,” she said. “We’ve got a god to meet.”

They shifted to the plane known as Pandemonium, somewhere in the outer planes. Here, there were only tall crags of pointed gray rock, and the howling of hellishly powerful winds whipped around their ears. Oaken quickly formed a sphere of air about them… the winds outside still blew, but inside the sphere, the air was calm and placid. They walked. 

Vek stepped outside the sphere to investigate an overhang of rock. He signaled that there was nothing here to be found, then was picked up by the wind and smashed against a pile of rocks. He was fine, but he could have been carried up and into the air, far away. He hurried back to the circle. 

Eventually, they found something in the desert of cold, sharpened rock. Here, a nine foot tall woman with clear yellow eyes, silver skin, and folded white wings stood with eyes downcast. She stood in a narrow tunnel where the wind howled and screamed. She was silent and appeared as if she’d stood sentinel in exactly the same position for decades.

Vek stepped up. “Are you the Gatekeeper?” 

The eyes fixed on him. “I am Eco, charged with guarding the entry to the prison of Desayeus, The God Who Was Banned.”

“We are here to see him.”

“None may pass. I hold the key to the prison, and I will not willingly give it up.”

“Well, then, please step aside while we burst into the prison.” Kizzlorn banished the creature to an alternate plane, on which she’d have to navigate a complex maze to return to this place. “She’ll be back soon,” she said. “Let’s find the Gate and open it before she returns.” They searched about and realized that everything here was just stone… like everything else on the accursed plane. 

Broldek asked “Where’s this Gate she was guarding?”

“She’s going to be back in just a minute- let’s find it quickly!” Kizzlorn rooted around in the crags, looking for a keyhole, a symbol, anything… but nothing was to be found. 

With a  flash of light and a yell, the winged Gatekeeper was here once more… and very, very angry. She swung her sword and cut deeply into Kizzlorn’s upper arm. Kizz yelped and jumped back as Broldek and Dartan ran forward, swinging their steel. Their swords rang off of hers, and she defended herself against each blow with expert skill. She turned and made a lightning-fast strike to Broldek’s shadow armor, and it was nearly split under the might of her sword. Edge darted in and shot a hand  out. It smashed into her back. Her wings unfolded and slapped him in the face, and the unexpectedness of such an attack caused him to topple backwards. 

The woman stopped fighting abruptly and made a choking sound. Her chest burst open and greenish ichor sprayed the fighters. Her heart flew in a straight line and slapped into Vek’s waiting hand. She stared at him, disbelieving, as her heart pumped once, twice… then stopped. She toppled over. 

Vek smiled behind his skull mask and slipped the glistening heart into a belt pouch. “For later,” he laughed. 

The creature’s body shuddered and grew. Its shape contorted and refolded itself as it became a large, arched doorway. The doomed Gatekeeper’s face was molded at the top. Standing in the doorway was a rippling pool of black, dotted with stars. 

Vek brushed his hands together twice, to wipe off some of the Gatekeeper’s blood. He gestured to the door. “In we go.”

_*MORE TO COME…*_


----------



## LuYangShih

Vek certainly uses quite a few Destruction spells.  Isn't the cost prohibitive?  Although that last one, from the description, sounds more like Finger Of Death.  The spellcasting PCs must have great DCs to destroy so many opponents so easily.  An interesting Story Hour, I look forward to reading more.


----------



## Irony

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *The woman stopped fighting abruptly and made a choking sound. Her chest burst open and greenish ichor sprayed the fighters. Her heart flew in a straight line and slapped into Vek’s waiting hand. She stared at him, disbelieving, as her heart pumped once, twice… then stopped. She toppled over.*




Dr. M, thats just gross. I mean... really. Vec, you should be ashamed of yourself, ripping celestials hearts out like that. I mean, EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW!


----------



## Lela

Doc, do you read Arwick's story hour?  And, if so, was that, shall we say, inspired?

Dang it if I'm at work and can't fall over laughing too.  Not fair.

And, to ask the obvious question, what spell did Vek use?


----------



## Cyronax

Vek has peered into the Book of Vile Darkness I take it? 

Hey Doc, stupid question, but I was poking around on your site looking for the character stats for the characters and I couldn't find any. Am I looking in the wrong place?

C.I.D.


----------



## Breakstone

Whoa... it's a good day for a story hour author when he doesn't even have to advertise his own story...

(psst! Thanks, Lela!)


----------



## Lela

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *Whoa... it's a good day for a story hour author when he doesn't even have to advertise his own story...
> 
> (psst! Thanks, Lela!) *




You're welcome great and mighty horse,
I just thought your voice might be a little hoarse.


Been saving that one


----------



## Dr Midnight

I'm pretty sure the spell is _Sacrificial Heart_, from Relics & Rituals. He used it on the succubus that had the nice scene with Kizzlorn way back, but I just didn't remember it when I wrote it up... to the whinings of Wee Jas. "Waaaah, you didn't remember the cool thing I did! I'm gonna tell. I don't wanna play anymore..."

Quit crying, you little baby.  



> An interesting Story Hour, I look forward to reading more.



Thanks!



> Doc, do you read Arwick's story hour? And, if so, was that, shall we say, inspired?



No... what happened there that was similar?



> Hey Doc, stupid question, but I was poking around on your site looking for the character stats for the characters and I couldn't find any. Am I looking in the wrong place?



yeah... I don't have any updated rogues' gallery stuff anywhere. I did upkeep like that early in the campaign, but now it's just too much to change, and the PCs are quickly growing. They level at an unnerving rate these days...



> Vek has peered into the Book of Vile Darkness I take it?



Probably, though I'm not allowing anything from that book. Not that he couldn't slip it by me if he wanted. I'm always cracked on for not policing the characters about what they are and doing my homework on the character sheets. I don't care about any of that, you SISSIES! Bunny's too tight to mention.


----------



## arwink

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> No... what happened there that was similar?
> *




The kobold in the party wanted to pee in an ale barrel to get back at a tavern keeper.  The rest of the party objected


----------



## Lela

arwink said:
			
		

> *
> 
> The kobold in the party wanted to pee in an ale barrel to get back at a tavern keeper.  The rest of the party objected  *




I think Blarth didn't have _too_ much of a problem with it.  He almost understood.

I did want to apologize arwink.  I can't seem to get your name right no matter what I do.  Sorry.

And Doc, I know you have the envilope.  I can see your name. . .


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

>



Doc, I really love this pic!!! One, it is really fitting for a kobold drawing and second, it is one that I could have drawn myself. 


Note to self: Does that mean I identify myself with Meepo? I sure hope not.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Lela said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I think Blarth didn't have too much of a problem with it.  He almost understood.
> 
> I did want to apologize arwink.  I can't seem to get your name right no matter what I do.  Sorry.
> 
> And Doc, I know you have the envilope.  I can see your name. . . *



Lela,

is there a story hour you don't read?


----------



## Wee Jas

> Dr. M, thats just gross. I mean... really. Vec, you should be ashamed of yourself, ripping celestials hearts out like that. I mean, EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW!




We wanted to take her alive but she actually gated back in right next to me and hit me.  (All Docs NPCs have LICH-RADAR after all)  The Eco fight took under a minute.. She actually only got 1 swing off.  She was  ready to cast Inprisionment on me...  THAT woulda been BAD!



> "Waaaah, you didn't remember the cool thing I did! I'm gonna tell. I don't wanna play anymore..."




Doc always gives Kizzlorn credit for my ideas.. lol.  Then Kizz orders me around in the story lik a lapdog and my knights always obey her like she took the leadership feat!  Damn you Doc! /whine




> I'm pretty sure the spell is Sacrificial Heart, from Relics & Rituals.




Mnn.. I use that insted of Harm.  I love the visual.  I'm not usually a fan of Relics and Rituals but that spell is just Slay Living with a small range and its 2 levels higher.  Also that book has some good Death cleric spells I use for flavor that Doc might remember.. or   he might not.   



> Vek has peered into the Book of Vile Darkness I take it?




Peered?  Heck, he wrote that!  (I don't use anything from that book)


----------



## Talix

Hmm, hope nobody minds that the banished God's only guard was just slain.  No way *that's* going to come back and bite them in the butt, nope nope...  

And man, the Lich is moving higher and higher on my list of character to play.    How did you get together the money for that process, Wee Jas?  Just normal accumulation at whatever level you were (I forget)?


----------



## Nail

Talix said:
			
		

> *Hmm, hope nobody minds that the banished God's only guard was just slain.  No way *that's* going to come back and bite them in the butt, nope nope...  *



One presumes they'll have to kill the god in order to get the artifact......so who cares if the god's guardian is dead too?

The Perils of playing High Level.


----------



## Victim

Someone could use that resurrect outsider spell from MoP.  I doubt it though.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> _*MORE TO COME…*_



OK, more to come... Come on, Doc, I'm beginning to sense some people starting to loose faith here... Better post a.s.a.p.... Damnit, need to know... Meepo = Demogorgon... Dydd was a she... Kizzlorn likes demonesses... Vek likes to play Hearts... Edge is a half-dragon/half-halfling, my calculation misses a quarter of a person... 


Damnit, Doc, I'm losing it! Post soon...


----------



## Dr Midnight

They stepped through the Gate. They found themselves in a space bounded by smoothed rock creating a roughly forty foot diameter area. One wide opening led to another unlighted chamber. Frayed pillows covered the floor, worn tapestries lined the walls, and dimly gleaming lamps glowed wanly from leaning and toppled stone columns. Amid the pillows lay long-broken and scattered harps, horns, and other musical instruments. Two partly humanoid figures lay forlornly amid the pillows. One hummed a dreary tune, the other fingered broken strings on a lute. Their lower halves were snakelike, and they had multicolored wings. 

They looked up and sneered. “The council has declared that our lord must die- they send assassins! KILL THEM!” They flew at the Knights and were dispatched without any real trouble. 

Then, from the darkness beyond the room came a booming voice: “*WHO COMES TO THE PRISON OF DESAYEUS?*” Through this walked a hulking human form, perfect in form, with a thick beard and piercing eyes. His muscled chest rippled as he stepped into the room. In his hands he held a warhammer that must have been twelve feet long. Its head glowed with flickering energy. About his neck was a broken piece of a stone medallion on a chain. 

“Desayeus. We come in peace. Your followers attacked us.”

“*STATE YOUR BUSINESS,*” the fallen god commanded. 

“We need the Soul Totem.”

“*YOU MAY NOT HAVE IT. LEAVE, BEFORE I AM ANGERED.*”

“I’m afraid that’s not the right answer,” Vek said boldly. “We need that Soul Totem. The fate of our world rests upon it.”

“*ALL I HAVE LEFT IS THIS FRAGMENT OF MY SOUL TOTEM,*” Desayeus said, touching the chunk of stone about his neck. “*THIS PROVIDED ME ENTRY TO THE BASTION OF UNBORN SOULS, AND IT STILL GIVES ME SOME MEASURE OF POWER HERE. IT IS PRECIOUS TO ME. I VALUE IT ABOVE ALL OTHER THINGS.  NOW, FOR THE LAST TIME, I COMMAND YOU TO…*”

Edge sprang from his place on the ground and sprinted across the distance to the god. He leapt twenty feet into the air and landed on Desayeus’s chest. He snatched the Soul Totem with his hands and flipped over Desayeus’s head, removing the Totem necklace in one motion. He landed lightly on his feet and began to run back. 

“*NOOOOO!!*” The fallen god’s hammer smashed the ground where Edge had been only a moment before. The god gnashed his teeth and ran with blinding speed to the doorway, blocking it almost entirely with his body, prepared to smash anything into paste with his warhammer. 

Broldek strolled up and laid into him. He cut deeply, but the hammer came swinging down and bashed him aside. Dartan ducked a hammerblow and jabbed his sword into the deity’s gut. Kizzlorn roasted him within a firestorm, and Oaken yelled “Dartan, Vek, hit it hard, then get away- I’ll finish him off!”

Vek cursed the giant, and green fire swirled about him. Dartan the Godless bellowed and swung his sword through a god, severing the arms holding the hammer. Oaken clutched his hands in the air and pulled downward, and the ceiling caved in on Desayeus. His dying scream rang throughout the cavern. 

“Everyone out!” Oaken shouted. They leaped through the doorway over the rubble. Thousands of tons of rock collapsed inward just after they left, and the prison of the fallen, dead god Desayeus was obliterated. They lay about outside the Gate, with dust billowing from the portal over them. 

Vek sat up. “Is everyone here?”

The others counted, and yes, everyone was present and mostly unharmed. 

“Is everyTHING here?”

Edge held up the Soul Totem, smiling. 

Oaken stood up. “That was a fine piece of work, my friend.”

Kizzlorn agreed. “Well done. You hit the ground before he knew what was happening.”

“For you, Mistress Kizzlorn,” the halfling said, bowing to present the Totem to Kizz. 

Vek loomed over him. “Do you mind if I hold the Soul Totem? For safekeeping.”

Edge blinked. “No, I… I guess not.” He handed it off to Vek, who looked at it for a moment before placing it securely in a belt pouch. 

They went home. 

*NEXT: RETURN TO THE SUNLESS CITADEL *


----------



## 8XXX{0}====>

umm.... they just killed a god. that's whack.

sword


----------



## Dr Midnight

A fallen god, yes. Stripped of his godlike powers but still being a badass. Let's not forget the power strippage.


----------



## LGodamus

thanx for the quick replies doc........So  One more please?


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *A fallen god, yes. Stripped of his godlike powers but still being a badass. Let's not forget the power strippage. *




I take it his stats were in the module?  Any chance you can give (in _breif_) some info on how you think they handled that?




			
				Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *
> Lela,
> 
> is there a story hour you don't read?  *




Several.  I don't do P-Kitty (the size is rather scary), Ziona (I just can't get into it, sorry ), Lazybones (working on it, though slowly), and several others.

You could check with Horacio.  He'd know where I'm not.


----------



## Lela

Double Post


----------



## Sammael99

Lela said:
			
		

> *
> Several.  I don't do P-Kitty (the size is rather scary), Ziona (I just can't get into it, sorry ), Lazybones (working on it, though slowly), and several others.*




I'm afraid Lela doens't frequent my Fading Suns Stroy Hour either...


----------



## Lela

Sammael99 said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I'm afraid Lela doens't frequent my Fading Suns Stroy Hour either...
> 
> *




And, being that I'm not known for my French skills, I don't drop by Les Terres Anciennes too often either.  I'll have to look into "The Dark" though.  Is it new enough that I won't spend 7 hours catching up?


----------



## Wee Jas

> “For you, Mistress Kizzlorn,” the halfling said, bowing to present the Totem to Kizz.
> 
> Vek loomed over him. “Do you mind if I hold the Soul Totem? For safekeeping.”
> 
> Edge blinked. “No, I… I guess not.” He handed it off to Vek, who looked at it for a moment before placing it securely in a belt pouch.




Hmmnn...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Hmmnn...   *




I'm looking forward to Vek entering the positive material plane and being instantly destroyed !


----------



## Wee Jas

> I'm looking forward to Vek entering the positive material plane and being instantly destroyed !




Awww.. NWN!  I can't belive you say that!  I'm hurt.  Really...  It almost makes me NOT want to cast _Attune form_ but I'll do it.. if only for Lela's sake... and who would pay Horatio?  Not Kizzlorn... she's never given a dime for Verbobonc or the keep!


----------



## Nail

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I'm looking forward to Vek entering the positive material plane and being instantly destroyed ! *




Uhhhh....*NWK*: They just killed a God.  Why would a puny little plane be any harder to deal with?  

(Pats self on back for correctly guessing th' outcome....)   

BTW, _NWK_ IIWY, I'd stop haranguing Doc.  His writing style on this last one looked rushed.  Masterwork stories take time to develop.....


----------



## Wee Jas

> BTW, NWK IIWY, I'd stop haranguing Doc. His writing style on this last one looked rushed. Masterwork stories take time to develop.....




Like this?



> They looked up and sneered. “The council has declared that our lord must die- they send assassins! KILL THEM!” They flew at the Knights and were dispatched without any real trouble.


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Awww.. NWN!  I can't belive you say that!  I'm hurt.  Really...  It almost makes me NOT want to cast Attune form but I'll do it.. if only for Lela's sake...  *




And don't think I don't appreciate it.  After all, _Vek is soooo dreamyy_.



We wouldn't want positive things to happen to you anyway.


----------



## Wee Jas

> We wouldn't want positive things to happen to you anyway




Some of the other players want me to become a god.  I wonder if the soul totem...  whahhahahaaa.


----------



## Sammael99

Lela said:
			
		

> *And, being that I'm not known for my French skills, I don't drop by Les Terres Anciennes too often either.  I'll have to look into "The Dark" though.  Is it new enough that I won't spend 7 hours catching up? *




Definetely. I would say it's an hour tops so far. Comments have been positive, so without tooting my won horn I guss it's not bad.

Plus there's increadible art by one of the players, and I can say that coz' I'm not the one doing it. I'm considering writing a graphic novel script for him if he'll find the time !

See you there, hopefully...

Sorry for hijacking your SH Doc. I'm as faithful as ever and I also think the "hand it to Vek" thing is odd... to say the least !


----------



## Lela

I think I'll have an hour free today.  If you have it in Word Pop it to Me.

And Wee Jas, I'm sure you're goddess wouldn't mind if you beat out Vecna.  Or you could just become one of Wee Jas's quasi-deity servants.  The one presiding over Undeath of course.


----------



## Elemental

Lela said:
			
		

> *I think I'll have an hour free today.  If you have it in Word Pop it to Me.
> 
> And Wee Jas, I'm sure you're goddess wouldn't mind if you beat out Vecna.  Or you could just become one of Wee Jas's quasi-deity servants.  The one presiding over Undeath of course.
> 
> -Brent *




Well, it worked for Velsharoon.....


----------



## Wee Jas

> Or you could just become one of Wee Jas's quasi-deity servants. The one presiding over Undeath of course.




I just want to serve my Godess.

"Vek and Wee Jas sitting in a tree ....  K-I-S-S-I-N-G"

"SHUT UP!!!!"


----------



## Sammael99

Lela said:
			
		

> *I think I'll have an hour free today.  If you have it in Word Pop it to Me.
> 
> And Wee Jas, I'm sure you're goddess wouldn't mind if you beat out Vecna.  Or you could just become one of Wee Jas's quasi-deity servants.  The one presiding over Undeath of course.
> 
> -Brent *




Lela,

I've only got it in French in Word format so far, but I'll try and do the english version for you...

What wouldn't a SH writer do for an additional reader...


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I just want to serve my Godess.
> 
> "Vek and Wee Jas sitting in a tree ....  K-I-S-S-I-N-G"
> 
> "SHUT UP!!!!" *




First comes death, then comes marriage, then comes the goul in the baby carriage.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Nail said:
			
		

> Uhhhh....*NWK*: They just killed a God.  Why would a puny little plane be any harder to deal with?



I like to provoke with my posts sometimes & never thought that Mr. Rules Lawyer would NOT find his way. (though my focus had been on Kizz lately - see posts regarding the Kizzlorn/Grumbar lovestory or the sucubus accident   )
Although, I think being on the positive material plane would make even a "protected" undead feel uncomfortable 



			
				Nail said:
			
		

> BTW, _NWK_ IIWY, I'd stop haranguing Doc.  His writing style on this last one looked rushed.  Masterwork stories take time to develop.....



OK, OK, I see your point. Doc, please don't listen to me. Actually, Nail, I totally agree with you. These posts were just to show I like the story and to raise Doc's motivation. I would never want to pressure him to release a lesser version (especially since I know the module).



			
				Wee Jas said:
			
		

> I just want to serve my Godess.
> 
> "Vek and Wee Jas sitting in a tree ....  K-I-S-S-I-N-G"
> 
> "SHUT UP!!!!"



Actually I was just about to suggest that the lady could use a mate


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

is it just me, or do all of Kizz's romantic interests bite the big one?
I think someone secretly cast a curse on her that she hasn't become aware of yet. 

I also take it that the troll is the re-incarnation of Jamison's character? Good for him! Finally, someone to out-power game Vek? bah, probably not.

I want to hear more Meepo action. I don't think those kobolds got enough attention, or their revenge! Maybe, they've secretly found a way to control Gryph, and he's following the party as his whil-o-whisp self.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

good ideas, Dursk !!!


----------



## Wee Jas

> someone to out-power game Vek




If only I could redo my feats... I mean really!

Ambidexterity (12 dex.. so I can't use it)
Two weapon fighting
Weapon focus: longsword
shield expert
extra turning
combat casting
craft wonderous item
Leadership
Spell focus: Necromancy

Pretty poor for a 1st lvl fighter/ 17th level cleric.


----------



## Dr Midnight

*SESSION 53
3rd of Suns’ebb
RETURN TO THE SUNLESS CITADEL*

The doorbell rang, once more early in the morning. Kizzlorn shuffled to the door and peeked out at who was standing at the drawbridge. There was Nurn, the cowled man who’d directed them to the Cathezar and left without a trace. She said “Nun. What can we do for you?”

“The name is Nurn… and may I come in?”

She let him in, and gathered the others. They approached Nurn cautiously. He had helped them to recover Oaken, but his shadowy motives were unknown to them. Who was Nurn, and what did he want? Knowing he was the agent of someone named “Hethradiah” didn’t seem to sate the Knights’ curiosity. 

“I’m here,” he began, “Because we’re in greater trouble than I’d thought. As I’m sure you’re aware, your friend Jamison Crow has turned against us.”

Kizzlorn scoffed. “What?? That’s ridiculous. Jamison Crow is dead.”

“He’s pretty spry for a dead man. He assaulted several of my associates, killed them, and made off with something that we were planning to use against Aameul.”

Vek leaned forward. “Barring the fact that Jamison is dead and could not have done this, what was stolen?”

Nurn shifted uncomfortably. “We had a piece of the Soul Totem, which grants…”

“We know what the Totem does,” Vek said, his eyes glowing as two red sparks within his skull mask sockets. “You had a piece, eh?”

“Yes. Jamison took it. Now, he has it, and can travel to the Bastion, if he wishes. This is where the demon wyrm Ashardalon is currently-”

“We know about that, too. In fact, we seem to be ahead of you.” Vek pulled out his piece of the Soul Totem and showed it, briefly, before putting it away. 

“You… you have… This is wonderful! With this, we can head off the other piece, if we hurry…”

“You’re forgetting a few things, Nurn. For one, you came to us and gave us scant information, and only because it suited your secret master’s purpose. This Totem piece is ours, and our path is our own. We go on our own quest. If you want to help, that’s fine, but we’ll need to know some things about this Hethradiah.”

Nurn stood up and paced. “Yes, that’s true. If we’re going to work together, I should be honest.” He took a breath and went on. “The balance of Law and Chaos is at risk, and I must admit something you may find upleasant, but you must promise to hear me out, if we are to restore balance. It is true that Aameul is one aspect of Demogorgon- one of his heads. My master, Hethradiah, is the other.”

Dartan and Broldek put their hands on their sword hilts but did not attack. Kizz looked stunned. “You’re an agent of Demogorgon?”

“Of one of his personalities, yes.”

“How dare you come into my house.”

“I was invited. At any rate, Hethradiah understands that the fabric of the multiverse itself will be lessened if Demogorgon becomes essentially one being, not two. This would be true whether Aameul or Hethradiah somehow managed to slay the other. Hethradiah knows that to prune one head of Demogorgon, a great lord of Chaos, will lessen the role of Chaos in the multiverse, and thus seeks to preserve his current status.

“Thus,” he went on, “we can work together to defeat Ashardalon, and see to it that he ceases to feed on life force. Moreover, We will end the beating of his stolen demonic heart, and so it will no longer present Aameul with a way to subvert the natural order of the cosmos.”

“You’re a demon’s lapdog,” Kizzlorn said angrily. 

“I hope that, despite our differences, we can temporarily work together for a common cause. You need me, as much as I need you.”

Kizz fell silent. Edge asked “Why do we need you?”

“Because you are not ready to face Ashardalon.”

“We’ve killed an ancient dragon. Its skeleton lies in our yard.”

“Yes… Acessiwal. The white dragon. Do you have any concept of how much more power a red dragon can ascend to? There is really no comparison. Ashardalon is four times as large and a dozen times deadlier than that little lawn gnome you have sitting out front.”

Kizzlorn spoke through a clenched jaw. “That ‘lawn gnome’ was the deadliest thing we ever faced, devil.”

“My condolences, then. Still, if you’re to even give it a shot, we need more than just the descendant of Dydd on our side. We need information.”

Broldek asked “What do you propose?”

“We need to seek out one of the few remaining temples of Ashardalon. Ages ago, he dwelled on this plane, and had many mad followers. They formed dragon cults and secret societies worshiping him. We must find one of these places and search it for information.”

“Where to look?”

“I know where,” Dartan said. 

_*MORE TO COME...*_


----------



## Olgar Shiverstone

Dum dum dum, dum de dum, dum de dum ...

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes"


----------



## Breakstone

Y'know, I really like the idea of them going back to one of their first adventures... it really gives the campaign a sense of realism.


----------



## Horacio

Wondeful as usual, Doc


----------



## LGodamus

thanx doc,
  nice update........post more soon ,please.


----------



## Lela

I almost want to smack that guy down then and there.  In fact, I think I might pull something like that on my party.  See how they react.

And Doc, are you able to give me a brief idea of how the module handled the fallen god?  I need that idea flushed out for my group.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Doc, you're really taking us back all the way! Thanks!

You're really closing the loop now - and it's a good thing you have Dartan still around. 

GO KNIGHTS


----------



## Nail

{Lame attempt at humor removed}

Hey, I love this stuff.  Please don't assume I don't, or that I think Doc is a bad DM.   It's pretty darn evident that he's a great DM...the proof's right here.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

- EDITED OUT -


----------



## Dr Midnight

Hey NWK, thanks for posting info from the module to the thread here. It's appreciated.

And you know what? I'm not too used to playing at this high a level, so I don't often play these creatures to their full potential. I'm struggling. Anyone who's not happy with this, PLEASE take your comments elsewhere instead of pointing out how if X monster was PREPARED, X battle would have gone differently, according to X module.


----------



## Lela

Uh, we didn't mean it like that Doc.  When you're a high level character, you know everything your PC can do and exactly when to do it.  But a high level DM has a lot tougher time (I have this problem too).  We don't know what these baddies can do.  And even when we do it's hard to remember when you're handling three of them and trying to keep the game moving.  Then there are all the spells you don't have time to look up and the feats you can't plan for.

It's nuts; we all know it.  I'm hoping all it takes is time.  Cause that's all I'm able to give it.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

got it, sorry


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

looks like NWN got a "safety" break.   Doc should start a thread in Plots & Places, that maybe we can help him come up with some ideas to unnerve the knights.   not that I want to see the demise of the knights, but its always nice to see them on their toes!
Afterall, Vek's got all the time in the world to power-game his single character, but Doc has to manage an entire world of characters!


----------



## Stone Angel

I just started to plant the seeds of good ol' Nightfang Spire myself, so I like where this is going. Don't know if I will ever get to run this module but, I love story.

Great job Doc!


----------



## Nail

Dursk Starkfire said:
			
		

> * Doc should start a thread in Plots & Places, that maybe we can help him come up with some ideas to unnerve the knights.  *




This is a good idea.  Many of us in the peanut gallery would love to help!  ...As long as those sneaky, good-for-nothing, save-or-die spell throwing, vorpal-weapon weilding, unkillable so-and-sos don't stick their noses in......... 

Just for the record: We've helped the players before (*Vek* in particular)...why not th' DM?

The DM is legion!  The power of the many.........


----------



## Wee Jas

> As long as those sneaky, good-for-nothing, save-or-die spell throwing, vorpal-weapon weilding, unkillable so-and-sos don't stick their noses in.........




Note to self:  Name a henchmen Nail.  Have him beaten and killed


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

*uh oh*

Doc's changed the title of the SH. Looks like either we're going to see TPK, or everyone lives happily ever after. And with the history of the nights, I really can't believe it would be the latter. Too much disfunctional love going on in that house. 

Will Vek get turned to dust by the Moradin-praisin dwarf robbed in his sleep?
Will Kizz find out she's cursed before any that fall in love with her die again?
Did Grumbar REALLY retire adventuring to become a cook? Or is he really a pimp for monster adventurers?
Does Dartan find faith in killing fallen gods? Or does it just whet his appetite for a new path of deity destruction? Dartan, the Deity Slayer.
Has Gryph really lost his mind? Or did he just see the evil ways of the KotSK and get out while the getting was good? 

Doc, there's SO many more story lines to follow. You just need to level drain the characters until their first level and force them to do it all again!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Posting a big (read: long) update very shortly. 

As for the name change... the campaign is beginning to draw to a close. There is only so much left to do.

It'll be sad to leave everything behind, but I'm going to do it with a bang.


----------



## Dr Midnight

“The Sunless Citadel was a temple devoted to Ashardalon, long ago,” Dartan said. ”Then, when the dragon and its followers left, the citadel was swallowed up by the oerth and inhabited by creatures. A mad druid named Belak moved in and set up shop there, planning to enslave all the people of the surrounding towns as supplicants. Now, it’s just a hole in the ground.”

“How do you know all this?” Kizzlorn asked.

“Because I helped smite the evil there.”

“With the Knights?”

“With the Knights. Long, long ago. It was our second adventure, in fact.”

“Do you remember anything there about Ashardalon?”

“Carvings, moldings… There was a library. We didn’t spend much time investigating. We were very green. We went in, slaughtered goblins and kobolds, and left. Kobolds… in fact, that’s where we met Meepo. We left him there to be king of his people. I suppose he didn’t care for our kindness.”

Vek said “Meepo. We may need that sniveling creature, if we’re to discover the dragon’s weakness. Curses. Kizzlorn… we should bring him with us.”

Oaken suggested “I can form a wooden box around him, on wheels, with his head poking out. This would prevent him from double-crossing us.”

“I quite think we can handle one kobold, Oak,” Kizz said. 

Vek walked downstairs and hovered over his scrying mirror. “Wee Jas, show me Jamison Crow.” The mirror shimmered, and he looked into blackness. His eyes pierced the dark, and he saw the remains of Jamison, lying in his grave. “Odd,” he remarked. He thought for a moment, and kneeled on the ground. His mind opened to the realm of death, and the Ruby Sorceress floated before him. Her scarlet hair and dress wafted about in the air, very slowly, as she spoke.  

“What would you know of me, my chosen warrior?” 

“My lady. I possess one piece of Desayeus’s relic, the shattered Soul Totem. I want to know if you would like this, and any others, if I come to possess them as well.”

“The Soul Totem,”  she whispered. She floated for a moment, silent. “I would indeed wish these for my own. Vek, my darling, do not hesitate to devote them to me. Fully forged, its magic is strong… enough to turn a material being into a god. This would aid me greatly.”  Her voice was like a knife being traced along a metal plate, laced underneath a sensual woman’s voice.

“You shall have them, my lady.”

“Excellent. You are my greatest champion, Sir Vek. Go forth in my grace.” 

The image faded, and Vek stood. He looked at the Soul Totem in his hand for a moment, then went back upstairs. 

Kizzlorn was fishing Meepo the goldfish from the moat. She finally caught him, and held him up by the tail. She turned him back to his old self. 

Meepo sputtered and spat out water. He coughed “CRAZY, she’s CRAZY! Meepo had to swim in nasty moat!”

“That’s right, and Meepo will spend the rest of his life there unless he does exactly what I tell him.”

Meepo clasped his hands together and smiled as she held him up. “Meepo make nice.”

“We’re going to the Sunless Citadel. You’re going to show us whatever we ask you to.”

“Yes, yes, Meepo do that. No problem! Meepo knows all about Citadel.”

They teleported, and appeared on the grassy plain beside the chasm that led down into the Citadel. 

“GAHHHHH!!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!!” The kobold kicked and flailed, terrified over what had just happened.

Kizz sighed. “Relax, Meepo. That was teleporting. We’re here now… and you’re going to show us where we’ll find any information on Ashardalon,” Kizz said, releasing him.

Meepo frowned. “Shardy-Lawn? The dragon? There are many books! Many scrolls! Meepo will show you… Meepo knows! Come!” He walked to the chasm and began climbling down. 

“I don’t trust him just walking around like that,” Oaken said. “We really should put him in something so he can’t escape. A wooden box.”

Nurn said “Would you stop with the wooden box thing, already?”

They followed Meepo down, and spent the next two hours searching the Sunless Citadel’s deserted ruins. 

When they were done searching, they climbed back up. “Nothing,” Nurn said disgustedly. “Trust a kobold to lead us rightly, eh?”

Kizz was exhausted and in no mood for Nurn’s remarks. “Quiet. You’re no better. You’re the agent of a demon lord.”

“I bet you I have enough sense to avoid consorting with useless kobolds in times of great need, you flame-haired trollop.”

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?” Kizz walked towards him with brightly glowing hands. Oaken stepped between them and calmed Kizzlorn down. 

“We may need him. Please. Just breathe.”

“I’m going to kill him,” she whispered. “Once we’re done needing him, he’s dead.”

“Kizz…”

“Just leave me alone.” She stormed off. Kizzlorn Spellforge had always had a hot temper. She had grown up suffering insults from the royalty of Greyhawk, and now, as a magistress of great power, she felt she didn’t have to suffer anyone’s taunts. She still fumed, sometimes, over what the succubus had called her not long ago. Perhaps being in league with the darkly heroic members of her party had tainted her somewhat. Dartan, Vek, Edge… dark heroes, all. Was she becoming one, herself?

Edge stood before Meepo and snarled. “You haven’t yet told us what we want to know.”

“Meepo doesn’t know what you’re asking!” The kobold huddled with his arms clasped up to his chest. He was very afraid. He really was trying to make them all happy, but they kept being unclear about what they wanted. Books? Writings? Weapons? Meepo had shown everything he’d known about in the Citadel, and he knew every inch of that place. 

Edge said “Meepo’s going to have knees that bend the wrong way, in a minute.”

A tear rolled down Meepo’s face. He wiped it away and angrily tried to stand up for himself. “Edge think he can do it,” Meepo growled, “Meepo would love to see Edge TRY.” Edge raised his hand just slightly, and Meepo cried out and fell to the ground. “Please, please! Make nice! Spare Meepo!”

Edge looked down on the kobold, disgusted. “Tell us what we want to know. Tell us now.”

“Meepo shown you everything!”

Vek kneeled and said “Meepo. If not in books or carvings, perhaps you can tell us anywhere you’ve seen a picture of a dragon, or a piece of paper with writing on it.”

“Meepo told you, Meepo doesn’t….” He blinked. “Oh!” He stood. “There is secret. Meepo’s secret treasure horde! Is in secret location. SSSSEEEECRET. There paper there, with dragon, Meepo thinks.”

Edge smacked his forehead and rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t you say so?”

“You said in Citadel. Treasure is NOT IN Citadel, a-HAHHHH!” Meepo waved his forefinger mockingly in a tut-tut motion through the air.

“I’ll snap that thing right off.”

Meepo quickly put his hand down. “Yes. Well. Follow Meepo!” He walked no more than fifty feet away, near a spot where the grass didn’t grow. “Treasure is SOMEWHERE near here,” he squeaked proudly. “Turn around and Meepo will dig it up.”

Kizzlorn scoffed. “What??”

“Turn around! No can see location of SSSSEEEECRET treasure horde.”

“Meepo, just dig up the damned horde.”

Meepo sighed and dug in the grassless patch. His hands scooped away the dirt, and soon, there was a small box revealed in the hole. “This is Meepo’s SSSSEEEECRET treasure horde!!” He opened it. 

Edge looked inside. He took out two pieces of paper that had drawings of the dragon on them and handed them to Kizzlorn. “Meepo,” Edge said. “This treasure horde contains, a copper piece, a hairnet, and three buttons.”

“Yes,” he said, still proud. “Is collected wealth of a lifetime.”

Kizzlorn and Vek looked over the papers. “These were written after the battle with Dydd,” Vek said. “It details the operation on Ashardalon’s heart, and the transplant.” He read on. 

“It says that the dragon is now part demon… a half-fiend, half-dragon,” murmured Kizzlorn. “Will this help us?”

“Yes,” Vek replied. “He will have certain weaknesses we can exploit. This is good.”

“Y’know,” Meepo said. “Meepo remember something about last year. A big orc guy come along askin’ about Shardy-Lawn.”

Broldek said “Orc guy?”

“Yes, big orc guy. Say he goin’ for Shardy-Lawn, asked for information. Nice fellah. Meepo like.”

“What can you tell us about him?”

“Meepo see him have big shiny sun on chest, and big dragon-killin’ sword called DRAGONHAMMER.”

Vek laughed. “Another one of Pelor’s flock, doomed to die with his sword in his hand. This information is good, Meepo.” Vek tossed a pouch at the kobold. 

Meepo caught it and fell down from the weight of it. “Ack! What this?”

“That,” Vek said, “Is one hundred pieces of gold. That is what you’ve earned.”

“One…” the breath wheezed out of Meepo’s lungs. He’d never seen so much money, let alone own it. He was in shock.

Kizzlorn said “There’s more in store for you if you behave, Meepo, and do what you’re told. Would you like to stay at Spellforge Keep with us and earn your fair share by working hard and staying out of trouble?”

“Why… what… YES!” The prospect of earning this much money was greatly preferable to living in the Citadel as king of the kobolds. 

“You’ll help in the kitchen, with Grumbar.”

“Can do! Meepo can do! Meepo never disappoint… MEEPO HELP SO BIG, PROMISE!!” He danced around, clutching his sack of gold. 

“Disgusting,” Nurn said. “Hiring kobolds.”

Kizz arched an eyebrow at Vek, who shrugged. “I just couldn’t bring myself to kill him,” he chuckled.

_*MORE TO COME…*_


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

wow - this should be fun 

glad I stayed up !!!


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

great post doc. conniving by Vek, a fearless Meepo, and hope that Kizz still cares about life. sometimes. well, as long as it isn't somewhat evil.


----------



## Morte

Where did he get the hairnet?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Morte said:
			
		

> *Where did he get the hairnet? *



He slew a dragon and rolled really poorly on the random treasure table. 

...it was a small dragon, okay?


----------



## Conaill

Morte said:
			
		

> *Where did he get the hairnet? *




Yeah! There's _no way_ a kobold could have accumulated something as powerful as a hairnet! Buttons, fine. Some might say even buttons is pushing it, but you have to keep in mind Meepo by now has been adventuring for _years_.

But a _hairnet_? You monty haul DM, you!


----------



## Wee Jas

I think Meepo has the 2nd peice of the soul totem! 

Dark  Jamison is obviosly Meepo's pawn.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

I can't believe the Knights didn't cast detect magic on the hairnet though. buttons of meteor swarm, and a hairnet of repel-vorpal weapons!


----------



## Felix

Did you catch the clever way Meepo hid his _Portable Hole_? Ha! He covered it with dirt! Who would suspect that hole in the ground was portable? Sheer genious!


----------



## Dr Midnight

The Knights went back home. Vek went right to work on the weaknesses of fiends and studying the positive energy plane, where they would be going. 

Meepo joined Grumbar in the kitchen and began to wash dishes. Grumbar was delighted to have a kobold working in the kitchen beside him, and the two became fast friends. “Meepo, wanna hear the dishwashin’ song I made up? It makes dishwashing FUN!!!”

“Okay!”

“Washin’ dishes, I’m washin’ dishes, 
Washin’ dishes, I’m washin’ dishes,
Washin’ dishes all day looooooong!
Washin’ dishes, I’m washin’ dishes, 
Washin’ dishes, I’m washin’ dishes,
Washin’ dishes all day looooooong!”

Before long, the two were howling the song… over and over. Horacio stood looking down at a cutting board, slowly going mad. “I am going to queet these stupid job,” he said to himself. After another minute, he just went back to chopping celery.

The Knights assembled for dinner. On the morrow, they would go to the Bastion. On the positive energy plane… and attack Ashardalon. Vek had learned several things about the best way to defeat a creature with fiend blood, and he was discussing tactics with the group. 

The palpable energy between Nurn and Kizzlorn was hanging over the table like a black thunderhead. He made snide remarks aimed at needling her, and she took the bait every time with a seething comeback. 

“This ‘bread soup’ is interesting,” Nurn said. “No wonder we have such a hard time defeating white dragons, eh? We put our best warriors to work in the kitchen.”

Kizz held her tongue for one and a half seconds, then let loose. “Grumbar’s made his own choice, and I support it. Here in the HUMAN world, we believe in letting people choose their own path.”

“Which is why nothing gets done right, I’m guessing.”

“You will watch your tongue under my roof.”

“Your roof? I thought the lich ran things around here.” Kizzlorn opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off. “Save it, sweetheart. I’ve heard enough of…” he cocked his head. “We’re being scried on.” He pulled out his shortsword. “She’s coming! GET UP!”

The Cathezar appeared behind Vek and whipped into him with her chains. She cackled madly as the surprised Knights got up from their benches and pulled their weapons free. “GIVE ME THE SOUL TOTEM!” she screamed.  

“Defend it with your lives,” Nurn shouted. “SHE MUSTN'T HAVE IT!”

The weapon-wielding Knights surrounded The Cathezar and hacked viciously at her. Her whirling chains spun with blinding speed, deflecting most of their attacks. The chains gave off sparks when they struck steel. 

Vek staggered back from the blows he’d taken and tried to hit her with one of his deadlier spells. She soaked up the pain and smiled at him. “Still alive.” She whipped her head to the side to glare at Dartan. 

Dartan froze, looking into the face of his wife, who’d died many many years ago. “Dartan?” she asked. “Why did you let me die, dear? Why did you let me… DIE!!!” A spiked chain bashed him with a wicked uppercut, and he fell back, spitting up blood. 

Captain Metus yelled “FOR MORMONT!!” and rushed in, whipping Shade’s vorpal sword over his head. He swung. The Cathezar’s chains blocked the blow and leaned it to the left, where the momentum of Metus’s strike left him unbalanced. The sword plunged into Edge’s arm. He screamed. 

“Foul devil!” Metus swung the sword again in a horizontal arc, and the chains again caught his swing. This time, the chain wrapped around the end of the sword… and pushed back. Metus’s hands released the hilt as his neck was severed, and his head clunked to the ground at Vek’s feet. 

The Cathezar’s tail shot out and began to wind around Nurn. The snakelike tail pinned his arms to his sides and began squeezing, while her chains held the others off. Nurn grunted and opened his eyes. They were bright yellow. His skin changed color and texture, and his body widened. He became a huge beast. The tail could no longer maintain its hold on him, so he broke free and slashed at her with enormous claws. 

Edge ignored the pain in his wounded arm and made devastating attacks against the creature. Broldek was doing some real damage, as his sword was large and heavy enough to push in past the chains. Dartan got back to his feet and fought on. 

Edge shouted “Vek, give me Metus’s sword!” Vek kicked the sword into the air, and once more, a chain whipped out and struck it. It turned as it spun, and gouged into Edge’s chest. “Aaaaghh!!!” he cried. He grabbed the end with one hand and pulled it out of himself… and in the same motion, swung it into The Cathezar. “DIE ALREADY!”

“Little imp! I’ll…” She turned her attention to him, leaving Dartan free to ram his sword into her back. It emerged through her chest and she sputtered. 

“You shouldn’t have used my wife’s face like that. Go to hell.” He spat on her as she fell over dead.

Nurn caught his breath and said ”She wouldn’t attack if she didn’t have a means to enter the Bastion. She and her demon force need us. If we can get inside, all we’ll have to deal with is the great bloody dragon and his followers.”

Kizzlorn glared at him. “Once again, you’ve shown that you haven’t been straight with us. What was that you turned into, just now?”

“Me,” he replied with a smile. “That was the real me.”

_*MORE TO COME...* _


----------



## Wee Jas

Poor Metus.. he loses his head over nothing.. whahahaa


----------



## Horacio

Once more, eet confeerms my opeenion that a vorpal sword ees as dangerous to both foes and friends...  Poor Metus... He weell ask for mummy or for alive thees time?

At least that foul demon deen't try to enter my kitchen, or I would have to use my masterwork frying pan and my matched pair or +2 cooking knives of celery slaying...


----------



## Breakstone

Good job with both the story and the plot recently, Doc! I like the internal conflict with Nurn, Wee Jas's dialog with Vek, and the fatal-sounding battle looming ahead...

Is Nurn being run by a player or is he an NPC?


----------



## Lela

Great.  Nurn is a demon.  I don't think I've ever played a character who wouldn't have killed him outright for that simple fact alone.

But, aside from that, he is innsulting Kizz.  _That_ should warrent death.  Him being the essence of evil itself makes a good enough excuse for me.


----------



## Horacio

Eef Meess Kizz wants, I can try to keell heem weeth a holy fork...


----------



## med stud

Nurn is up on the second place on my list of favourite characters in this SH


----------



## Ziona

Horacio said:
			
		

> *Eef Meess Kizz wants, I can try to keell heem weeth a holy fork... *




Okay, so we can add you to the list of people who want to kill Nurn?  Great!!  He's a major $#!@%** who's really pushing to have his remains sprawled out on my front lawn!


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Doc,

You aren't going to do Epic Level Adventures with the Knights? 


Great write up. That Cathezar was a bad ass. The fight between her and the knights is a great visual for the imagination.


----------



## Nail

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Note to self:  Name a henchmen Nail.  Have him beaten and killed  *




   LOL!    

Such honors!  Recognition!  I must return the favor.....

Note to self: When DM, name next BBEG lich "Vek".  Have him beaten by PC Pelor cleric, using Sun domain ability.   

**************
On another note:  Nurn's gonna turn on you guys.  The only question is when.   

When is he gonna make the grab for the amulet of Vek's......


----------



## Wee Jas

> When is he gonna make the grab for the amulet of Vek's......




I wouldn't if I were him.  NO ONE touches my amulet.. its mine I tell you!  ALL MINE!  WAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAAA


----------



## fenzer

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Hey NWK, thanks for posting info from the module to the thread here. It's appreciated.
> 
> And you know what? I'm not too used to playing at this high a level, so I don't often play these creatures to their full potential. I'm struggling. Anyone who's not happy with this, PLEASE take your comments elsewhere instead of pointing out how if X monster was PREPARED, X battle would have gone differently, according to X module. *




While this has blown over I feel like I should comment.  Doc, I have been reading your SHs since you first strated writing them and it seems that in the last while you speak your mind without thinking.  

Doc, I feel pretty confortable in saying that NWN had nothing but good intentions when he posted what he did, I didn't have a chance to read it.  It sounds like you came down on him pretty hard.  Come on Doc, this is the headquarters of the DocM fan club.  You have alot of your readers hanging on your every word and anxious for an update.  They like what you do here and just want to participate and help.  I would hope that you realize that.

And geeze Doc, find me a DM who dosen't have issues running a high level champaign, lord knows I do.  And what Lela said about high level games is right and I hope you would welcome the suggestions not spurn them. 

Anyway, I felt I needed to comment on this.  Doc, if we didn't love ya we wouldn't be here, a good SH helps too.   So please, the next time you want to yell back at us, take a deep breath and count to ten and remember we are all paying members of the DocM fan club.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

You're worried about Nurn turning on the Knights? I'm worried about Vek turning on them! I think if he had to choose between the party and his god, there's no contest. He doesn't need the party, he still has his own manshion he can return to, as well as a small army. Sure, he doesn't have a cook, or a dragon playground, but in time.


----------



## Dr Midnight

I know NWK didn't mean any harm, but I've always been super-sensitive to criticism. The high-level stuff lately has upgraded me from "super-sensitive" to "ticking time bomb". I'm freaking out over any little thing I might do wrong, and I'm always under the cloud that I'm not playing a monster to its potential. 

Plus, I just think it's not in the best form to post info from the module in the thread where the module's being played, even if the story's beyond that by now. Kinda like posting spoilers about a movie. 

Or maybe I'm just crazy. I dunno. 

Sorry if I bit your head off, NWK. I'm a little touchy these days. I COULD just let things go, but "I'm not wired that way"


----------



## Wee Jas

Nice Buffy ref doc.. wonder if anyone else will get the teddy ref.



> Sure, he doesn't have a cook, or a dragon playground, but in time.




I pay all the help.



> think if he had to choose between the party and his god




Goddess.  She is beauty personified.  Nothing will ever come between her and me.


----------



## fenzer

It's all good Doc.  I get a little rough around the edges from time to time, everyone does.  Hey, just remember we are all here to support what you do not tear it down.  SO POST ALREADY!

BTW, what the hell is up the John Ritter pic?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *Nothing will ever come between her and I. *



Your grammar might...


----------



## Nail

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> Your grammar might...  *



Heh.  Heh, heh.....(chuckles)

Sorry.  Comes from being married to an English Professor.....

People are always getting this mixed up.....somehow they feel as if using "I" is always right.

Then again, maybe in Vek's case, an extra "I" is warranted.  You need as many of those as you can get when aspiring to godhood.


----------



## Wee Jas

/pretends like he didn't just edit his post and correct his grammar

I don't know what you mean.  

Doc don't you NOT have a job you should be getting back too?  awwwwwwwwwwww!!!  

I mean really, you're so smart and with all this extra time you have NOT working you'd think you'd be better at DM'ing and Playing HeroClix insted of having your readers correct you.   

Thats like 4 burns in 1 sentence!!!  I'm ooonnn fiiirreeeee!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> */pretends like he didn't just edit his post and correct his grammar
> *



That's some pretty good pretending, because it's STILL WRONG!


----------



## Wee Jas

Least I got PAID to post it


----------



## Dr Midnight

So did I... only I got to do it in my shorts at home.


----------



## Wee Jas

How are those pyramid schemes working out for you anyhow?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Wonderfully. Hey, how'd you like to get paid for sending Email? I didn't think it was possible, but now I'm making upwards of $4 a week!!!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Doc, no harm done. I totally agree with you - posting some module info was a stupid thing to do! 'nuff said

@fenzer: I just wanted to reply to some posts requesting info about the former god or saying he was not very tough. The smart thing to do would have been
1. Let Doc handle it or
2. Make a post to offer info via a private message 
I did neither.  



			
				Dursk Starkfire said:
			
		

> *You're worried about Nurn turning on the Knights? I'm worried about Vek turning on them! I think if he had to choose between the party and his god, there's no contest. He doesn't need the party, he still has his own manshion he can return to, as well as a small army. Sure, he doesn't have a cook, or a dragon playground, but in time. *



I don't believe Vek will turn on the party. The big question is: When all is over, will he surrender the amulet to his goddess or will be become a god himself ?


----------



## Lela

Ziona said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Okay, so we can add you to the list of people who want to kill Nurn?  Great!!  He's a major $#!@%** who's really pushing to have his remains sprawled out on my front lawn! *




I believe there's also a skeleton with a broom somewhere who wants to bean him repeatidly with the pointy end. 




			
				Dursk Starkfire said:
			
		

> *You're worried about Nurn turning on the Knights? I'm worried about Vek turning on them! I think if he had to choose between the party and his god, there's no contest. *




I would hope so.  After all, he is a cleric.


And Doc, sorry 'bout that.  Next time I want mod info, I'll ask via e-mail.

Also, now that you've played _High_ level baddies, imagine how good you'll be with low and mid level guys.  Soon, even Wee Jas will fear you.  Ha, HA, *HA*, HA!


----------



## Elemental

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *I don't believe Vek will turn on the party. The big question is: When all is over, will he surrender the amulet to his goddess or will be become a god himself ?  *




If he does, he might want to make sure that vorpal sword isn't carried by any of his henchmen. History has a way of repeating itself, and any sequel campaign may well feature an artifact called the "Head of Vek".....


----------



## Wee Jas

> any sequel campaign may well feature an artifact called the "Head of Vek"




Undead cannot be critted.  And vorpal weapons don't work on undead anyway (Except vampires I think)

Although that would be very cool!


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

the head of Metus isn't good enough for you? I'm still surprised he didn't bite the big one to the kobolds, but at least Doc's satiating our desire for Knight blood. Too bad it has to come at the expense of the readers. I'm putting odds on Horacio being the next to get whacked. Probably from bread-soup food-poisoning.

Quick Q: Is Grumbar going to accompany the party to the Bastion of Souls? I think he'd fit right in


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Undead cannot be critted.  And vorpal weapons don't work on undead anyway (Except vampires I think)
> 
> Although that would be very cool! *




Ah, but there's nothing stopping them from chopping your head off, even if you are a lich. Just means they'll be holding your head, while you're still "alive". Afterall, there has to be some disadvantages to being forever-more. I remember a bad movie called "Death Becomes Her", where they lived forever, but they had to keep gluing and duct-taping their limbs back on after they were severed. 

Question: If Vek's head were to be severed, could he cast a touch spell against someone who was holding it? And secondary question, would they be awarded a reflex save?


----------



## Wee Jas

I think you need to crit to activate the sword.  I could be wrong I guess...   I've been house ruled before though


----------



## Metus

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *Poor Metus.. he loses his head over nothing.. whahahaa *




Hey!  That's awfully cold, boss!  Here I was just doing my duty and I get made the butt of a joke.

But about resurrection ::cough cough::  Think you'd be able to make me into one of those new fandangled mummies someone mentioned?  Greater mummy or somesuch?  Can't say I'll dig the musty smell everywhere I go, but hey, sacrifices must be made.


----------



## Conaill

Metus said:
			
		

> *Hey!  That's awfully cold, boss!  Here I was just doing my duty and I get made the butt of a joke.*




Pipe down, Metus. With a boss like Vek looking after you, I figure you're still a head of the game! 

Ah, I crack me up. 



> *Can't say I'll dig the musty smell everywhere I go, but hey, sacrifices must be made. *




Eh, after the whole pulling-out-your-brains-through-your-nose experience, I doubt you'll be noticing the smell much. 

So how much of an ECL does that greater mummy have anyway? And shouldn't Vek's Leadership score be going down by now with all of those "death of a cohort" penalties?


----------



## Wee Jas

We were thinking Death Knight


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *We were thinking Death Knight   *




The MMII version?  I'd go with that Metus.  You don't smell as funny and touching someone causes them damage.  That, and if someone casts _Holy Word_ (or perhaps the chaos equivelent, in this case) you end up hanging around with Wee Jas (or Vek if everything goes right).  It's a good life.

Besides, wouldn't it sound better if the great god Vek has a Death Knight as his most loyal servent rather than a Mummy?


----------



## Horacio

Eef I die I don't want to come bac as a mummee, smell ees verree eemportant for a beeg chef as me!


----------



## Breakstone

I'm just glad I still hold the proud title of the First-Knights-NPC-Named-After-Reader-Award.


----------



## Horacio

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *I'm just glad I still hold the proud title of the First-Knights-NPC-Named-After-Reader-Award. *





_Horacio sighs_

But you are a horse, a poor horse. Eef you weren't undead at leat I could cook you and offer to the Knights a good horse steak, but you don't even are useful for that...  And you speak! Horses shouldn't speak. Get out of my kitchen, undead animal!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Game day!!

Some huge things are happening today. As the title says, "the end is near". 

Big dramatic radio announcer voice:

The Knights of the Silver Quill saved the world, once... can the Knights of Spellforge Keep do the same, with the threat of global war waged by monstrous demons on the horizon? 

I hope to finish the last chunk of writing for Session 53 soon, because today we play SESSION 54: THE BASTION OF BROKEN SOULS, and things will begin spiraling towards a hellish concluuuusion!


----------



## fenzer

Excellent.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Good game tonight. 

Big. BIG. Surprises. 

Oh, yeah, and something about a dragon. 

Plus I won a game of Heroclix. Good night.


----------



## Horacio

You're such a teaser... Go to write, Doc, we want to know!


----------



## Breakstone

Whoa!

You won a game of Hero Clix?


----------



## Horacio

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *Whoa!
> 
> You won a game of Hero Clix?
> 
> *




I haven't played Hero Clix yet... Is it really as good as Doc seems to think? I loved Marvel Comics in the late 80's-beginning 90, specially  X-Men


----------



## Lela

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *I'm just glad I still hold the proud title of the First-Knights-NPC-Named-After-Reader-Award. *




Yes, and because of a conspiricy (instigated, though not run by, Microsoft), you also still have the title of Official-Knights-Fanboy.

Microsoft is evil.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *Whoa!
> 
> You won a game of Hero Clix?
> *



Go to hell Tsunami!  

DOC MIDNIGHT'S CRAPPY "I WON" STORY HOUR:
Yes, I won. It's funny, because I spent most of the game getting drilled into the ground. Wee Jas's son Justin just came straight out and kicked the crap out of me, and Dartan's Juggernaut ran up to my Cyclops so I couldn't ranged attack him. 

Once I was left with only My SHIELD Agent, SHIELD medic, and Black Cat, they decided I was no longer a threat and left me alone to attend to other business. 

My medic healed anyone who was wounded and I played the part of running scared (which I was). I offered rerolls for Dartan in his war against Jamison, as long as he didn't touch me. Meanwhile, I was waiting for a good chance for SOMEONE to come in and get hit by my ranged attack... with two SHIELD agents, you can "pump" damage by one each... So Black Cat would hit anyone for 4 clicks of damage (a good amount, for those who don't know) AND I could reroll it if I didn't hit the first time. 

I stayed grouped together, healed myself when I needed to, and won the game when few enough of my opponents were left. When they were beaten down enough for me to rejoin the fight, they realized I'd been left with a good deal of power. I wiped out Steel and Juggernaut and Thing and She-Hulk with Black Cat and two SHIELD schmucks. 

I may not be that great at D&D, but I can powergame the hell out of Clix. 

I also attribute my victory to the fact that Wee Jas wasn't playing. 



> I haven't played Hero Clix yet... Is it really as good as Doc seems to think?



We all love it madly... but I know people who've given it a shot and not cared. I think you need to play in a game of more than two people to really fall for it. Playing just one-on-one doesn't add up to much fun. 

If you get enough people and take the time to learn the rules, you've got a game that's more strategic than chess (IMO), and dozens of times more fun.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Doc's awake. I take this a good sign. _* sniffs the air *_ My SH sense tells me there is an update coming...


----------



## Dr Midnight

*4th of Suns’ebb*

The Knights and Nurn arose. 

Vek began casting a spell over everyone. “This will attune our bodies to the Positive Energy Plane.”

“Wait,” Broldek said. “It’s positive energy. Doesn’t that mean good?”

“Yes, for a time. You heal constantly. However, this becomes somewhat dangerous when you’ve healed to the fullest of your potential health… and your body keeps repairing itself. Your flesh becomes dense as the positive energy has nowhere to go, and keeps piling in.”

“How is that dangerous?”

“That’s not. The part where you explode in a riot of brilliant white light… is.”

“Gotcha.”

“Another thing. On this plane, gravity is subjective. When we shift over, choose which direction you want to be down. You will fall in that direction. If you choose a parallel angle, you can effectively fly over the ground.” 

Kizzlorn opened the door to the kitchen. “Horacio, we’re going out for the day.”

“Very good, Meesstress Keezzlorn.”

“How are Grumbar and Meepo doing?”

Grumbar answered. “Oh, just great! Meepo’s really taken to dishwashing, and with me filthying up the dishes, we’re an unstoppable team!”

“That’s right,” Meepo said proudly. 

“He’s my new best pal.”

“Aww, you MEEPO’S best pal!”

“C’mere, you!”

The two hugged. “Meepo,” Kizz said. “I have a gift for you. You have to promise to take care of this one, though.”

“OOOH, OOH, WHAT??” Meepo ran over, grinning. 

She held out a small dragon. It was sleeping in her arms. “This is Scratch. He lost his master recently, and has been in need of a friend. Can you be that friend?”

Meepo gasped. “A… a dragon! Meepo could be MEEPO, MASTER OF DRAGONS once more!” He took Scratch in his gentle little arms. “Oh, he so cute!” Scratch woke up and licked his face. A tear formed in one of Meepo’s oddly shaped kobold eyes. “Meepo is so happy. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome. You’ve been doing well since you started working yesterday, and we believe in rewarding good work. Just remember that your privileges will be suspended if you try to kill us all again.”

“Meepo love Scratch. Scratch love Meepo?” Scratch chirped happily. 

Kizzlorn smiled and closed the door. Dartan, behind her, said “Wasn’t Scratch a weasel?”

“Yes. Jamison turned him into a dragon before he died… because Scratch just likes being a dragon sometimes. I say if he’s happy that way, let him be. Plus, Meepo gets to own a dragon again, and the both of them have a companion.”

“Good plan.”

Nurn yelled “Excuse me, but could we maybe get started with, oh, I don’t know, the quest to slay the DAMNED DRAGON already?”

Kizzlorn remained calm. “Don’t get irritable with me.”

“Don’t waste my time, and maybe I won’t. Let’s go.”

Edge said “Say the word, Mistress Kizzlorn, and I’ll give him a concave adam’s apple.” 

Nurn turned and glared down at him. “Oh, I’d LOVE to see the imp try.”

Kizz sighed. “Enough. Stop it, both of you. Vek, are we ready?”

“We are ready.”

“Let’s go, then.”

They shifted to the Positive Energy Plane. Reality melted around them and reformed as their eyes focused on what they were seeing.

The Positive Energy Plane was a gorgeous landscape of bright pastel colors and glimmering white air. Life sprang up everywhere. Light green grass waved, alien flowers grew, and water ran in small rivers, feeding the vegetation constantly. 

The Knights chose the directions they would fall toward. They all fell to the ground, except for Oaken… who shot off to the west, screaming. Eventually, he figured out how to reverse it, and he shot back, then caused himself to fall to the ground near the group.

Vek looked down at him. “What was that?”

“You said if we chose a parallel direction, we could fly! That wasn’t flying, that was falling sideways!” 

“I never said you’d FLY, as the spell. I said if you choose a direction, you’d FALL in that direction, effectively flying.”

Oaken stood up and brushed himself off. “Fine. Let’s go.”

“This is where the Soul Totem will aid us,” Vek said. “Look.” The Totem was hanging from his neck, but straight from him at a perpendicular angle… to the north. “We go north.” They went.

After a time, they found themselves looking at a shape in the distance. Spans of crystal, miles long and hundreds of feet wide, pulsed with a languid cadence of brilliance. The spans formed the edges of what resembled, for want of a better comparison, a snowflake of titanic proportions. Only the edges were apparent; the bulk of the structure was lost in the glare. Specks of darkness congregated near the nexus of several crystal spans. Floating near the specks was a massive spider-like creature. 

“That’s the Bastion,” Kizz said. “but what are those things?”

“Demons,” replied Nurn. “here to intercept the descendant of Dydd and stop him from killing Ashardalon.” 

In the distance, the demons saw them advancing and made ready for war. 

“Correction: they’re here to die." Dartan pulled out his sword.

_*MORE TO COME…*_


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> “Correction: they’re here to die." Dartan pulled out his sword.



YESSS !!! That's the Dartan we know and want to see !




			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> _*MORE TO COME…*_



I hope so


----------



## Horacio

Dartan is back!


----------



## Lela

"Dartan is all,"

*bangs head on desk*

"Dartan is wonderful,"

*bangs head on desk*

"Dartan is all. . ."

*bangs head on desk*


----------



## Breakstone

Great stuff Doc!

I have a few questions about the campaign:

1) Is this a published adventure still?

2) Is Nurn an NPC or a PC?

3) Eh... I suppose that's it, really.


----------



## Dr Midnight

1) Yes. 

2) NPC.

3) No.

4) Unleaded.

5) Margaret Thatcher, without a doubt.

6) Only on Mondays.

7) Yes.

8) People who think saying "who's your daddy" is funny.

9) N/A

10) 10.


----------



## Wee Jas

> 4) Unleaded.
> 
> 5) Margaret Thatcher, without a doubt.
> 
> 6) Only on Mondays.
> 
> 7) Yes.
> 
> 8) People who think saying "who's your daddy" is funny.
> 
> 9) N/A
> 
> 10) 10.




4. What do you mix with vodka?

5.  Have a secret crush?

6. Drink pee?

7. Like barbies?

8. Who annoys everyone?

9. You gender?

10. 10 - X= the sixe of your.. AHEM.   X=?


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Once again Wee Jas shows how evil he really is. Poor Doc.


----------



## Wee Jas

It's tough love


----------



## Dr Midnight

Hey, at least he got #8 right.


----------



## Horacio

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Hey, at least he got #8 right. *




So you don't like barbies?


----------



## Lela

I'd say #9 applies to Vek.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Lela said:
			
		

> *I'd say #9 applies to Vek. *



But then he must have used the "clone" spell...  :



> _Originally posted by Dr Midnight_
> *Wee Jas's son Justin  *


----------



## Viktyr Gehrig

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *
> But then he must have used the "clone" spell...  : *




 "And I shall call him... Mini-Me."


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Mini-Vek   lol


----------



## Wee Jas

Where is Doc?  WRITE WRITE!

In the meantime... who would win in a fight?

Dartan or mini-vek?


----------



## Stone Angel

AHhhhh!!

Assassin!!!


----------



## Felix

> In the meantime... who would win in a fight?
> 
> Dartan or mini-vek?




Hmm... Was mini-vek trained by Mike Ditka?

Yes.

.... DA Vek!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Posting soon...

A word to the players. Yes, I'm abridging the two remaining battles of session 53 into one. It'll save me type time. I dislike typing up the battles, as I never remember exactly what happened. I always get someone saying "HE'S not the one who killed that thing, I did it!" I'd like to help, but short term memory me can not soda hey what's on TV?


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> * I'd like to help, but short term memory me can not soda hey what's on TV? *




Everwood.  And, as usual, I'm missing it.


----------



## Dr Midnight

At the center of the outlying nexus, where many crystal spans came together, the structure contained its single irregularity- a 40-foot diameter circular span of opaque crystal with strange glyphs and insets inscribed on it. 

Towering over the portal and the nearby creatures was a gargantuan, 70-foot diameter spiderlike creature with cleaverlike claws, floating with but a single treelike leg acting as mooring. A motley group of fiendish creatures also floated or stood near the portal. Near them floated a sledge heaped with hide bags and casks. Each creature wore a sheer blindfold and a strangely clicking bracelet, from under which blood and ichor slowly seeped. 

The Knights rushed into battle, and the demons met the charge.

Dartan hacked into a great winged devil creature, and it bashed him in the head with its huge claw. Edge cartwheeled into the fight and began spin-kicking. Vek loosed a bolt of greenish fire, and it consumed a group of demons, charring them to ash. 

The giant mechanical spider-thing floated overhead. Its head turned to the heroes and its four eyes lit up with different colors. One of the eyes shot a bright orange beam down, and it bathed Vek in heat and fire. Luckily, the lich had attuned himself with various energies, and could not be harmed by heat. This would aid them against the dragon… but Vek found use of it now. Without that protection, he would have burned very quickly…Lich flesh is dry and quick to ignite. 

The spider blasted a light blue beam at Kizzlorn, who grunted and bore the chill of the cold ray that enveloped her. The energy protecting her only gave her so much resistance to cold. She kept calm as the frost formed in her hair.  

Oaken raised his hands and a thick bolt of lightning flashed out and curled about the monstrous construct. The thing emitted a roaring squeal that sounded like dozens of gears grinding against each other. 

Meanwhile, on the ground, Broldek and Edge were battling an enormous dire bear that seemed to be half-dragon. The thing had a frenzied strength and huge serrated claws that cut deeply every time they struck… which was often. Broldek was grasped by the bear and crushed in a furious bear hug, until Edge smashed the bear in the throat with a stab of his fingers. The creature roared and released Broldek, to focus on the tiny halfling. 

Broldek ran free and shouted “Get clear!” He moved beneath the giant spider, which was about a hundred feet in the air. He closed his eyes and concentrated. “Up…” he said, “is DOWN!” He rocketed upward and folded his knees to his chest, wrapped his arms about his legs, and tucked his head down. He shot up and through the body of the spider creature with a smash. Pieces of metal showered all around as Broldek tried to orient himself, high above, and make himself fall down again. 

The spider chittered, lurched, and died. It floated free of the crystal span and drifted away, one hundred fifty tons of metal scrap in the sky. 

Edge the half-dragon halfling flipped above a swiping claw and kicked the half-dragon dire bear in the snout, snapping its neck. It fell to the ground. Edge landed and brushed his hands together. He was bleeding badly, but this was no time to show pain from one’s wounds… Mistress Kizzlorn might see. 

Broldek crashed to the ground nearby. His legs were broken from the fall, but they would heal shortly. He looked up and smiled. “You killed it?”

Edge smiled back. “It’s not the size of the dragon in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the dragon.”

The other creatures were all mopped up, too, as Dartan sadly noted. He wiped his sword and resheathed it. “How do we get inside?”

“I have a theory,” Vek said as he stepped toward the crystal mass. One of the graven shapes there was shaped vaguely like a disc… a medallion. Vek placed his piece of the Soul Totem in the circle, and the forty foot section of wall melted away to reveal an entry to the Bastion itself. “Here we are. I don’t see a dragon… not yet.”

They stepped into the Bastion. Here, faceted crystal surfaced glowed emerald, sapphire, and other hues of precious gems. Clear crystalline trees sprouted thickly from the floor, laden with brilliant points of white light. The sound of thousands of crystal leaves constantly chiming like bells filled the air. However, many of the crystals were smashed and darkened, and multicolored shards littered the floor. Three passages lay, one  to the left and to the right.  The one in the middle led straight into a brilliant wall of white light. 

“What are these things on the trees?” Edge reached up to touch one of the glowing crystal teardrops hanging from the branches. 

“Souls,” Vek said. Edge pulled his hand back.

_*NEXT: THE BASTION OF BROKEN SOULS* _


----------



## Lela

Cool Doc.  Once again Kizz has a male courtier.


----------



## Jon Potter

Lela said:
			
		

> *Cool Doc.  Once again Kizz has a male courtier. *




It's gotta be the red hair.


----------



## Lela

Jon Potter said:
			
		

> *
> 
> It's gotta be the red hair.  *




Someone refresh my memory.  Have Wonder Woman and Iron Man ever had a _thing_ going on?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> Lich flesh is dry and quick to ignite.




You got that right. I had a lich steak the other day. Dry and though and it smelled funny. Tasted not bad, though. Like chicken...


----------



## Nail

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *. One of the eyes shot a bright orange beam down, and it bathed Vek in heat and fire. Luckily, the lich had attuned himself with various energies, and could not be harmed by heat. This would aid them against the dragon… but Vek found use of it now. Without that protection, he would have burned very quickly…Lich flesh is dry and quick to ignite.  *



What spell was this?  Now that it's activated/used up, aren't the heroes vulnerable?


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

when have the knights ever been vulnerable? unless your character has a thing for kizz, that is.


----------



## Ziona

Lela said:
			
		

> *Cool Doc.  Once again Kizz has a male courtier. *






			
				Jon Potter[/i]
[b]It's gotta be the red hair. [/b][/QUOTE]

Yeah said:
			
		

> *Someone refresh my memory. Have Wonder Woman and Iron Man ever had a thing going on?*




Nope.  She's DC and he's Marvel.  



> _Originally posted by Dursk Starkfire_
> *when have the knights ever been vulnerable? unless your character has a thing for kizz, that is.*




/more sniffles

Hey now, Kizz hasn't had any love interests besides Shade, the heroic, sexy red-head with an accent... /sigh

Edge isn't Kizz's type, which she has made apparent, so he should stop camping out in the hallway outside her door, else he may find himself smashed by Nanny!


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

ouch, being smashed by a character retired 10 levels ago. Poor Edge, can't even take out the cleaning staff. Maybe Horacio should be taken out on an adventure sometime to give him some "backup". 
Ah, but H. gets enough grief from the zoo the knights collect and bring home. 

"But it's an undead horse!"

"yeah, can we keep it? can we? huh, huh? Can we bring it home?"


----------



## Ziona

Dursk Starkfire said:
			
		

> *ouch, being smashed by a character retired 10 levels ago. Poor Edge, can't even take out the cleaning staff. *




Hey, the guy is a _half-dragon halfling_.  Just a bit odd, and even if he wasn't half-dragon, Kizz wouldn't really go for a halfling. Plain & simple.

Kizz is actually feeling like a minority in her house.  Afterall, she is the only female, and it seems to her that everyone around her is getting more and more strange.  

Uncle Vek has always been creepy, but then he & his men are getting creepier as the days go by.  Then we have the crazed chef, Horacio; the warrior-gone-chef Grumbar, whose sidekick is now a kobald who was plotting to kill the Knights.

Beyond that, there is a weird druid living in the keep, as well as a half-dragon halfling who she keeps finding outside her bedroom door.  Then there is the troll who made his home under the bridge near the moat.  Finally, there is Dartan, who is almost normal, but too old to understand Kizz very well, and is usually silent or bitter.  The only one she could relate to died, and her brothers, (who she saw recently) don't approve of those she adventures with.  What's a girl to do?

/sigh.  
Kizz feels stressed.


----------



## Breakstone

Maybe you could have a sleepover with Lela the Skeleon with a Broom, and, y'know, talk about girl stuff?


----------



## Lela

Ziona said:
			
		

> *
> 
> 
> Nope.  She's DC and he's Marvel.
> *




Well, now I feel stupid.  There's only $3,000-4,000 worth of comics waiting in the storage shed.  Sheeeshh.

Then agian, little things like that don't always prevent a meeting. 



			
				Tsunami said:
			
		

> *Maybe you could have a sleepover with Lela the Skeleon with a Broom, and, y'know, talk about girl stuff? *





Okay, I offically want to take that Emancipated Undead PrC in Savage Species (c'mon, _Wee Jas_ must have it).  While I've only seen it once (my copy should be waiting for me when I get home) and I'm not sure on the spelling, I do know that I want to take it.

Mistress Kizz needs me.

And Meepo keeps chewing on my legs. . .


----------



## Wee Jas

> Well, now I feel stupid. There's only $3,000-4,000 worth of comics waiting in the storage shed. Sheeeshh.




woah woah woah now.. COMICS?  No no.. not Lela the skeleton.. Lela the my new general!


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> woah woah woah now.. COMICS?  No no.. not Lela the skeleton.. Lela is my new general!   *




You'll have to Emancipate me first.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

Wow, how quickly the fallen are forgotten. Poor Metus, not the same after he cut his head off. At least he doesn't have to do domestic chores like sweeping.


----------



## Horacio

Horacio ees not crazy. He eez only a poor Spaneesh/French chef with a dark past...


----------



## Nail

Horacio said:
			
		

> *Horacio ees not crazy. He eez only a poor Spaneesh/French chef with a dark past... *



...yeah, those old blackened sauce pans are a B!&$@#! to clean.....


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Just as long as we're waiting for the next piece :nag: :nag:



			
				Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *Where is Doc?  WRITE WRITE!
> 
> In the meantime... who would win in a fight?
> 
> Dartan or mini-vek?    *




Dartan


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

amen NWN. bout time we had some level-headed people around here.   I just wish Dartan's player were a munchkin, then we could REALLY see his potential! 
Are Dartan and Kizz REALLY the only core race PC's left? Maybe Oaken, but I'm not really sure WHAT he is... 

Doc, we want more story! Throw in some HeroClix action if you want, we don't care! Just more story! (put in the part where your Medic blew away the rest of the Knights, feel free to write Vek's Dr Doom cowering in the corner to the vast superiority of Elastic Man


----------



## Conaill

Heck, give us some more updates from the Feng Shui game while you're at it!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Writing now... Should post an update before too long. 


> Heck, give us some more updates from the Feng Shui game while you're at it!



Hmmm... well, when this campaign is done, soon, I won't have anything to write... HMMMMMMMMM... 

Big fun post coming up within but a few minutes!


----------



## Dr Midnight

_Here on Oerth, beneath the skies, over the hills, amidst the trees
Every living creature cries, for all the ancient prophecies
Have told of how the dragon dies and what the fabled villain frees 
The people fear the beast that lies and more the beast that bears the keys

The hours grow few and hope grows dim, yet evil’s blackened glist’ning hide
May still be pierced, for seraphim and bold and fearless heroes ride
To meet the charge of servants grim who hold the wizard’s captured guide
And there, in he, in only him may be the strength to turn the tide

Here on Oerth, on doomsday’s rim, where good and evil fought and died._

*SESSION 54
4th of Suns’ebb
THE BASTION OF BROKEN SOULS*

The Knights moved through the sparkling crystal trees in awe. Here, all about them, souls were formed and given shape. They had yet to be born, but their brilliance shone clearly. Some shone more brightly than others, but all had a chance to go into the world and make it a better- or worse- place. 

“Through that white light we should find the dragon,” Nurn said. “We should go. There’s no telling if your friend Jamison has killed him and taken the heart back to Aameul.”

Kizz said “Didn’t you say that Aameul needs the descendant of Dydd to destroy the dragon?”

“Open your ears,” Nurn said rudely. “Crow is more powerful than he let on. He destroyed a group of demons even I wouldn’t attempt to fight. Maybe if you opened your eyes, too, you could have seen you were traveling with an evil mastermind.”

“Jamison, ONCE AND FOR ALL, is DEAD,” Kizzlorn yelled. 

Vek nodded. “I scried on him, and he lies in his grave. You were probably fooled by an illusion spell of some sort.”

“Yes, probably,” Kizz agreed. “Open YOUR eyes, perhaps, and you would see.”

Nurn laughed. “Oh, a clever comeback from the witch queen. Very nice.”

“What did you call me?”

He looked into her eyes, growling. “The. Witch. Queen. You know, the one who should probably save up some of her food money and buy a hairbrush with it.”

Kizz fumed. Behind Nurn, Edge spoke slowly and quietly. “You would do well to take that back.”

Nurn turned to him. “Or what, imp? I should put up with the paltry tramp just because you have a schoolchild’s crush on her? Do you know what I could DO to you?”

“Enough,” Kizzlorn murmured with disgust. “Nurn, tell me. Once the dragon’s been destroyed, what will you do?” 

“I will continue to act in my master’s best interests.”

“I think it’s important that we know if you will turn on us or not.”

“My plans, and my master’s plans, do not concern you beyond helping me to slay Ashardalon. That is enough for you to know.” He walked off. 

Kizzlorn watched as he walked away, then had a very brief conversation with Vek, Dartan and Edge. 

Broldek had found something. “Hey, look over here!” The others found him kneeling near a large skeletal corpse wearing armor. On the breastplate was the shining symbol of Pelor. In the skeleton’s hand was a sword with a luminous golden blade. Here in the metal was inscribed the legend: DRAGONHAMMER.

“Dragonhammer,” Broldek said as he picked the sword up. “The sword the kobold talked about... the one wielded by the orc cleric of Pelor.”

“Like I said,” Vek mused. “Another one of Pelor’s flock, doomed to die with his sword in his hand.” 

Kizzlorn sighed. “Uncle Vek, my Aunt and brother are followers of Pelor. Please remember that when you refer to them as a ‘flock.’”

Broldek was testing the sword’s weight and balance. It was a greatsword, and well-suited to the troll’s large stature. “This sword hates dragons. Almost as much as I do. I believe it will help us in the fight.”

“Take it, then,” Vek said. “He won’t mind.”

They gathered at the wall of white light and made the final preparations to go through and face Ashardalon. The best warriors were at the front of the group, with Nurn at their head. Vek cast several spells over them all. “Are we ready?”

“We’re ready,” Nurn said irritably. “Let’s just get this done.”

“Well, then, by all means, Nurn… lead the way!” Vek grabbed Nurn’s left arm. Dartan, on cue, grabbed his right. Edge swept his legs out from behind him, and a shouting Nurn was tossed into  the white light. 

There was the sound of a person landing, and a grunt. The grunt turned to silence, and the silence turned to a scream as a great, deep growl was heard. Then, a smashing sound not unlike a side of beef being bashed against a castle wall, and wet splatterings. Purplish red blood splashed the ground at the Knights’ feet from beyond the wall of light, and all was silent again.

“I really hated him,” Kizzlorn said.

Vek nodded. “He’s dead now."

“He was going to turn on us. He was a demon.”

They walked through the wall of light. 

Here, on the other side, was a supremely powerful creature- a brilliantly red dragon with a palpably demonic visage. On its chest was a rough red scar roughly in the shape of a large winged humanoid. The dragon wore an amulet around its neck- a piece of the Soul Totem. The terrible creature stood at least 60 feet tall, was nearly 40 feet wide, 80 feet long, and took up a little more than half of the available space here. It was situated at the far end of the room.

The space was over 100 feet in diameter, bounded by brilliant light. The crystalline ceiling was some 100 feet above. A flow of dimly glowing, wraithlike forms fell from the center of the ceiling like a waterfall. But the dragon, like a boulder in a stream, interrupted the flow. The falling soulstuff ran across the dragon’s hide like water. And, like water in a stoppered barrel, the material pooled to a depth of 2 feet, cover the entire floor in dimly gowing, whispering, naked life force.

More astonishing than the dragon, though, was the small figure leaning on its right side. Jamison Crow, dressed all in black was sucking the last glowing bits out of a crystal, much like a person would eat an apple. He tossed the dead crystal away and smiled at the Knights. 

“Would you care for a soul?”

Ashardalon, above, growled in a way that sounded very much like chuckling. 

*MORE TO COME…*


----------



## Breakstone

Wha-ho!

Poor Nurn..

and poor Knights!

_This_ is a battle I don't think they'll all survive!


----------



## Lela

Yay!!!!!!!!!!

And, in honor of this moment, I'd like to request that Richards compose a song about the "Wonderful" death of Nurn.  The tune, of course, will be from the Wizard of Oz, sung by the munchkins, and be previously entitled "The Wicked Witch is Dead." (that's a song right?  I suddenly can't get the Lolly Pop Kids out of my head, dangit).

And, it sucks to be the knights.  But I'm sure they'll find some way to win out (and die trying).


----------



## Hammerhead

Ha! I love what happened to Nurn. He really deserved it. I think his masters should have sent him to diplomacy school or something. Loser.

I wonder just how powerful this Crow is. Could he be epic levelled? Did Jamison Clone himself, or is it an impostor of some sort? I wonder...

Also, when will the evil Erasmus show up. He's the last end not wrapped up, really, except for Fleebo. He should be the one stalking the Knights for revenge.

I think everyone but Edge will die. Monks are tough to kill.  Vek will be destroyed, but he'll reappear later.


----------



## Morte

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *More astonishing than the dragon, though, was the small figure leaning on its right side. Jamison Crow, dressed all in black was sucking the last glowing bits out of a crystal, much like a person would eat an apple. He tossed the dead crystal away and smiled at the Knights.
> 
> “Would you care for a soul?”
> 
> Ashardalon, above, growled in a way that sounded very much like chuckling.*



*

Ooh.

Very good, doc, very good. Keep it coming, do.*


----------



## Datt

Great update Doc!

Great job by the Knights shutting up Nurn!


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

I hope the knights are a bit worried. I don't think Nurn was anything to laugh at, and he barely put a dent into that dragon (I don't even think he had a chance beyond Crow).
And I think its really Crow, as Lela pointed out earlier, its just the evil part of his soul that survived. The "good" Jamison is indeed dead, but the evil core remains.  He definitely sounds epic.. can't wait to see what he does, because you know who he's going after first... as Wee Jas would post... Doc's got lich-radar. :0


----------



## fenzer

Boy, this is going to be good!  *rolling hands excitedly*


----------



## Nail

Dursk Starkfire said:
			
		

> * because you know who (Crow)'s going after first... as Wee Jas would post... Doc's got lich-radar. :0 *



Vek's in for a thrashing.......


----------



## Wee Jas

> Vek's in for a thrashing.......




I'm indestructible!  whahahahaa...

Wheres my peeps at?!  Where is Metus, Tsunami and Lela to defend me against this slander?!


----------



## Breakstone

> Wheres my peeps at?! Where is Metus, Tsunami and Lela to defend me against this slander?!




No sir, I don't like it.

 

Well, I figure Crow will either go against Dartan first. Or maybe Kizzlorn, because of the whole "I killed your parents" thing going on.

Or maybe Vek.

Y'know. 'Cause he's so powerful and all that.

Neigh.


----------



## Horacio

I loved Nurn's death...

Go, Knights, defeat that overseezed leezard and eets human pet!


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Wheres my peeps at?!  Where is Metus, Tsunami and Lela to defend me against this slander?! *




I'm a skeleton.  With a broom.  I don't have lips or freewill.  About all I can do is hit him with my (hopefully) MW Broom and I can only do that if you tell me too.


----------



## Victim

Actually, I'd imagine that he would go for Vek first.

Wizards generally have low Fort saves.  Vek is usually loaded all kinds of Fort based death effects like Slay Living and Destruction.  Sure, he may protect himself with spell turning.  But that's only could for a short while, and turning death spells on Vek does him no good.  Also, as an undead creature, Vek has a much greater vulnerability to Disintegrate than many living creatures.  With a quick double disintegrate, he may remove one of the most dangerous combatants from fight.

Kizz is also pretty dangerous, since Flesh to Stone will effectively kill him too.  Also, it's a bit unusual, so if he were picking specific spells to defend against, that might not be it.  Unless he got some intel.


----------



## Wee Jas

> With a quick double disintegrate, he may remove one of the most dangerous combatants from fight.




Now he just has to get through my Spell resist spell and my awesome saves cause of my +8 granted from my Spell immunity spell


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Now he just has to get through my Spell resist spell and my awesome saves cause of my +8 granted from my Spell immunity spell   *




Too bad you can't choose _Dispel Magic_/_Greater Dispel Magic_ as your _Spell Immunity_ choice.  Then again, I'm sure Vek is fine in that department too. 

I'll bet he needs some bony backup though.  You never know about that kind of thing.


----------



## Metus

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> * Wheres my peeps at?!  Where is Metus, Tsunami and Lela to defend me against this slander?! *



Well sir, last time I checked, I was dead!  So unless you got a "Speak with Dead" prepped, I'm afraid I won't be much help.

Seriously though, I've just been taking a slight break from the messageboards.  I'll catch up to the last two or three posts soon.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Oops, Doc, that is evil !!!

I don't know who's more dangerous, Crow or really big A.


Cannot say I feel sorry for Nurn, but he might have been useful in this battle of epic proportions. Poor knights.

I bet Dartan will be the last man standing !


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

This should be the knights toughest fight yet. A Great Wyrm Red Dragon with the help of an epic wizard. Doc has gone mad this time.

I think he wants to end this campaign the same way he ended the last one, with all the knights dead.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *I think he wants to end this campaign the same way he ended the last one, with all the knights dead. *



But still Dartan stands alive and victorious...besides losing everything dear to him


----------



## Malachai_rose

Crow is wayyyy cool. Alas I think that this may be the end of my favorite crew (except for Vek, lets hear it for phylactories ). It would seem that with an Epic Crow and a red wyrm of that strength... well it just doesnt look good for the hometeam (not to mention the rest of the world, lol). 

Lookin forward to more and I think that Kizz should give the scaly little guy a shot I mean he could be cute if you squint your eyes just right in a poorly lit room and pretend that your an anime chartacter and hes just a big ol pokemon    lol... but what kids they would make /roflmao


----------



## Richards

Lela: I've got some good news, some bad news, and some good news.

The good news:  I saw your suggestion to have me do a parody song of "Ding Dong, the Witch Is Dead" in honor of Nurn's slaying.

The bad news:  I hunted up the lyrics to that song...and there really isn't that much to work with.  The song's pretty short, and uses the same phrases over and over.

The good news:  I picked a different song and went with your idea anyway!

Therefore, I present to you the following song parody, sung to the tune of the Byrds' "Turn, Turn, Turn."

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

*NURN, NURN, NURN*

He's finally dead (Nurn, Nurn, Nurn)
And with good reason (Nurn, Nurn, Nurn)
It was time he served a purpose - so he's dead, then
He was an ass, he was a jerk
Dealing with him was really hard work
He was so snide, he was so smug
Kizz wanted to squash him like a bug

He's finally dead (Nurn, Nurn, Nurn)
And with good reason (Nurn, Nurn, Nurn)
It was time he served a purpose - so he's dead, then
He managed to insult the whole group
He even made fun of Grumbar's bread soup
But we served him a new recipe
His soup was made using Meepo pee!

He's finally dead (Nurn, Nurn, Nurn)
And with good reason (Nurn, Nurn, Nurn)
It was time he served a purpose - so he's dead, then
We are so glad that Nurn is dead
His stupid god was just a big head
Half of a two-headed fiend
That is the dumbest thing I've ever seen

He's finally dead (Nurn, Nurn, Nurn)
And with good reason (Nurn, Nurn, Nurn)
It was time he served a purpose - so he's dead, then
We grabbed his arms, kicked out his feet
Served him up as a red dragon treat
Ashardalon is our next foe
Then we will deal with this impostor Crow

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

Johnathan
Self-Appointed, Unofficial Bard to the _Knights of Spellforge Keep_ Campaign


----------



## Dr Midnight

So great.


----------



## Breakstone

Hyuk hyuk hyuk.


----------



## Lela

Thanks Richards.  That was great.

And I think the highlight of this story hour is the death of Nurn.

But we should see the dragon die before I fully decide.  A good thing Doc is getting right on that.


----------



## Horacio

Good song, oh Richards, Bard of Spellforge Keep!


----------



## LGodamus

weejas    I will be very dissapointed in you if you do not get the killing blow on at least on of these punks......looks like the knights will have another lawn ornament to put beside ol whitey...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Malachai_rose said:
			
		

> *...I think that Kizz should give the scaly little guy a shot I mean he could be cute if you squint your eyes just right in a poorly lit room and pretend that your an anime chartacter and hes just a big ol pokemon    lol... but what kids they would make /roflmao *



What about Polymorph Other, Enlarge & Permanency (sue me, rules lawyers) or Wish?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Lela said:
			
		

> *But we should see the dragon die before I fully decide.  A good thing Doc is getting right on that.  *




Nice and subtle, Lela.  Doc, we're just worried that you'll get too far behind.


_Note to self: Get Wee-Jas to start phone terror again_


----------



## Datt

Great job Richards, great and wise bard of the Knights of Spellforge Keep.

Everything Ok Doc?  Just wondering about you since it has been over 38 hours since you last updated us.  You still watching Angel season 1 or something?


----------



## Dr Midnight

I'm not getting too far behind, as I'm currently writing the most recent session, and due to life concerns the next game won't be until sunday the 23rd. So... I'm stretching this one out a little bit.

However, I'd like to give you a brief preview of the battle with Ashardalon. 

SESSION 54 next update SPOILERS BELOW
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LAST CHANCE... SPOILERS, I TELL YOU
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> the



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END OF SPOILER ZONE

Hee hee... don't tell anyone who hasn't read!


----------



## Wee Jas

I have the next chunk of storyhour in my email box...

What do we start the bidding at?  I accept paypal


----------



## Datt

Wow Doc!   That is some major spoilage! It is a good thing you warned people ahead of time!


----------



## Elocin

That was just plain wrong.  Here I am sitting at work bored out of my skull, again.  So I figured I would check on one of the best (besides Piratecat's) story hours out there and what do I find.  Possibly another little glimpse into the world that doc has created and what do I get nothing.  

Again, that was just wrong and I bet you were laughing your butt off while you were typing that up.  You are truly a RB DM and we all thank you for that, keep up the good work and we can't wait for the next update.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Thanks, Doc, this satisfies most readers' hunger for updates... BTW, I have composed an ode to your great talent, however, since it refers to the story pieces you just posted, I have to hide it for those who chose not to read it:

Oh Doc,
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greatest .
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Oh Doc,
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Hope you like it


----------



## Wraithdrit

Great read Doc. I just returned to start writing my new story hour, now that I have a group to play with again, and thought I would find the old Silver Quill. I've caught up on this thread, and true to your old form, things are still going quite well. My kudos to you. Great job. 

And as for running high level content. Do your homework, and be prepared, but never forget to have fun with things!

- Wraith


----------



## Grog

So what level are the Knights currently?


----------



## Ziona

Malachai_rose said:
			
		

> *I think that Kizz should give the scaly little guy a shot I mean he could be cute if you squint your eyes just right in a poorly lit room and pretend that your an anime chartacter and hes just a big ol pokemon    lol... but what kids they would make /roflmao *




"In this light you vaguely resemble David Duchovny."  
(MOVIE QUOTE!)  LOL

Kizz is still sad at the loss of Shade.  She felt that she was just about to start something special with him, then he was gone... /sniffle, sniffle  So, she's not really into looking for another beau.  But thanks...really...no need to try to set her up with a half-orc or halfling dragon or anything like that...thanks.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

what if it were a full-orc? I'm sure meepo might know of some... good thing for you, Meepo prefers the taste of Lela's shin.


----------



## Ziona

You see what I mean?  The keep is getting more odd by the day! We've now acquired a kobald who hangs out with the half-orc cook and chews on the leg bone of the animated skeleton that sweeps the floor. Kizz is slowly going to lose her mind if things get any crazier.  LOL 

Oh, BTW...Where's that update, Doc?


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

its too bad the knights are ending soon... I was kinda hoping to see the first Vampire Paladin in Doc's campaign. or maybe if Kizz was retired, we could see the return of the succubus!


----------



## Wee Jas

> its too bad the knights are ending soon... I was kinda hoping to see the first Vampire Paladin in Doc's campaign. or maybe if Kizz was retired, we could see the return of the succubus!




Maybe thats how it ends!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Yeah, have the knights drained to level 1 and send them through Gorgoldand's Gauntlet! 

Vek will become a god and leave the group anyway. His portfolio? I don't know -  any suggestions?


Didn't I hear someone say update?


----------



## Lela

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *Yeah, have the knights drained to level 1 and send them through Gorgoldand's Gauntlet!
> 
> Vek will become a god and leave the group anyway. His portfolio? I don't know -  any suggestions?
> *




Emancipated/Intellegent Undead and Neutral Liches.

He's only a Demigod so far, so he won't have that much.  Later he can take on knawing kobalds.


----------



## Horacio

I'm waiting for that update, Doc


----------



## Stone Angel

Gee Doc you weren't kidding when you said stretch it out, huh? 

And Kizz, don't be so close minded, the 1/2 dragon hafling, and 1/2 orc could make you experience things that would have not been possible  with Shade.

Update man I am "jonesin" for som KoSK!!


----------



## Lela

Stone Angel said:
			
		

> *Gee Doc you weren't kidding when you said stretch it out, huh?
> 
> And Kizz, don't be so close minded, the 1/2 dragon hafling, and 1/2 orc could make you experience things that would have not been possible  with Shade.
> 
> *




And partially digested food violently spewing from your mouth isn't the only one, let me tell you.

There's also the smell and the neck pains (from either constantly looking down or up).

There are worse lives, you could spend eternity sweeping up after a kobald who knaws on your legs, waiting for Doc to update, or trapped in a basement being insulted or ignored--depending on the moment.


----------



## Horacio

Lela said:
			
		

> *There are worse lives, you could spend eternity sweeping up after a kobald who knaws on your legs, waiting for Doc to update, or trapped in a basement being insulted or ignored--depending on the moment.  *




Or trying to keep the keetchen clean and ordered while a crazy half orc and a smelly kobold  try to learn to cook instead of battling monsters or fight eveel as they should be doing...


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Uhmmm...Kizzlorn's choices are between a half-orc and a half-dragon halfling? Hmmm. No wonder she is sticking with the dead human. Sometimes memory is better than reality.

Spellforge Keep is like the Addams family mansion. They have all manner of strange creatures living there. Kizzlorn is going to dye her hair black and dress like Morticia from the Addams Family soon.

She can have Vek bring Shade back from the dead as a vampire or something. She can marry the undead Shade, then it will be perfect. We can call it The Spellforge Family story hour.

Doc can write about regular folk showing to Spellforge Keep. As Kizzlorn in a disinterested, somewhat droll voice introduces each member of the Spellforge family, the regular folk start going mad from fear.

Yes, that would work perfectly for this zany group of adventurers.


----------



## Dr Midnight

I never said I had an update ready to go. In fact, I haven't found time to finish up the half-update I've got. I'm going to be out for the next four days or so, and I MIGHT find a computer during that time to bang something out, but it's not likely. 

So. I'll post an actual chunk of the upcoming smackies, just to wet whistles and other things that vaguely resemble whistles. 
-----------------------------------
*YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO DEFEAT ME. BETTER WE SHOULD ALL  PROFIT FROM AN ALLIANCE, THAN…* His yellow eyes widened as they came to Oaken. *YOU… YOU’RE…* 

“The descendant of Dydd,” Oaken said proudly. He threw his arms up. “And IN the NAME of DYDD,” As he shouted the words the prophet at the druid’s grove had told him to recite, his eyes glowed red. His entire body took on the glow, and he seemed to grow tall. His voice boomed. “WHOSE BLOOD IS MY BLOOD, WHO SLEW YOUR HEART, _FEEL AGAIN THE PAIN OF YOUR HEART’S DEMISE!!”_

Ashardalon screamed and threw his head back. His body glowed red, as Oaken’s did. “Quickly, now,” Oaken yelled. “Attack!”
-----------------------------------


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

a tease, but still a bone to gnaw on...


----------



## Ave Rage

I think I about died when I read the four days(or so!?)  part..


----------



## Victim

I hate that part of the adventure.  So cheesy.  I much prefer the Dune way of handling it.  That would take guts.


----------



## Hammerhead

What Dune way of handling it? When Feyd, in the arena, tries to stun the Atreides soldier and it doesn't work? THen Ashardalon would murder the PCs.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

yeah, give Ashardlon a dagger + 1 and have him and Dartan "knife it out"


----------



## Victim

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> *What Dune way of handling it? When Feyd, in the arena, tries to stun the Atreides soldier and it doesn't work? THen Ashardalon would murder the PCs. *




No, at the end when Paul fights Feyd.  He's told about conditioning that would would shut down Feyd if he says something, but doesn't say even when he's losing.


----------



## Lela

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *yeah, give Ashardlon a dagger + 1 and have him and Dartan "knife it out"  *




Bah, we all know mini-Vek would sneak in and hit Ashardlon with _Harm_.  No contest.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

but we all know in Doc's game, he could only cast the "Mini-Harm" 
version


----------



## Hammerhead

Oh, that time. What a loser. I would have shut down Feyd with it. It's just using another weapon at your disposal.


----------



## Malachai_rose

Yeah but he wasnt just Paul he was Mau'dib... thats french for 'I can kick your ass nancy boy'. So you see the word wasn't needed. Sides he could of just had some old fremmen women do it for him if he really wanted to


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

I thought french for "I can kick your ass nancy boy" was "je surrendai, ne me touche pas, s'il vous plait".


----------



## Hammerhead

Well, yeah, Paul was Muaddib, but he ALMOST LOST his fight with Feyd. That says something.

And the French don't have any words for I can kick your ass nancy-boy. I think Dursk just translated what the French say when other people say they can kick your ass.

Ah, making fun of the French is so much fun.


----------



## Horacio

Dursk Starkfire said:
			
		

> *I thought french for "I can kick your ass nancy boy" was "je surrendai, ne me touche pas, s'il vous plait". *




ROFLOL!!!!!


----------



## Lela

Horacio said:
			
		

> *
> 
> ROFLOL!!!!! *




Horacio, the actual translation please.


----------



## Horacio

Lela said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Horacio, the actual translation please. *




More or less "I surrender, don't touch me, please"


----------



## Lela

Horacio said:
			
		

> *
> 
> More or less "I surrender, don't touch me, please"
> 
> *




So, something Vek would say to Darten then.


----------



## Wee Jas

> So, something Vek would say to Darten then.




Thats it... I'm killing everyone.   Using my Boots of Speed to cast 2 Wails of the Banshees.   That should do it.   

When you read about it in the storyhour.. remember you drove me to it!


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

I thought Lela, Metus, and Tsunami were all dead anyway? You would figure the help would be more accommodating if they weren't buried in the backyard under the dragon playground.


----------



## Conaill

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> * Thats it... I'm killing everyone.*




I thought you already did that once? Oh no, that was Jamison.

It's so hard to keep track of who has murdered who in this party .


----------



## Lela

Conaill said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I thought you already did that once? Oh no, that was Jamison.
> 
> It's so hard to keep track of who has murdered who in this party . *




See, Vek killed himself.  And Gryph almost killed the entire party.  And don't forget that Erasmas was also Wee Jas' character.  He helped Jamison (though they then turned on each other).


----------



## Dr Midnight

LAST TIME: _More astonishing than the dragon, though, was the small figure leaning on its right side. Jamison Crow, dressed all in black was sucking the last glowing bits out of a crystal, much like a person would eat an apple. He tossed the dead crystal away and smiled at the Knights. 

“Would you care for a soul?”

Ashardalon, above, growled in a way that sounded very much like chuckling._ 

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

“Jamison,” Kizz said, breathless. “But… so it’s true. You’re not dead.”

“It’s an illusion,” Dartan growled. 

“It’s not an illusion,” Vek said as he saw through enchanted eyes. “though the Jamison we knew indeed lies in his grave.”

“Correct.” the man in black said. “I am not the Jamison you knew. He was good, and foolish, and weak. I was him rewrought in evil’s image. I am Crow… and I am now reborn.”

“The stone,” Vek muttered. “When Raelin destroyed it, he freed you.”

“Again, correct. You always were the smart one, Vek. Yes. I was Jamison for so long that when the Glaring Sun was shone on me, it only pushed me back into the stone I’d come from. There I smoldered at the floor of Acessiwal’s cavern for over a decade. Little did I know I’d be freed by the nephew of the very witch that put me there.”

He grinned and kept talking, gesturing delicately with his hands for emphasis. “I now know everything Jamison knew at the time of my release. On that count, thank you, my friends, for making him recall where the Orb of Thuriaq was. I found my own piece of the Soul Totem and came here, where I rejoined my old acquaintance Ashardalon. We’ve made something of a deal. I get to keep this…” He held up a crystal sphere, milky white in color, with dazzling pearlescent  colors writhing about on its surface. “…and I help him to destroy you.”

He removed the piece of the Soul Totem from his neck and let it fall. He sighed and smiled. “A deal that- I’m pleased to say- I’m about to break. Goodbye, Ashardalon.” 

Laughing, Crow disappeared. Ashardalon craned his head, saw the black wizard gone, and roared. *“CROWWWWWWW!!!”* The fury in his voice shook the crystal foundations of the Bastion. He breathed a plume of bright orange fire upward that enveloped the ceiling for a full thirty seconds.  

When he calmed down, he saw the Knights there, still ready to fight to the death. He hadn’t foreseen Crow’s betrayal. He’d done business with Crow before, so this was unexpected. He looked down on them from sixty feet in the air. The treachery had clearly caught him off-guard, but he was a clever, ancient creature… he would learn to adapt. Best he could turn these enemies into his pawns, so that they might ruin Crow for him. *”MORE THE FOOL, ME,”* he grumbled. *”IT SEEMS THAT A NEW DEAL IS IN ORDER. WE NOW SHARE CROW AS A COMMON ENEMY. WILL YOU JOIN ME? YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO DEFEAT ME. BETTER WE SHOULD ALL  PROFIT FROM AN ALLIANCE, THAN…"* His yellow eyes widened as they came to Oaken. *"YOU… YOU’RE…"* 

“The descendant of Dydd,” Oaken said proudly. He threw his arms up. “And IN the NAME of DYDD,” As he shouted the words the prophet at the druid’s grove had told him to recite, his eyes glowed red. His entire body took on the glow, and he seemed to grow tall. His voice boomed. “WHOSE BLOOD IS MY BLOOD, WHO SLEW YOUR HEART, _FEEL AGAIN THE PAIN OF YOUR HEART’S DEMISE!!”_

Ashardalon screamed and threw his head back. His body glowed red, as Oaken’s did. “Quickly, now,” Oaken yelled. “Attack!”

In Dartan’s head, the trumpets blared. _Dut-d-d-DAHH!!!_ He ran forward and plunged his sword into the helpless dragon’s chest. Hot blood pumped out over Dartan’s gauntleted hands. 

Broldek ran swinging Dragonhammer. The sword took on a life of its own and whipped through the air, shearing through heavy dragon scales into flesh. Dragonhammer glowed bright orange as its blade bit once more into dragon. Broldek was only too happy to pull it out and strike again. 

Vek charged forward, drawing his sword Lifedrinker. The sword hissed with glee. “Plunge me into its chest. I beg you! To drink of this one’s blood…”

The lich laughed. “It’s not blood you’ll be drinking… it’s iron.” He swung the sword. It bit through the metal links of chain holding Ashardalon’s piece of the Soul Totem about his neck. The chain separated and the Totem piece fell into Vek’s waiting hand while the dragon squirmed helplessly above him. 

Edge had moved to the dragon’s left, to better exploit his unprotected areas. He crouched just behind the massive beast’s left foreleg and began hammering the ribcage there with knifelike jabs and chops. He paused for a moment to pick from the ground Crow’s discarded piece of the Soul Totem. He hung it around his neck and continued the good fight. 

Oaken, glowing red and large, said “Hurry, he won’t be helpless for much longer!”

Ashardalon screamed again as the glow released him, and he lowered his furious gaze from the ceiling to the heroes. The noise dwindled to a growl, which built back up to a roar as he blew a great cloud of fire over the Knights. They were protected quite well against the flame by Vek’s magics, and did not burn, but each felt in the fire the hate and white-hot rage. Ashardalon had taken great pains to live this long, and now he’d been betrayed in his own home, robbed, and now attacked by his greatest foe’s ancestor. There was no devil in the Abyss that ever knew the ferocity of a dragon with wounded pride.  

Kizzlorn bathed the dragon in a cloud of icy blue shards that whickered and flew through the air. He grinned at her through the hailstorm. *”DO YOU THINK YOU CAN HURT ME? I HAVE FEASTED ON SOULS FOR COUNTLESS YEARS. BEFORE THAT, I GORGED ON THE FLESH OF MEN, AT MY LEISURE, IN YOUR WORLD.”* He reached up and smashed Broldek aside, then cut at Edge with a great red wing. *”I AM ASHARDALON.”*

Oaken hurled spells into the monster. He yelled in a voice that was only half his own. “I killed you once... I can do it again! I’ll take that heart from you with my own two hands!”

Vek laughed. “I’d rather like to do that, myself,” He made a gesture in the air, and called to the dragon’s heart. It did not come to him. He cursed and backed away from the dragon, readying more spells. This creature was not easily wounded by magic; it would take a careful weaving of spells to even touch it. With the power of two Soul Totem pieces about his neck, though, Vek felt like far more than he had ever been before. Power coursed in him, almost reminding him of what it was once like to have hot blood pumping through red, strong veins. The power. It was glorious. Wee Jas would be so pleased with him…

Dartan was chopping at the dragon’s neck like a woodsman at a tree. His sword glanced off with almost every strike, but such was the way of Dartan. He was far too stubborn to give up, when he had a foe to kill. He hewed and he hewed and he hewed, until he began to see blood flowing from the small cracks he’d made in the beast’s scaled underside. 

Ashardalon was beginning to see the way of the battle. The elf’s powers had stolen precious seconds and laid him bare and defenseless to the attacks of his companions. He could not survive much more, even as powerful as he was. These mortals were truly fearsome. He didn’t have the space in here to maneuver as he’d have liked. He could not leave if the battle turned dire. He would die. The thought drove him mad with desperation. How could he die? He was Ashardalon. *”IF YOU THINK YOU CAN SEND ME TO DEATH, HEIR OF DYDD, I WILL TAKE YOU WITH ME.”* He leaped over the heroes in his way and landed before the reddish, glowing elf. His jaws opened and plunged down. He bit, and his teeth slashed around Oaken’s midsection. He lifted his massive head, shaking the druid as a dog will shake a toy. His cruel fangs were ripping Oaken to pieces. 

Oaken choked back his cries of pain and turned his skin to stone. He began punching at Ashardalon’s three-foot long teeth, frantically chipping and breaking them. 

Broldek ran across the floor shouting a war cry. He ducked under the dragon’s thrashing tail. He pointed Dragonhammer upwards, crouched, and with a grunt drove the sword upward into the dragon’s breast. Sparks erupted all around the blade as Dragonhammer pushed inward, all the way to the hilt. Immediately, the scales around the sword darkened and smoked like blackening coals in a campfire. The black patch began to spread. Embers glowed fiercely, close to the sword. 

Ashardalon reared back, screaming through a clenched jaw, where Oaken still beat at the immense teeth that speared him through.

Kizzlorn yelled “Get back, I think this is it!” Vek raised a bubble of protective magic over the bloodied Knights. Broldek ducked into the bubble, leaving Dragonhammer still at the center of Ashardalon’s chest. The dragon’s belly was now entirely charred and glowing like a well-burnt piece of wood.

Ashardalon spoke through his teeth to Oaken. *”I HATE YOU. I TRULY HATE YOU. NOW, I SHALL BE THE DEATH OF YOU.”*

Oaken spat out a mouthful of blood and made a maniac grin. “Then I’ll see you in Hell, beast.”

Ashardalon exploded. The noise was like nothing the Knights had heard before- it was like ten thousand glaciers cracking at once, followed by a rush of wind. Gray and black soot blasted in every direction. Sparks winked from the maelstrom, quickly as lightning, crisscrossing the air. The Knights huddled in Vek’s protective magical shell felt the heat, but were not hurt as the world around them churned with smoke. 

When the storm of Ashardalon’s death subsided, Vek lowered the shell and they pushed through the haze. All they saw where the dragon had last stood was Dragonhammer, glowing red-hot, lying on a thin bed of ashes. “Oaken,” Kizzlorn said sadly. 

Broldek said “He died helping to kill a dragon. There’s really no better way to go.” Kizzlorn didn’t argue.

Vek turned to Edge. “The Soul Totem. You have the piece that Crow dropped.”

Edge looked up, distracted. “What? Oh, yes, I have that.”

Vek extended his hand, and Edge saw that it was trembling. “Let me have it.”

Edge looked to Kizzlorn, who met his uncertain gaze. She paused for a second, then nodded. Edge gave his piece of the Soul Totem to Vek. Vek clutched at it and placed it against the other two. They shimmered and snapped together like three magnets, forming one whole medallion. He cried out triumphantly. The power! Is this what it feels like to be a god? 

Yes, he thought. Yes it is. 

_*MORE TO COME...* _


----------



## DWARF

*Woah!!!*


----------



## Breakstone

_Tsunami applauds._ 

Whoo-hoo!

Great stuff, Doc! The fight was magnificant, and your writing was terrific!



> Woah!!!




Er... yeah, what dwarf said.


----------



## fenzer

Great post doc!  How long did it take to kill the big A, in real time I mean?  I sounds like the Knights made good work of him.

Vek v. Crow, I assume we will see this next.  Look out Vek, you don't want to eat crow.   He's a mean son-of-a-b*#%@.


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> * Is this what it feels like to be a god?
> 
> 
> *





Of Emancipated Undead?




			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> Yes, he thought. Yes it is.
> *




Yay!

*Does the Skeleton Broomy Dance (don't try this at home, trust me)*


----------



## Malachai_rose

seems to me that Crow left that piece for Vek to find on purpose... mayhaps he infected it with a little of his own evil essence ? Cause it seems my favorite Lich may have crossed over to the Darkside so to speak. 

Just seems wierd that Crow would drop the piece then leave instead of taking it with him (especially if its that powerful). Unless he had tainted it in some way. (Of course I could be just grasping at straws and reaching for phantom conspiracies that arent really there...


----------



## Wee Jas

> Unless he had tainted it in some way.




Ewwww....    

lol.   Maybe he found it boring.   Thats how I would beat Crow.  I'd buy a helmet of opposite alignment and slap a sign on it that said 'DO NOT PUT ON!'


----------



## Horacio

wow, that was an epic battle!!!


----------



## Wraithdrit

Way to go knights, and well played Doc! Epic adventuring at its best. Thanks again for the great read.


----------



## Datt

Um....Wow.

Move over Wee Jas here comes the god Vek!


----------



## Wee Jas

> Vek: (Demi-god/Oerth)
> Alias: None
> Domain: Acheron/Tintibulus
> AoC: Death Magic, Non-chaotic Undead
> WAL: Lawful Neutral, Neutral, Lawful Evil;
> SY: Lilith (A shield depicting a beautiful vampiress)
> Granted Domains:  Death, Destruction, War
> Favored WPN: Longsword
> 
> Special: Priests of Vek can only channell negative energy and rebuke undead.






Who is signing up?  Who is on board?


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

bah, a curse on you and your flock. 

So, how long can Vek keep the amulet before Wee Jas kicks his arse takes it away, and punishes him for being a bad boy? I can't imagine the Ruby Queen being comfortable with treating her servant as an equal...


----------



## handforged

delurking to say congrats to everyone.  Great job DMing a good encounter and writing it up well Doc.  Knights, nice job defeating really big A.

Wee Jas, is Vek now going to be able to Ressurect Lilith into her shield form?  Will he still serve Wee Jas?

~hf


----------



## Wee Jas

> Vek now going to be able to Ressurect Lilith into her shield form?




I wonder if I burned 5000 xp for miracle if that could be done... hmmnnn....



> Will he still serve Wee Jas?




Of course.  I only think of what is best for her.


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I wonder if I burned 5000 xp for miracle if that could be done... hmmnnn....*




Wouldn't you have some sort of daily or weekly alotment of XP (for spellcasting purposes only) as a deity?



			
				Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Of course.  I only think of what is best for her. *




Besides, you're only a Demigod right now.  You _need_ some protection or St Cuthburt or Pelor is going to take you down.  


But what's going on with Metus?  I take it he is now your highest ranking, um, lawful outsider.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Congrats everybody !!! Killing that beast with only ONE character death - great job!

Is Vek still a PC, or are you gonna create a new character or maybee reactivate ol' Gryph ???

But maybe you need the strength of a demigod against THE CROW - filthy carrion eater!


BTW, I sign up. (see my new sig)


----------



## Wee Jas

> First level cleric of Vek




That is awesomely wicked.  Guess NWN in my high priest.. lol.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Hey, I don't think you can afford higher as a newly-created demi-god... 

BTW, do I get any special powers ??? PLEEEEEEEAAAASE


----------



## Wee Jas

> Hey, I don't think you can afford higher as a newly-created demi-god...
> 
> BTW, do I get any special powers ??? PLEEEEEEEAAAASE




Keep an eye on the story hour


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

If you disappoint me, I might switch to Pelor...  

just kidding...


----------



## Breakstone

> But what's going on with Metus? I take it he is now your highest ranking, um, lawful outsider.




Whoa whoa whoa...

Metus as your highest ranking? Let's get priorities straight here...

Who's been the one giving you FREE rides for the last twenty-something years?

I don't think Metus has.

Then again, Metus DOES have the more appropriate name...

Maybe we can be combined into one Outsider?

Metsunamus?


----------



## Lela

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Metsunamus? *




Deffinitally sounds Lawful, though a bit evil.  But that's what we're going for anyway.  I like it!

I, on the other hand, would be happy with just the lowly position of Emissary to the Temples of Vek.  Or, better yet, your Sereph of Death.

"The time of the Scythe is _no more_!  Now you will all fear. . .*The Broom!!!!!!!!!*


----------



## Ave Rage

All this tomfoolery with French skeletal chefs, horses and such made me forget that Vek is a friggen Lich.

Once I read the whole "is this what it feels like to be a god" thing it was like hitting a brick wall.  The realization that the group has basically been coddling what might be the next god of Death and helping him ascend.

I think the townspeople had it right to revolt  ...  Vek might've been taken out a long time ago but now he may be too powerfull.

If the group does come to blows, it'll make for a pretty cool continuation:  If the group fights Vek and survives, then all goes as it has been.  If they die by his hands, maybe the next group will be all Evil in the service of the new god.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Hey, stop that or I'll cast Detect Evil on you...or command "Take-that-back" (how is this for one (compound)word)!
Or maybe I'll use one of those ultimately destructive powers I'm gonna get (Vek promised)!!! 

Ha, ha


----------



## Lela

We should remember that Master _is_ LN.  He does not seek evil, just the rightful Death that comes to all.  Think Kelomvor, only meaner.

Sorry for the FR reference Doc.


----------



## Horacio

And the French chef is alive, not skeletal...


----------



## Ave Rage

Horacio said:
			
		

> *And the French chef is alive, not skeletal... *





well damn, I wonder what else I've mixed up....



*half an hour later*


"Vek is a man!?"


----------



## Ave Rage

Lela said:
			
		

> *We should remember that Master is LN.  He does not seek evil, just the rightful Death that comes to all.  Think Kelomvor, only meaner.
> 
> Sorry for the FR reference Doc.  *





if a lawful good  paladin can be a death machine (smiting evil and what not because it's 'right') then I'd be even more wary of a lawful neutral person who believes that his job is to bring death.

The Grim Reaper's just doing his job too.  Doesn't mean I dont run when I see him.


----------



## Wee Jas

If a green  slime could eat an orange then a  purple worm could probably eat a red apple!


----------



## Malachai_rose

clever use of color, heh... to bad he's RIGHT !!! 

Thats right I said it, Veks gone off the deep end. When he held out his bony hand and asked for the last part of the crystal the WRONG  thing to do was give it to him, lol. No offense but no one (not just my favorite lich) should possess that much power. Of course I do play a lawful good cleric of Illmatter in Brocs game so I might be biased, but that much power would corrupt anyone


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

just checked again to reassure that Doc put a "More to come" at the bottom of the last update...  

Oh yeah, and stop talking that way about my master or else I'm gonna start dishing out Cause Minor Wounds or MUCH worse !!!


----------



## Wraithdrit

So Vek, if you are neutral, will your priestess control undead or turn?  

As if we didn't already know... and can they convert spells to Cures on Inflicts? Hmmm...

Favored weapon? No no, ripping hearts out is not a weapon... well at least not that kind of weapon.


----------



## Ave Rage

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *If a green  slime could eat an orange then a  purple worm could probably eat a red apple!
> 
> *




Once again the undead demi-god using his silver tongue to try and red herring his way out of getting caught red handed.

or atleast white handed since it's all bone.


I always play clerics of  Pelor  though so the whole 'undead cleric' just irks me.  Seeing how defensive your followers are on the message board, I'd hate to seem them take offense 'in story'  

of course, I'd probably just be the 'average'  townsperson in the back to first throw a bottle of holy water (then promptly run away) and start a riot.  So I'd never have to face thier wrath, unless they can run faster than 120ft.


----------



## Wee Jas

> I always play clerics of Pelor




Oh that explains everything!  Me too... shhh... 

Wraithdrit, Look up a tad to see Vek's favored weapon and cleric restrictions.


----------



## Dr Midnight

oooops, double-posted


----------



## Dr Midnight

“I must leave.” Vek walked briskly toward the exit and passed through the wall of white light. 

“Wait!” Kizzlorn called. “Where are you going?” He didn’t answer… he had left. 

“That one is strange,” Broldek said. “I mean, besides being a lich and all.”

Kizz sighed. “He believed there was great power in the Totem pieces. When forged, who knows what he suspected they could do for him?”

Dartan muttered grimly. “A lich with great power. I’m not encouraged.”

They silenced as something began stirring in the space where Ashardalon had stood a moment before. The ashes whipped up into a small dust cloud, and a shape began to form. It was a massive, purple-reddish-black heart. It began to move and change shape, rising from a bent position. It was a demon. The creature’s entire form pulsed with slow, steady evil, as a massive creature’s heart would beat. It stood twelve feet tall and had massive, clawed hands. Wings unfurled, and with an audible _whump!_ the creature burst into flames. 

It raised its hands, and screamed “FREE! AMMET RETURNS! MY WEAPONS OF OLD- TO ME!” In answer, the radiance of the pooled soulstuff faded out, plunging the room into darkness for a heartbeat- even Ammet’s flames were dimmed. An instant later, the flames and glow returned. Ammet now held a rune-inscribed greatsword in one hand, and in the other a three-stranded whip. Each strand was composed of a night-dark void. 

The bloodied Knights gazed at Ammet, the freed demon. He glared back down at them. “YOU HAVE FREED ME. I DO NOT WISH TO DESTROY YOU AT THIS TIME. I HAVE OTHERS TO SEEK OUT AND PUNISH.” He turned and left, and the Knights did not move to stop him. 

Five brilliant points of light appeared in the air. They grew rapidly into five humanoid shapes of light. The peals fo a thousand crystal bells tolled together, forming a single perfect note at the entities’ arrival. The entities exuded a palpable presence of pure, gleaming joy.

“The cycle of life is repaired,” came a voice into the Knights’ heads. “The Ban of the Unborn sleeps, and gods, and yes, all creation, breathes easier. We are the manifestation of the life force of creation. We thank you. Receive our gift and be glad.”

White lightning flashed out and curled around each Knight. Their wounds were healed and cleaned instantaneously. They felt their strength return… and increase. Their bodies and hearts filled with vitality. 

The beings spoke again. “With this gift, you shall heal quickly. A sword’s blow may be fully healed within seconds. A near-fatal wound may be healed, without aid, over the course of hours. Should you die… you will be reborn, immediately, at full strength. Then shall the gift be spent, and you will live on.”

“Thank you,” Kizzlorn said somberly. 

As they left the soul font to its repair, the soulstuff began flowing properly. All was right on the Plane of Positive Energy. “Too bad Vek missed out on that gift,” Broldek said. “I’d like to see the look on his face if he should be resurrected beyond his control. Would he come back to life?”

Dartan grunted. “We’ll never know, I guess. Vek seemed to think he had more important things to do. I hope

Sir Vek Mormont sailed through the crimson mists on the Plane of Acheron. In the distance, he saw the razor-sharp ice spires of Her palace melt into view. Wee Jas. She would be so pleased with him. Death and magic flowed about him. Doomed souls and dark workings moaned and twisted through the ether under the dark scarlet sky, where bright red lightning forked and shot. 

He floated into Her palace and stood at the center of her atrium, where a mosaic pattern of concentric, barbed circles emanated. The tiled spiral beneath his feet crawled and twitched, like a spool of wire that was being jostled. 

She appeared before him. Wee Jas, the goddess of death and magic, wearing a blood-red gown. Her pale arms were held before her, palms upward. Her dark hair floated slowly about her, as if she were submerged in water. Her face was like porcelain, save for her dark cherry lips. Her ice-blue eyes opened and settled on him. “Sir Vek. My most valued warrior. You come before me in my own castle. Welcome.”

She was so beautiful. Vek could feel his dried, rotted chest swell with the love he had borne for her all these years. “My lady.”

“You do not kneel before your lady?”

He removed his helmet and kneeled. “I return to you, victorious. I have seen Ashardalon slain.”

“You have won the Soul Totem?”

“Yes.” She smiled, and the sight struck him. He looked away, as a man looks away from the sun because it is so bright that it would blind him. He loved her so much it hurt to see her face. “I have the Totem.”

“Present it to me, then, my love.”

He steeled himself and stood. “I will not.”

Her smile faded, and the blue eyes of the goddess searched his face. At length she said “…What?”

“I only refuse to give it to you knowing you would never take a mere servant by your side. I wish to join you… and rule with you. We would be the King and Queen of death and magic.”

Her face showed hurt and betrayal, and it stung him horribly to know he’d done this to her, but it was the only way. “Vek… give me the Soul Totem.”

“No. Let me serve you as I wish to… not as a servant, but as your lover.”

“Your goddess has commanded you. You defy her?”

“I do. I defy my goddess… as a god.”

She turned her head down, silently. Her milk-white hands fell to her sides. She looked up at him with sadness. “Then… you have failed my final test.”

A cold shock ran through Vek. “I beg your pardon, my lady…”

“The Totem is worthless. It grants you power, but not nearly enough to become a god yourself.” She waved a hand, and the Totem turned to dust that blew away on the wind. “Only by tempting you with power as great as my own could I know the truth of your heart.”

Vek Mormont stood there with his jaw hanging open. He fell to his knees. “No. Please. No, my queen..."

“You have proved yourself unworthy of being my chosen warrior.” She walked to him, bent, and lifted his chin gently. She looked upon his face… a skull covered with dried strips of gray skin and muscle. The empty sockets looked up at her. She kissed him. “Wee Jas grants you the gift of death.”

Sir Vek Mormont screamed as he died, turning to crimson dust and scattering to the winds.

*MORE TO COME…*


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Ave Rage said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Seeing how defensive your followers are on the message board, I'd hate to seem them take offense 'in story'
> 
> *




Not sure what that means, but beware my cause minor wounds


----------



## Wraithdrit

Oh my... wellllllll done. Bravo. Bravo. Yeah Doc!

Ahem... right.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

WOW DOC. BEST POST EVER! (TWICE FOR EMPHASIS!)

I can't believe Vek turned into his own un-doing, his biggest enemy was himself all along! Absolutely brillian Doc!


----------



## wolff96

OH.  MY.  GOD.

Wow.

When Wee Jas kills you herself, I would assume that you stay dead?  

Ouch. You have to admit that is one HELL of a way to go, though...


----------



## Wee Jas

Maybe if uh.. enough of you pray to Vek....  ok.. well.. no spells are being granted as of yet...  keep calling for them though!


----------



## Thraxus

Holy crap! 

'nuff said. 

_I have officially de-lurked myself long enough to say that this is one of my favorite story hours. 
Keep up the great work Doc!_


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Sorry Vek, 

_takes out yellow pages and starts looking for deities..._

ahem... where is this Pelor dude again ?  


Too bad you didn't stay to receive the gift of the keeper of the unborn souls. Just imagine Wee Jas killing you only to find out you'd be coming back...  

But truely, Wee Jas, thanks for one of the most rememberable character we've read about. We are curious what you will bee turning up with next!


----------



## JDragon

Once again, Bravo Doc!! That was just to cool.  

If that doesn't get you a rat bastard award I don't know what would. 

So what kinda looks did the players have on their faces when...



> She kissed him. “Wee Jas grants you the gift of death.”




?!?

JDragon

BTW - sorry you lost a the character Wee Jas, I have truely enjoyed his expolits, and have even started my own cleric of Wee Jas.  But I doubt he'll ever make it to the level of greatness you did.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

somehow I think it'll be a first-level HeroClix of Dr.Doom. Otherwise, perhaps a 1st level Kobold kitchen-assistant?

I think the knights are being retired, with just one last string to tie up (Gorgaldond and Jamison). Should be fun! (Although, I'm hoping Doc and the crew don't take long in writing up new characters).


----------



## Elemental

"Eagles may soar, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines."

Seemed a fitting epitath.....but still, a death worthy of the unlife. Vek has been one of the most original and fun characters of any series, ever since his appearance in RttoEE (even if I had the impression, I don't know where, that he was a dwarf)

Look on the bright side. At least he won't be around to see Kizz's reaction as to the hidden contents of his study.


----------



## Malachai_rose

Look on the bright side. At least he won't be around to see Kizz's reaction as to the hidden contents of his study.

-Elemental-
--------------------------------------------------

ROFLMAO  

Great way to go out with a bang... kind of sad though /sniff I mean Vek was way cool even if he was a little creepy.


----------



## Lela

Wow.  Doc, you'll be glad to know my mouth fell open at the thought.

Doc, Wee Jas, Ziona, anyone, how did you guys handle this.  I mean, reactions.  

Brilliant Doc.  Brilliant.


----------



## Gumby

Jeepers.  That was great, Doc.


----------



## fenzer

Excellent! Just excellent!  Great play everyone and Wee Jas, nicely done. 

The thought of no more vek is a humbling one but I agree that this must be the swan song of our intrepid Knights.  This makes me curious for what might be coming, new heroes, exciting adventures.

The new adventures of the Knights of Midnight. I can't wait.


----------



## weiknarf

What would have happened if Vek had passed the test?


----------



## Richards

Sweet holy crap!  Unbelievable!  Words fail me!

Fortunately, they didn't fail me for long.   

An occasion this momentous surely calls for a _double_ song parody - so I took Queen's "We Will Rock You" / "We Are The Champions" songs and made the appropriate changes to honor Vek's unfortunate passing.

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

*I WILL JOIN YOU / WE ARE NOW EQUALS*

Aah
Wee Jas I'm Your guy, got a surprise
That is really neat, gonna be a Death God today
Look of shock on Your face
Instead of grace
Pretty soon I'll move into Your place
Singin'

I will, I will join You
I will, I will join You

Wee Jas You're a modest goddess
Ruling all alone, gotta take a consort some day
Surprised look on Your face
Is out of place
Surely no other's got such a strong case

I will, I will join You
Sing it!
I will, I will join You

Wee Jas, the Soul Totem showed 'em
Mormont is the guy gonna take You as his today
Take that look off Your face
Learn Your place
Somebody finally got You after a long chase

I will, I will join You
Sing it!
I will, I will join You
Everybody!
I will, I will join You
I will, I will join You
Alright

- - - - - -

I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've been Your servant
While my flesh turned to slime
Make no mistake
I'm now a god
We'll be the King and Queen
Of Death and Magic
Isn't that odd?

And a lich can go on and on and on and on

We are now equals, Wee Jas
And we'll rule together
Bet Your ass!
We are now equals
We are now equals
No more a servant
'Cause we are now equals in all ways

I've taken my vows
To You seriously
You brought me death and lichdom
And everything else like my own
Phylactery
But now I've got the Soul Totem
Around my neck
So consider it a blessing before
The whole pantheon
That You'll rule with Vek!

And our rule will go on and on and on and--what?

We are now equals? - You jest
Your Soul Totem's worthless
Just a test
We are not equals
We are not equals
Sorry to shock you
But we are not equals by a stretch

You were my champion, Sir Vek
But you failed this last test
All to heck!
You were my champion
Now you're a chump, son
No time for begging
'Cause Wee Jas grants you the gift of death! 

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

Seriously though, this was just about the coolest thing I've ever read in ANY Story Hour, Doc!  Kudos to your players for playing great characters, and to yourself for running a great game and writing up one hell of a story hour.

Johnathan
Self-Appointed, Unofficial Bard to the _Knights of Spellforge Keep_ Campaign


----------



## Wee Jas

It's been a long hard road but this story was just destined to be a tragedy for your favorite anti-hero.

I appreciate all the story hour support Vek had (and the antagonism too!)  but there just isn't any coming back from this death.  

Maybe in a few eons, when the Knights of the Silver Quill are forgotten and Spellforge keep has been reduced to dust a new challenge will arise for Wee Jas that could only be carried out by her most loyal follower.  I watch from the realm of death, waiting for that day.

..and

I could still take Dartan!   Huzzah!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Thanks to everyone...  This was a twist-bomb I've been gleefully holding since we played. Ahhh. Felt good to let it go. 

I'd love to hear from the lurkers on this one. I mean, besides the ones who already chimed in. Hell, I've got such ego hunger, I'd just love to hear from anyone. Go ahead. Shower me with accolades, chocolates and taco lattes. I deserve them. 

Richards! Awesome! The last line made me sniffle...

There's still more to come, including one last plot bomb at the end of the session's write-up. For a clue to that one, see the two-stanza poem at the session's opening...

So consider yourselves teased.


----------



## Ave Rage

*dances with the rest of the villagers like the ewoks did on RoTJ*

jub jub!

Vek was a cool character but man, just imagine day in and day out having to be around a person who rips still beating hearts out of peoples chests!

I doubt any of the remaining knights are sane or atleast wouldn't notice if their sanity were to slip.





Pelor be praised


----------



## Lela

I just realized that I will now be sweeping floors for eternity.  That is, until some blasted Pelor worshiping fool comes trapsing through and decides my skill with a broom doesn't outway the fact that I'm made of bones.

Self-rightous maniacs.


----------



## Caliber

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *taco lattes*




Taco lattes? Sounds ... tasty!  

Mucho cool story Doc. I've enjoyed it since the begining (meaning good 'ole Sunless Citadel and Gorgoldand's Gauntlet)

Its good to see a ... uhm ... happy ending?


----------



## Taren Seeker

jub jub!


----------



## Datt

Doc that has to be one of the greatest twists ever!
Who would have thought that the power he felt was a test from his own god.  I bet everyone was just speachless when you said "Wee Jas grants you the gift of death."  I know I would have hit the floor!


----------



## Gumby

weiknarf said:
			
		

> *What would have happened if Vek had passed the test? *



He'd be able to high-five Elminster, I'd imagine.


----------



## Breakstone

Whoa!

Now that, I was not expecting!

Eh... say... anyone in need of a good undead horse?

(Psst! Doc! If you want a real killer ending to the campaign, let Wee Jas play as Crow!)


----------



## Lela

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *
> Eh... say... anyone in need of a good undead horse?
> 
> *




Tsunami, we should join forces!  I'll emancipate (now that Vek is dead, I'm free if I want to be) myself and I think you're already sentient.  Together we'll become Wee Jas's new most loyal worshipers!

To arms Tsunami, soon all will fear the *BROOM!!!!!!!!!*


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Great ending for Vek, Doc. I definitely didn't expect Vek to be destroyed by his own goddess.

I hope you at at least write a passage including a message from Wee Jas to her other priests concerning the folly of ursurping or challenging her ultimate authority. That would be a cool add on to have Vek's fall from grace become a parable of Wee Jas's religion.

Can't wait to see what you have planned for the other knights. Hopefully at least Dartan and Kizzlorn end up happy, they have been there since the beginning of each group. Dartan was there when the KotSQ begin and Kizzlorn was there when the KoSK begin. Kind of nice to see them end up happy, since the rest of their companions were using the revolving door into Wee Jas's realm.

Great story Doc. I hope you do another campaign soon.


----------



## Horacio

_Horacio is speechless_


----------



## Metus

Well, well, well.  All caught up!  Quite the surprise.  I have a question though.  Vek, did you have an inkling as to what would happen if you didn't hand over the...  thing?  Were you genuinely going for godhood, or did you kind of know you'd be reduced to ash?

Also, what happened to the shapeshifter!  He takes a cakewalk with queen bee, and then we never hear from him again!



			
				Tsunami said:
			
		

> *Eh... say... anyone in need of a good undead horse?
> *



Hey, if anyone wants to raise me I'm a pretty good guard.  

Someone?  Anyone?


----------



## Wee Jas

> Well, well, well. All caught up! Quite the surprise. I have a question though. Vek, did you have an inkling as to what would happen if you didn't hand over the... thing? Were you genuinely going for godhood, or did you kind of know you'd be reduced to ash?




Doc and I discussed in length how this would happen.  It was only a shock to the other players.  They were all convinced I was to be a god.  Heck, The minotaur was ready to be my first follower!

Don't worry Metus and Tsunami.  You guys are kicking around


----------



## Elocin

Ummm...WOW!!!!

Damn great story Doc and I can not wait to read more.


----------



## Morrow

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> “You have proved yourself unworthy of being my chosen warrior.” She walked to him, bent, and lifted his chin gently. She looked upon his face… a skull covered with dried strips of gray skin and muscle. The empty sockets looked up at her. She kissed him. “Wee Jas grants you the gift of death.”
> 
> Sir Vek Mormont screamed as he died, turning to crimson dust and scattering to the winds.
> 
> *




An entirely appropriate end for a truly memorable character.  Well done.

Morrow


----------



## Nail

*Doc Midnight*, consider your ego stroked.  That last bit took serious guts, as a DM....not to mention the player's role!



			
				Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Doc and I discussed in length how this would happen.  It was only a shock to the other players.  *



Awww, *Wee Jas*....ya gotta give us more than that!

#1) Was this scene role-played out, with no prior discussion?

#2) If you knew beforehand (as you imply above), why did you go through with it?

#3) *Doc* mentions that is was a "twist-bomb".  That implies that you didn't know your character was going through his "final test".  Which is it?

#4) How much did you know, and when did you know it? _ "I do not recall, senator."_ only works for high-ranking government officials or U.S. Presidents.    ....And no argueing about was "is" is, either....

Nonetheless, good job, guys.  *Wee Jas*, your post above on your character's loss shows some serious class.


----------



## Wee Jas

I don't know how much I'm supposed to tell!  /looks around to see if Doc's watching



> #1) Was this scene role-played out, with no prior discussion?




We discussed it beforehand somewhat.  I told him I was going there and we discussed how it would end.



> #2) If you knew beforehand (as you imply above), why did you go through with it?




Actually I suggested it.  I'm all for playing a dark hero who contrasts the other good members of the party (like oldschool wolverine) but our party is just to grim and gritty nowadays.. I saw a good opportunity for Vek to leave in a really cool fashion which will let me bring in a new character with a more 'hero' outlook.




> #3) Doc mentions that is was a "twist-bomb". That implies that you didn't know your character was going through his "final test". Which is it?




I knew.



> #4) How much did you know, and when did you know it? "I do not recall, senator." only works for high-ranking government officials or U.S. Presidents.  ....And no argueing about was "is" is, either....




No comment  



> Wee Jas, your post above on your character's loss shows some serious class.




Thanks!  Vek is my favorite dnd character.  A lot of props go to Doc for that.  He let me run wild with my creativity.  Props to the readers too who jeer and cheer my actions.

Its going to be tough moving on to a new character.  No more room for dark heroes here


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

ya know, its funny. I think I'm gonna miss Vek. As much as I loved to taunt him, his parting is still such a bittersweet sorrow.

Any hints to what your new character is going to be? (Or if the KotSK are going to continue?  Doc mentioned that the storyline was drawing to a near...


----------



## Wraithdrit

In a CHARACTER driven campaign, a dark character can be a god send. In a PLOT driven campaign, a dark character can be a DM's worse nightmare. I always tell my players they can play whatever they want, but if I know that its a plot driven campaign I let them know up front that heroic pcs would be best, or at least ones that could easily be coerced into being heroic (or supporting heroics).

Just my added two cents.


----------



## Talix

Insert WOAH and many kudos here.  

Wow, amazing stuff.  It just won't be the same without Vek!  

On the other hand, I look forward to seeing what else happens.  But if the campaign is about to end, does that mean Wee Jas's new character will have only a tiny amount of time to prove himself?  

I vote for never ending, myself.


----------



## Nail

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *  Vek is my favorite dnd character.  A lot of props go to Doc for that.  He let me run wild with my creativity. *




You did good, *Wee Jas*....err, I mean: did bad!  And of course, there wouldn't be an adventure or story without *Dr. Midnight*.  Kudos to you both.

Now I've got to decide on a new favorite character!


----------



## Razamir

Hey Doc.... Lurker here...

WOW! Not exactly the turn I expected but very very fitting. Vek was always tempted by power. What he did was very much in character for him.

The whole battle with Ashardalon was great and turned out very different from my groups experince with the red beast. I'm sad to see the Knights winding down but I'm excited to see what you have planned next. Thanks to you and the whole group for all the good tales.


Raz


ps- Vek would win the fight but Dartan is the coolest!


----------



## Lela

Metus said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Hey, if anyone wants to raise me I'm a pretty good guard.
> 
> Someone?  Anyone? *




You can join Tsunami and myself as Wee Jas's new greatist servents.  Let me just make a few adjustments to my life force first and. . .


----------



## Breakstone

Nah, we can just carry around his head, and, y'know, talk to it, pet it, take care of it...

It could be like a Pet Rock, but even better!

We could market it!

...or, y'know, it could just be late at night, and I've had too many sodas.


----------



## Lela

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *Nah, we can just carry around his head, and, y'know, talk to it, pet it, take care of it...
> 
> It could be like a Pet Rock, but even better!
> 
> We could market it!
> 
> ...or, y'know, it could just be late at night, and I've had too many sodas. *




A great myth.  When the head of Metus appears to you, DEATH comes.


----------



## Dursk Starkfire

courteous bump to remind Doc to post


----------



## Stone Angel

...........................................GOOD.

............................................GREAT.

I really don't know what to say, other than WOW.

I can't wait to see the next plot bomb......OH MY LORD....I just figured it out. Ooooooh post, I must be right!!!!!


----------



## LGodamus

Man, this even beats Pirate cat's SH....I almost cried when Vek went into the great beyond....I am torn between the greatness of the story and the crappiness of Veks death...kudos.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Thanks all- 
In case anyone's wondering, I haven't posted because we're going through a big non-play time. About three solid weeks between sessions. We're playing on the 23rd. 

So- I'm stretching out the writing on the last session. Hang in there. 

Heroclix tomorrow. Dartan and I take on Wee JaSinestro. It should be deadly, because this time there will be NO MERCY. 

Mercy = leaving the enemy behind to backstab you.

Eurrgh.


----------



## Horacio

Good luck, Doc... you're going to need it


----------



## Ave Rage

only 2 more days...


----------



## Lela

Something sad, I started thinking of this story hour in the past tense the other day.


----------



## Breakstone

Don't worry, Doc!

I've already persuaded a player in my campaign into reading your story hour, start to latest post. So far he's loving it!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

we've been teased, we keep staring at the *More to Come* und Docs last update...

Please Doc, detonate your plot bomb and post !!!


oh yes, and _bump_, BTW


----------



## Datt

Okay.  Today is Play day.  We need to have the finish of the last session before this one starts!  Come on Doc!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Hey there folks...
Played tonight. Things went well, I thought. Fun things happened. Looks like next Saturday will be the last session... 

I'd be writing more, but I recently got a new job and it's only now coming back to me how being employed will kill your free time. I promise to TRY to finish Session 54 tomorrow night. Sorry I can't do it before then.

I PROMISE ENTERTAINMENT! EVENTUALLY!

-Tom


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Wow...Doc posted. We understand Doc, nothing like a job to kill your free time. Hope you get some time to update the story soon. No updates from you or Ziona, we have no idea what is happening with the gaming crew in Rhode Island.


----------



## Horacio

OK, Doc, take your time 

But don't forget updating!!!


----------



## Dr Midnight

As for Ziona, she and Xaltar have just moved into their new house, so I'd venture to say it'll be a while before you hear from either one again.


----------



## Dr. Zoom

Hey Doc, is that a cross between the Mona Lisa and Ozzy?


----------



## Dr Midnight

To the best of my knowledge that is Ozzy, on the cover of my favorite album of all time- BLACK SABBATH. Sabbath's first album, and just effing classic. Such perfect grooves. 

Anyway... I'm about to start writing. 

Hey, please tell me how pathetic I'm being. Once I have nothing to write anymore, I'm thinking of actually doing fan fiction. Fanfic. The lowest crap a geek can sink to, besides furry porn fanfic. I can't decide between my two favorite fictional heroes to write for, and it occurred to me to do a crossover, because what the hell, I'm a nerd, let's go all out. BUFFY vs. SWAMP THING. Do the implications grab anyone, or just me? It'll probably never happen, but I'm thinkin' about all the coolness. Ehh. Fanfic. I really suck. NERD!


----------



## Dr Midnight

The Knights returned to Spellforge Keep. They walked over the drawbridge and were greeted by Captain Metus. 

Since his recent death, Vek had again given Metus a calling from the lands of death… but this time, he came back different. Captain Metus was now a fierce skeletal creature known as a death knight. He wore a mask of the skull, as Vek did, wore Vek’s old black armor, and now… smelled like Vek. The eyes glowed dimly within their sockets as he watched the Knights return. 

“We’re back, Metus, although your master seems to have turned tail and run off to show off his new bauble. Some hero,” Kizzlorn announced. “Is everything okay around here?”

Metus nodded silently, staring at her with blazing orange pupils. 

“I liked you so much better when you were alive.”

Edge said “I know. It’s just like Vek, except… almost creepier.” They walked into the dining hall.

Grumbar’s head popped out of the kitchen. “Hi! Is there dragon meat?”

Broldek said “Nope. He turned to ashes.”

“That’s too bad.” Grumbar furrowed his brow. “Oh. I guess there’s no point asking if you won, right? Hey, who wants to try my new recipe? Bread spaghetti!”

Kizzlorn sighed and kept shuffling on. “I would, Grumbar, but I’ve got to put my pack away.”

Edge spoke too quickly. “I’ll put it away for you if you’d like, mistress Kizzlorn!” 

“I’m okay.”

“Really, it’s no trouble.”

She looked at him and he blushed. The halfling’s feelings for the taller woman were too rapidly becoming clear to her, and every indication was that she had no like feelings of her own. “I said I’m okay,” she replied, not quite coldly. 

Dartan watched the exchange without interest, then said “You’re really taking to this cooking thing, eh, Grumbar?”

“It’s my calling.”

Meepo yelped from the kitchen. “Did they taste it yet?”

“Not YET...” Grumbar grinned and  held out a steaming bowl of… something… under Dartan’s nose. 

Dartan sniffed. “Uh. So. Bread spaghetti?”

“I call it Spabreaddi.”

*6th of Suns’ebb*

Kizzlorn came downstairs. Her hair, as usual, was a mess. Edge stared up at her from the breakfast table, thinking just how wonderful her hair looked, the messier it got. It really did bring her face out, and made even the colorful tapestries on the wall pale out of vision. She-

“Edge?”

He shook his head, coming out of his daydream. “Uh, yes! Yes.” 

“Is Vek back?”

“No. This came for you this morning.” He held out a parchment letter. She opened it and read. 

Kizzlorn~
These are dire days indeed. We just destroyed a mountain that walks. Truly the greatest of the titans we have yet faced. It killed two of us before we took it down (Kyler and Nova have been resurrected, of course). They’re getting bigger, Kizz… and there are more of them than we knew. How many apocalyptic beasts can rise from the oerth??

Don’t fear. By the grace of Pelor, we will succeed. I will continue to pray for you. Pelor tells me he will help you, and send angels to protect you. He also tells me to forgive Dartan, for he too shall be shown the glories of the Shining One. 

Please give Dartan my kind greetings. We miss him, and would like to have him back, if he will rejoin us. 
your loving brother,
Raelin

“This is grim,” she said, folding the letter. “Things are about to get very bad. Crow has the last key. We need Vek to show us how to find him.”

“It’s been two days… Where could he be?”

The bell rang. 

“He’ll catch up,” Kizz said as she walked towards the drawbridge. “Uncle Vek never lets us down.” She peered through the portcullis. “Hello?”

The man there wore the clothes and symbol of Pelor. He squinted in at her. “Hello. Are you Miss Spellforge?”

“I am.”

“My name is brother Rannidor. I’m a pilgrim from the Radiant Beacon. We’re a small enclave of worshipers of His shining might, the one true flame’s spirit, the shining…”

“Pelor,” Kizz interrupted. “I see. What can we do for you?”

His face hardened. “We recently received a divine message. It seems one of our own lies here, out of grace.” She stared blankly. He rolled his eyes and said “Undead. You keep the mortal remains of one of His followers here, unburied, unconsecrated… and undead.”

This surprised Kizzlorn. “What? Who?”

“We don’t know. All we know is that Pelor claims to have learned of one of his chosen heroes being bound here to undeath. The people in neighboring towns tell that a lich reigns here… What have you to say?”

“A lich does… LIVE… here, but you’re mistaken about the follower. All of Sir Vek’s servant skeletons are fallen foes, and Captain Metus consented to the change.”

“Then you won’t mind if I have a look around.”

“No. Not at all. We have nothing to hide here.” 

He stepped inside, warily eyeing the death knight in macabre black armor, who was eyeing him back. “I will need to see the lich’s chambers.”

“I’m afraid this cannot be done. Vek keeps his chambers privately, and we respect his space. Besides this, it is trapped.”

“Good lady,” Rannidor said, looking at her. “I am but the ambassador. I am here to fully investigate the goings-on here. If you withhold information from me, I shall have to report this to my brothers… who are each and every one itching to go to war with this lich. Denying me access to his quarters will give them the justification they need to assault your castle in the hundreds.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Fine. But he’ll not like this… and YOU will accept the consequences of what you do when he finds out.”

“The children of Pelor fear no lich,” he said as he opened the door to the basement and descended. 

She watched for a moment, then followed. “I’m going too. I want to supervise this.”

Behind her, everyone else followed. Aside from wanting to make sure this cleric didn’t do anything suspicious, they were all dying to know just what lay downstairs. 

The traps were bypassed with as much care as could be spared. Edge’s delicate fingers had cleverly defused each waiting trapdoor, each hidden rune, each deadly scything blade. They passed a skeleton idly sweeping a broom about the corridors. “Hello, Lela,” Broldek said. Lela gave no reply… she just kept sweeping, as was her fate as a thief who’d tried to rob Vek’s dungeon, some ten years ago. She just kept pushing that broom.

Finally, the door to Vek’s study stood black before them. Edge finished picking the lock and the large iron door swung inward. 

“The profane influence here is palpable,” Rannidor said. “Look at those books. Each filled with grotesque secrets of the pit, no doubt. An altar. A shattered statue of stone. A symbol of Wee Jas! And… there. That is what I came for.” He pointed, and Kizzlorn looked to see. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and Edge held a torch up. Scant light illuminated a skeletal corpse sitting in a chair in the corner. It wore rags and some rusted pieces of armor. On this armor was the ruined symbol of Pelor.





“This is what we sow, when we lie with liches,” Rannidor said. “The fruit of the grave. It is cursed with magic, and it is black and terrible.”

The skull on the skeleton’s neck turned to face them. The jaw opened. Dust wafted down, and no sound came. 

Kizzlorn gasped. “Oh, how horrible. I… I assure you, we didn’t know about this. I don’t even know who he was.”

Rannidor picked up a large piece of fallen armor and held it up for the torch’s light to illuminate. “She,” he corrected. 

Everything clicked into place, and Kizzlorn’s heart stopped beating for just a moment. She opened her mouth, found her breath, and screamed. 

An hour later, the Knights of Wee Jas were driven from the castle. Kizzlorn had banished them all. “Go. Flee to your devil-master, if you can. You’ll find him in Hell!”

Kizzlorn’s horror had quickly turned to white-hot rage. She would find Vek, destroy him, make him beg for forgiveness… then his phylactery had been found. The shattered statue of Wee Jas in Vek’s chambers had held his phylactery since it had been given to Kizzlorn’s parents on their wedding day… save for a brief time during Acessiwal’s theft of it. Now, it was in thousands of tiny, glittering pieces. Wherever he had gone to, Vek had died… and this only made Kizzlorn angrier. She was denied her revenge, and her impotent rage ate itself as she stood sobbing under the grave tree in the yard. She was inconsolable. The sky was overcast: a deep, drowned gray.

Kizzlorn’s aunt Kyla was being committed to blessed ground in her own grave behind the Keep. The priest Rannidor had gently laid her into the soil and consecrated her remains. Her soul slipped free of her prison, and Kyla Ohanna finally found peace. 

“Be eased, child,” Rannidor said. “There were two parts to the message about your castle. Pelor is kind. There is darkness, but always, there follows light. The shining one is to bless you with a gift.”

“We’ve had a bellyful of gods and their gifts for one day,” Dartan growled. 

Kizzlorn murmured “What is it.”

Rannidor completed filling Kyla’s grave, and he topped it with a golden symol of Pelor. “You are in terrible darkness. I believe you mentioned that you needed Vek to help you to save the world? As I told you. There is darkness, but always…” He gestured to the clouds above, and they parted. “There follows light.”

A pure shaft of the sun’s light shone down through the clouds upon the graves of the Knights, and the living Knights who stood honoring them. The white radiance shone down and blinded them with its goodness. Hope kindled in them from the feel of the sun on their faces. 

Edge pointed. “What is that?” His keen eyes saw something, far above. Something was descending from heaven. Two somethings.

“They are angels,” Rannidor said, mounting his horse. “The world needs light. Pelor sends his avenging angels to carve a shining way through the gloaming. This is his gift to you. Good day.” He smiled and rode away. 

The two figures floated down to Oerth on tapered, feathered wings through the column of sunlight. The sight was as gorgeous as any Kizzlorn had ever seen, and her troubles were almost forgotten. Angels. They were waving and calling to the Knights now, with voices that sounded like the cheering of a chorus of trumpets.

“Greetings!” One called.

“Hail, and well met!” said the other..

“We are Menerous…”

“And Myramus…”

“MAXIMUS!”

Their fists bashed together in the air triumphantly, and the sound boomed down over the land like a rolling thunderclap.

* NEXT: THE INVITATION *


----------



## Breakstone

Buh-

Wha-

Juh-

_Tsunami passes out from amazement._


----------



## Gumby

Go Pelor!  Up the sun!


----------



## Datt

You never cease to amaze me Doc!

Great jobs by one and all!


----------



## fenzer

Great Job Doc.  I loved these guys when they were alive.  This will be even better.


----------



## Ave Rage

ALL RIGHT! THEY'RE BACK!

My twin brother and I usually play as clerics of Pelor and when we first read about the Maximus brothers we were very excited.  Then one died from a freak accident and the other in a lousy save vs. death attack (I think, happened awhile ago) so it was a gigantic let down.  It'll be fantastic to see them wreak havoc on evil once again.  Good job Doc.

*goes to find the two pewter figurines he has of yellow/blue clerics*


----------



## Malachai_rose

_Wonder Twin Powers Activate !!!  _ 

*form of a Gorilla... form of a Broom  * 

woot !! very cool update and I like the new PC's  have yall been messin around with Savage Species ? Just wonderin... I like the way Lela handled the revaltions about 'uncle Vek' , it seemed like a solidly rp'd situation.


----------



## 8XXX{0}====>

Buh..

Wuh...

Suhh...

Guhh...





Muhhh!

_ turns part tsunami_

Wow... i'm...

uhh...

speechless...      THAT ROCKS SO MUCH! GO DOC! YOU ARE SUPER DUPER COOL!


Muh...


----------



## Victim

Pelor must be getting desperate if he made those two angels so quickly.

Back in the day, you had to wait many years after dying and actually save the world (not die in the middle of the quest) to become an angel.  Celestial standards are slipping.


----------



## Lela

Malachai_rose said:
			
		

> *I like the way Lela handled the revaltions about 'uncle Vek' , it seemed like a solidly rp'd situation. *




Nah, that was Kizz.  Lela has a broom, as we'll see in this next sceen. . .



			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> The traps were bypassed with as much care as could be spared. Edge’s delicate fingers had cleverly defused each waiting trapdoor, each hidden rune, each deadly scything blade. They passed a skeleton idly sweeping a broom about the corridors. “Hello, Lela,” Broldek said. Lela gave no reply… she just kept sweeping, as was her fate as a thief who’d tried to rob Vek’s dungeon, some ten years ago. She just kept pushing that broom. *




YaY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Finally a truely plausable explanation.

But then we come here:



			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> 
> An hour later, the Knights of Wee Jas were driven from the castle. Kizzlorn had banished them all. “Go. Flee to your devil-master, if you can. You’ll find him in Hell!”
> *




What happened to Lela?  Surely what she did doesn't seem _that_ bad anymore.  In fact, Kizz might even thank her.

C'mon Kizz, your new goal is to free me of bondage--but not undeath.  You get the feeling that I want freedom and that I'm starting to peek out.

You're a mage, can't you feel the psychic energies welling up inside that mundane skeleton?

Even if you can't, I bet the angels can. . .


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Very cool update Doc. That is one great thing about Sun gods, they make for some great visuals.


----------



## Metus

Me and you, Lela.  Me and you.  I assume I was kicked out too.

I'll walk the lands with my trusty sidekick, Lela the skeleton.  Weapon focus: broom.


----------



## Horacio

I hope poor Horacio hasn't been banished...


----------



## Dr Midnight

Metus, Tsunami, and Lela have been banished. Vek hired Horacio as chef (he hired everyone) but our favorite suicidal not-quite-french chef wasn't a Knight of Wee Jas, so he was allowed to stay. 

The others, though, return on pain of death. Tsk tsk...


----------



## Horacio

Eet ees good to have ajob these days...


----------



## Wraithdrit

* Clap, clap *

Good update. Way to go everyone!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wow Doc, 

I must say I like the Dragonballesque ending  


You really are trying your best to tie up every loose end, aren't you? Great job so far - we can't wait for the conclusion of the knights.

Will you start a new (maybe even first level) campaign afterwards? If not, you could switch back to Star Wars - I loved that story!!!
What is Vek's new character gonna be(e) ?


----------



## Wee Jas

> What is Vek's new character gonna be(e) ?




MY BROTHER!!!



> Will you start a new (maybe even first level) campaign afterwards?




I'm going to run a D20 Superheroes game.  Although I doubt it will have a story hour.  I may make a thread to talk about it and for Doc to post cool drawings.  You should see his character sketch!



> woot !! very cool update and I like the new PC's  have yall been messin around with Savage Species ?




Yup. I'm a Hound Archon/ LVL 6 Fighter.  Anyone seen the Roll With It feat?  I have that  3 times and a 44 AC.  I tried to make my new character hard to take down.  Wait to you see my sword, STARFIRE.


----------



## Felix

You know, I always thought that Kyla got what she deserved, but of course Kizz wouldn't believe one bit of that. 

Who's playing Menerous Maximus?

Oh yeah, and:
Buh...
B-b-b-
Nefffff...

Good update Doc.


----------



## Talix

Woah.  

Fun roleplaying!


----------



## Grog

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> * Yup. I'm a Hound Archon/ LVL 6 Fighter. *




That seems pretty low level compared to the rest of the group. What's the ECL for a Hound Archon? In the Monster Manual, they're not that powerful...


----------



## Wee Jas

> That seems pretty low level compared to the rest of the group. What's the ECL for a Hound Archon?




ECL of the Hound Archon is 11.  I'm a 17th lvl character.

I'm a good fighter.  low BAB but I can take a beating.

I'll post the stats for my itelligent sword soon...  maybe I'll give you a teaser:

*STARFIRE* 
+5 Holy Keen Flaming Longsword
*more to come*


----------



## Spatula

Grog said:
			
		

> *That seems pretty low level compared to the rest of the group. What's the ECL for a Hound Archon? In the Monster Manual, they're not that powerful... *



ECL is 11, so a 6th level one is a 17th level character... with 12 hit dice.

Vek, interesting choice, going from playing a lich to a lapdog (laphound?) of Pelor.


----------



## Wee Jas

> lapdog




thats good


----------



## Grog

Spatula said:
			
		

> *ECL is 11, so a 6th level one is a 17th level character... with 12 hit dice. *




12 hit dice? I guess my memory of their stats was way off...


----------



## Wee Jas

> 12 hit dice? I guess my memory of their stats was way off...




6 hound archon HD + 6 Fighter HD.


----------



## handforged

The question has to be asked...

Who would win *now*?  vek or DARTAN!?


----------



## Lela

Metus said:
			
		

> *
> I'll walk the lands with my trusty sidekick, Lela the skeleton.  Weapon focus: broom. *




I see a tragic romance as Lela comes out of her daze to find the chivalrous and wonderful Metus supporting her every step.

At first there's only bits and pieces of memory.  A knight in black chasing a kobald away from her legs, that same knight preventing a half-orc from trying out the bread bones recipe.

His is the first face she sees.  The first hand to stop her incessant sweeping in years.  She begins to focus on him more and more.  He's not annoyed by her sweeping.  After all, sometimes she just can't stop herself.  He just stands by patiently and waits for her to regain control.  He always waits, no matter how long it takes.  His confidence in her is astounding.

He teaches her of the glory of Wee Jas and she learns well.  Coming to venerate the Lady of Death and Magic as he does.  As the fallen Vek _once_ did.  They work together to do her will and bring about her goals.

But in the end, their love is nothing but that.  Lela has no lips for the passionate kiss of true love.  And, though they can marry, children will never come from their union.  They must be content in their love alone and pray that, one day, Wee Jas will see fit to bless them in a way that only she can--in her own due time.


Oh, and Tsunami can come too.


----------



## DWARF

_DWARF curses the fact that a horrendous flu is bringing tears to his eyes before Doc's writing had the chance._

The Maximus brothers came back as avenging angels.  Boo-yeah doc, boo-yeah!


----------



## Lela

Spatula said:
			
		

> *
> Vek, interesting choice, going from playing a lich to a lapdog (laphound?) of Pelor. *




Aw, he never said he was going for Pelor (though that would work well at this point).  There's other gods he could be going for.  And he might be an independent.


----------



## Grog

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *6 hound archon HD + 6 Fighter HD. *




Gotcha. Looking at the Monster Manual, ECL 11 seems kinda high for a hound archon... Maybe it's just me, though.


----------



## Horacio

Lela said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Aw, he never said he was going for Pelor (though that would work well at this point).  There's other gods he could be going for.  And he might be an independent.  *




Look at his new signature


----------



## Lela

Horacio said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Look at his new signature  *




Well, then that's a nevermind on my part.  In that case, "Up the sun!"


----------



## Elemental

Grog said:
			
		

> *
> 
> That seems pretty low level compared to the rest of the group. What's the ECL for a Hound Archon? In the Monster Manual, they're not that powerful... *




That's an 'average' Hound Archon, kind of like an average human with all 10's and 11's in their stats. Player characters recieve three benefits--above average stats, maximum first hit die and equipment appropriate for their level.


----------



## Nail

Grog said:
			
		

> *That seems pretty low level compared to the rest of the group.  *




That was my thought too, even with the _supposedly correct_ ECL from Savage Species.  (Hint: it's not correct; it's bogus.)  At first glance, even with a wonderful magical longsword, this guy looks like a Wimp.  (Note the capital "W".)

....but I must trust in *Wee Jas*.  He knows strategy.  He knows the system.  His ultimate munchkinism will not fail us.....there must be some brutal combination or strategem that I have over-looked......

Perhaps he is anticipating 3.5e more than we poor mortals realize....for we all know that the outsiders in the MM will get significant power-ups......e.g. Pit Fiends.

Don't fail us, *Wee-Jas*!


----------



## Wee Jas

> ....but I must trust in Wee Jas. He knows strategy.




I have the Roll with It feat 3 times!  That gives me damage reduction 6/-  and a 44 AC.  Thats not whimpy


----------



## Wraithdrit

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I have the Roll with It feat 3 times!  That gives me damage reduction 6/-  and a 44 AC.  Thats not whimpy  *




Blink. Blink. 44 AC? What book is this in?

*shudder*


----------



## Wee Jas

My poor grammar book.. lol.  I got the 44 AC seperately.  My bad.


----------



## Nail

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> * I have the Roll with It feat 3 times!  That gives me damage reduction 6/-  and a 44 AC.  Thats not whimpy  *




Uh...okay....(whispers to self: Trust *Wee Jas*, trust *Wee Jas*, trust.....)

But how effective will you be in combat?  How are those saves?  How is that "average damage per round" potential?  How flexible is your PC to the murderous machinations of yer DM?

This munchkin wants to know!

(and how do you spell "wimpy", anyway?)


----------



## Wee Jas

Whimpy I think.. lol

*STARFIRE* 
+5 Holy Keen Flaming Longsword
LG 
Heal 1/day
Passwall at Will
Grants user Evasion and See Invisibility
Weilder need not sleep

Mission: To protect the followers and interests of Pelor

Disintegrates opponent on a succesful strike (Will save 16 negates)


----------



## Taren Seeker

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *Whimpy I think.. lol
> 
> STARFIRE
> +5 Holy Keen Flaming Longsword
> LG
> Heal 1/day
> Passwall at Will
> Grants user Evasion and See Invisibility
> Weilder need not sleep
> 
> Mission: To protect the followers and interests of Pelor
> 
> Disintegrates opponent on a succesful strike (Will save 16 negates) *




Sigh....Why does Doc do this to himself?

Passwall at will...now where have we seen THAT before, eh Wee Jas? Hmm? 

BTW, shouldn't that Disintegrate be a Fort save?

And to all you people who are saying that the Hound's +11 ECL is too high...not when those powers are in a player's hands.

+9 nat armor
+4 Str
+2 Con
+2 Wis
+2 CHa
SR 24 (depending on how you rule it)
DR 10/+1 (not a big deal but pretty good)
Magic Circle at will
TELEPORT at will
Tongues at will
Scent
Immune to Electricity and Petrification
Can poly into a canine, good for scouting.

Yeah, I think +11 ECL is about right, and that's without access to whatever crazy feats are in the SS book. DR 6/- is pretty sweet, though 3 feats are a lot.


----------



## Wee Jas

> Passwall at will...now where have we seen THAT before, eh Wee Jas? Hmm?




Uh.. I dunno.  Let me in on the gag.. I just thought it was cool.


----------



## Taren Seeker

You read Sep's Story Hour...remember the chaos sword?

The one that singlehandedly brought down the walls of Morne?

I agree, it's a very cool power.


----------



## Felix

Yep. Melancholy and Starfire would have at one another. I guess it would come down to who was the more effective wielder, Myramus or Hullu.

Wee Jas, you (inadvertently?) created the antithesis of a weapon that features big in Sep's "Rape of Morne". Cool weapon.


----------



## Lela

Felix said:
			
		

> *
> Wee Jas, you (inadvertently?) created the antithesis of a weapon that features big in Sep's "Rape of Morne". Cool weapon. *




Well, that one had the Chaotic ability and this one has Holy but otherwise, yes.

Weren't these two both clerics?


----------



## Felix

> Weren't these two both clerics?



Who? The essence of the swords, or the wielders?


----------



## Wee Jas

> Wee Jas, you (inadvertently?) created the antithesis of a weapon that features big in Sep's "Rape of Morne". Cool weapon.




Ahh.. Cool.  Funny.  Someone wanted Vek to square of against Eadric....  now Myramus vs.  Hullu?


----------



## Lela

Felix said:
			
		

> *
> Who? The essence of the swords, or the wielders? *




The brother's Maximas actually.  Sorry, kinda implied the swords, didn't I?


----------



## Dr Midnight

It's the final game day. I'm a little choked up... sniffle...

and, yes, I haven't gotten around to beginning the write-up for the last session (55). Today's, 56, should be the last.

Hang in there, peeps, because very soon, you'll be reading the last written adventure of the Knights. I'm going for epic. Hope I get the time to do some writing tomorrow.


----------



## Horacio

oooh, a wonderful campaign is going to finish, I can understand the bittersweet feelings, it's both a sad and a happy moment...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

So? How was it?


----------



## Dr Midnight

[nevermind]


----------



## Dr Midnight

_Here on Oerth, across the wood, before the seas, beyond the plains
Winged brothers pure and good return to us by Pelor’s pains
A gift, for He has understood the terror in the coming rains
The creature in the mottled hood and more the blood within her veins

The heroes six are now prepared to face the architect of doom
The fallen friend, with monster paired he works outside a prison’s womb
To free the beast therein ensnared and watch its hateful shadows loom
Crow, the blackest wizard dared to make the Oerth his father’s tomb

Here on Oerth, where fate is shared, as death unfurls its wicked bloom._

*PROLOGUE*

Dartan stood in awe. “I can’t believe it.”

Kizzlorn watched the descending angels. “What? Do you know of them, Dartan?”

“They are the Maximus brothers. Pious zealots in Pelor’s surface. They died, long ago, when we were adventuring through the Temple of Elemental Evil.”

Myramus laughed as he landed lightly on the ground. “Pious and RIGHTEOUS zealots, you mean!” His head and limbs were wolflike, but his voice was singularly his own. Blue-tinged fur and bright yellow eyes shone in the sunlight as he smiled at the Knights.

Menerous gave Dartan a great, burly bear hug. The cleric had died and gone on to be an angel in his god’s service, but death hadn’t helped him shed any weight. The plump, apple-cheeked man picked Dartan up and spun him, chuckling. “HOW ARE YOU, DARTAN??”

“Urk… crushed. Why are you here?” He breathed easy as Menerous released him. To Myramus he said “Why are you a dog?”

“Ha! I would expect no more polite a victory from our old friend. I am known as a Hound Archon… not a ‘dog’. It’s a form I have taken to better help me combat evil on this plane. It’s good to see you.” He turned to the others. “Has Dartan spoken of us in the past?”

Edge, Kizzlorn, and Broldek exchanged confused looks. Kizz cleared her throat. “Uh… I don’t believe…”

“No matter,” Myramus said. “We were, in life, powerful minions of the Shining One. Now, in your greatest hour, we return to aid you. THE BROTHERS MAXIMUS!” They bellowed together and bopped their fists against each other’s. 

“Oh, wait! I remember.” Kizz pointed to Myramus. “Didn’t you die in a rockslide?”

The angel’s grin soured. “Ah. Um. …Yes.”

Menerous roared with laughter. “A fact I have given him no end of grief for ever since I died, let me tell you!”

“Yes, yes,” Myramus muttered impatiently. “Every time there’s an argument, it’s ‘at least I died in COMBAT, brother,” or “take care around stacks of PEBBLES, brother.’ I tell you, it’s enough to make you forget you’re in heaven.”

“Oh, calm down,” Menerous said. “We’re back on Oerth, and with a gauntletful of shining justice for the hordes of darkness!”

“Right you are, brother!” 

Broldek leaned over to Dartan. “Are they always like this?”

“Well, yes… except for when one or both of them happen to be dead.” He spoke to Menerous. “So. You’ve come down to help us. Your swords are most welcome here… but will we be plagued with the usual amount of preaching? I’ve had quite enough of traveling with sanctimonious sots.”

“Preaching saves souls, Dartan. It may yet save yours.”

“Save it. I’m Dartan the…”

“Godless? Yes, we know. We came with a message for you, from above.”

Dartan pivoted on his heel and began walking to the castle. “Tell Pelor his useless message doesn’t interest me.”

“It’s not from Pelor,” Menerous said. “It’s from your wife.” 

Dartan froze. He stayed silent for several moments. Then, “Give it to me.” 

Menerous laid a gilded, folded parchment in Dartan’s trembling hand. It was sealed with bright white wax. On the front was written:

_~My love~_

Dartan took the letter inside. “He’ll be all right,” Menerous said, sighing. “There’s so much anger in him.”

“Light fills the darkness only when the curtain is drawn back, brother. We cannot push him.”

A caw from the Spellforge cemetery’s tree caught Kizzlorn’s attention. She turned her head upward and saw a large black bird standing on a branch, with a letter in its beak. It dropped the letter, cawed, and flew up into the sky. Kizzlorn walked over and plucked the letter from the ground. On the front was written “To the heroes” in a bold hand. She opened it and read. 

“What’s that, Kizz?” Edge asked as he saw her reading. 

She looked up at him with a grim expression. “It’s from Crow.”

_ Dearest friends-
By now you’ve destroyed Ashardalon. I knew you could do it… you’re such a plucky little band of fighters, aren’t you? So brave, so righteous. You’re probably sitting about in the Keep right now, sipping wine and patting each other on the back as you always do. 

And what am I doing? I’m about to unleash Thuriaq upon the world.  

You know I can. I’ve got the keys, and very soon, we’re going to complete the ritual. Do you know what Thuriaq is? The only things that have the slightest chance of stopping him are trapped inside several very pretty, very shiny mirrors beside me as I write. An added benefit I’ve failed to mention until now is that opening Thuriaq’s gate will free all the imprisoned beasts in the world. Do you know how many there are? They number in the hundreds. Some breathe fire. Some eat everything in their path. Some simply crush things beneath their feet… but they’ve all got three things in common. Each is over three hundred feet tall. Each is trapped in a magical cell beneath the surface of the Oerth… and each is furious. 

Once they’re freed, the world of men will have hours of screaming and panicking before being destroyed by rampaging mountains of tooth and claw. A more perfect fate I couldn’t conceive. Why? Why does Crow want to do something with no real benefits? I’ll tell you. I’m crazy, unreasonable, and pure evil… which, trust me, feels terrific. Plus, I’ve got problems with my “father”. Mainly, I want to kill him. First, though, I want to break his spirit. I will do this by releasing him to show him the ruined world he couldn’t save, despite forming several bands of adventurers. Then, when he’s covered in the ashes of the dead world, I’ll spit on his tears and destroy him with a simple spell. It will be delicious. What happens to me after that doesn’t matter…

Oh, who will step forward to save the realm from doom?

You will, of course. 

My father’s defeat wouldn’t be right without knowing that his most beloved heroes had tried to overcome this horrible evil… and lost. That was what he told me, long ago. Did you know that? When I was Jamison, and just starting out, he warned me. “This isn’t a story, son,” he said. “This is the real world. Adventuring is a dangerous business, and what I know you never read in stories is the absolute despair in defeat- the result of an epic quest gone horribly wrong, the adventurers dead, the evil threat fulfilled.” It was his greatest dread. Evil overcoming good. So, I’m going to make sure he knows this despair at its deepest level before I turn him to dust. 

You are cordially invited to try to stop me from freeing Thuriaq. I’ve made all the necessary preparations. I’m waiting here for you, with my sister and several of our old friends. 

Dartan knows the way, as does Snooky. It’s time to return to where it all began. 

It’s time to return to the Gauntlet. 

Crow~_


----------



## Hammerhead

Great update. I can't wait for the climatic fight. I have a question: who is Crow's sister?


----------



## 8XXX{0}====>

WHAT! WHAT! AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!! Thats so perfect!


----------



## Spatula

VERY cool.


----------



## Nail

Very gloating!


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *“It’s not from Pelor,” Menerous said. “It’s from your wife.”
> 
> Dartan froze. He stayed silent for several moments. Then, “Give it to me.”  *





Good frick, that's evil DMing.

I bow to your mastery,


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

I don't remember who Jamison's sister is either. Good update Doc.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

It must be the wretch who, among other things, was the partner of the mindflyer in that stinging adventure that cost Gryph his free spirit... You know, the one that gave the mindflyer the mirror with Accessiwal in it. 
It was a she and she knew Jamison. Some demon, I guess...


Nice loop, Doc. Back to the Gauntlet, it is. Richards, how about a song? And, BTW, did you make the adventure scalable to fit 1st level adventurers as well as these epic heros?


----------



## Horacio

Speechless Horacio wants MORE!


----------



## Darklone

Will Meepo be in the gauntlet too ?


----------



## Wraithdrit

Good set up, I'm looking forward to the end of this epic story.

- Wraith


----------



## Richards

At Neverwinter Knight's urging (blame him for what follows!), here's the latest in a much-longer-than-I-had-realized string of parody songs.  (I think this is parody song #22!)  This one is sung to the tune of the Eagles' "Take It to the Limit," and is once again written from the point of view of the evil Crow.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
*TAKE IT TO THE GAUNTLET*

As you bask in the sweet glow of victory
As you strain to pat each others' backs
I am thinking of a future full of hundred-ton beasts that attack
You know I'm gonna kill my father
('Cause he's got me annoyed)
Yes, I want to kill Dad
(No need to mention Freud)
But his dreams I will crush first
I will slash them all
And bash them all
And smash them all some more

If you think you can stop me
Well, that sure sounds fine
Let's take it to the Gauntlet one more time

You can spend all your time fighting evil
You can waste all your time being good
It'll all fall to pieces tomorrow
Like I said it would

And when you're fighting with my sister
(No, you don't know her yet)
And an "old friend" or two
(Quite a surprise, I'll bet)
I will release all the monsters
They'll be burning Oerth
And spurning Oerth
And turning Oerth to goo

So come and try to stop me
And you'll soon be dyin'
We'll take it to the Gauntlet one more time

Take it to the Gauntlet
Take it to the Gauntlet
Take it to the Gauntlet one more time

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

Johnathan
Self-Appointed, Unofficial (and Soon To Be Unemployed!) Bard to the _Knights of Spellforge Keep_ Campaign


----------



## Zelda Themelin

Hey,

I've been reading this story-hour since the very beginning and I am sad to hear, that it's finally over, since only other story-hour I read, is one where city called Morne exists.

I like tragedy, happiness, and dramatic elements in this story. Not to mention interesting, sometimes a bit dark, and sometimes almost comedical characters.

Game itself is probably with very different feeling, than how I read it in this story, and hope you all have had fun.

Maybe you might start another adventure in same world, after few years have passed with totally different and unconnected characters. Mmh, maybe it's just me, but I think in-game history is cool. My dm always starts new game in alternative universe and it's sort of boring.

Ah, but then again I always end up destroying the world or something, or so they tell me.

Anyway, I wait full of eager curiosity, exitement and saddness how this is going to end.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Great stuff, Richards! 

I guess you, most of all, will be wondering how the gauntlet has been changed by Doc to fit this last battle.

While we're at it, why not try to predict the outcome of this finale?

- Dartan: Will survive (of course) and start to worship Pelor (maybe in the midst of battle). Alternatively, will sacrifice himself to save Kizzlorn or one of his sons.

- Edge: Is wished into a human and makes out with Kiz... 

- Kizzlorn: Either makes out with polymorphed Edge or it's the other way around: Kizz is wished into a halfling/half-dragon...

- Maximus Brothers: Killed by Crow


- Grumbar: not being part of the battle, he becomes the leading cook for his bread-related meals.


----------



## Caliber

I expect a deadly landslide to at least kill one of the Maximus Brothers ...


----------



## Dawn

Dawn is speechless.
(But is a redhead ever really speechless.)
After three hours of catching up on two months worth of posting, this has been a joyous day indeed.

Vek – what a death!  Doc that was stunning!  Definitely not what I thought was coming.

Kayla is finally freed.  Never, never trap a redhead.  They have looong memories.

And now the Wonder Twins are back (thanks to whoever used that the term previously – very adapt description).

As always, fantastic story telling brought on by fantastic players!


----------



## Olgar Shiverstone

Richards said:
			
		

> *At Neverwinter Knight's urging (blame him for what follows!), here's the latest in a much-longer-than-I-had-realized string of parody songs.  (I think this is parody song #22!)  This one is sung to the tune of the Eagles' "Take It to the Limit," and is once again written from the point of view of the evil Crow.
> *




Richards, you magnficent bastard ... I read your book!

(Apologies to GEN Patton)


----------



## Richards

Originally posted by Neverwinter Knight:







> I guess you, most of all, will be wondering how the gauntlet has been changed by Doc to fit this last battle.



Actually I, least of all, am wondering how the Gauntlet's been changed...because I already know.  Doc contacted me many months ago and pitched the idea of having the last KoSK adventure be a "Return to Gorgoldand's Gauntlet."  How could I resist?

Of course, it just means I'm probably squirming the most with anticipation - kind of like a playwright on opening night.

Johnathan


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Lucky you, Richards. We can't wait to see what the two of you have come up with 

BTW, I have just reread my own copy of the Gauntlet and found this:



> ...he (Gorgoldand) might even have been captured by a powerful enemy. Rescuing the gold dragon might be a task for the PCs once they reach higher levels and learn of his existence.




That's kind of fitting, don't you think?


----------



## Nail

Richards said:
			
		

> *Originally posted by Neverwinter Knight:Actually I, least of all, am wondering how the Gauntlet's been changed...because I already know.  Doc contacted me many months ago and pitched the idea of having the last KoSK adventure be a "Return to Gorgoldand's Gauntlet."  How could I resist?*



Ouch.  

Two RBDMs working on the final adventure?  This will be interesting....


----------



## Lela

Nail said:
			
		

> *Ouch.
> 
> Two RBDMs working on the final adventure?  This will be interesting.... *




And Epic.


----------



## Talix

I can't wait!  8)


----------



## Dr Midnight

Typing now... will post an update within an hour, maybe two.


----------



## 8XXX{0}====>

sweet


----------



## Dr Midnight

Broldek sniffled. “What is the Gauntlet?”

“Gorgoldand’s Gauntlet,” Kizzlorn replied. “Dartan told me about it. It was the first adventure of the original Knights, years and years ago. Before even Vek or my parents joined them.” 

“Before even WE joined them,” Myramus added.

“Still, though… what is the Gauntlet?”

Snooky’s voice spoke in their minds as he walked towards them. His soft black feet parted the grass, and he looked up at them. _My master’s creation was a plaything. A proving grounds for training adventurers._ 

“How dangerous is it?”

_It’s not… not really. It tests a fledgling hero’s ability without putting him in great peril.  Bumps and scratches is the worst you might come to if you were very unlucky. It will be heavily modified, to challenge your current abilities._ 

“Wait, wait,” Edge said. “Crow only recently came back to existence, am I correct? How did he ever find the time to renovate and redesign and entire dungeon?”

_He’s had years._ The small cat blinked at them all. _He’s been planning this since Jamison turned evil, long ago. He’d been at work on it for years when he was cleansed of his evil. Being good was only a roadbump in his plan. It’s all so clear now… He’s really going to do it. He’s going to make it work._ 

“No. Maybe.” Kizzlorn said as she scooped the cat into her arms. “We won’t see it either way, as we’ll either stop him… or die trying. Let’s get moving, we haven’t any time to waste.”

The group moved inside. Snooky “talked” as they moved. _We’ve never faced Crow. Not really.  Based on what we know, he’s more powerful than any of us. This dungeon will be deadly._ 

“Not too deadly,” Broldek said. They entered Spellforge Keep’s armory. “He wants us to get to the end… and then die. It’ll be merely hellishly challenging, I’ll warrant.”

Menerous clapped Broldek on the back, laughing. “Hey, you’re pretty bright, for a troll.”

“Thank you.” Broldek clapped pieces of his shadow armor onto his bulging, greenish arms. He strapped Dragonhammer’s scabbard around his back and tested its sharpness by dragging it across his chest. “Ahhh,” he growled as thick black blood oozed from him. The deep wound quickly closed up, scabbed, scarred, then disappeared. “Nice and sharp.” He sheathed his greatsword. “I’m ready.”

Myramus and Menerous had descended from heaven with armor and weapons primed for war on the coming darkness. They look at each other, nodded, and bumped fists together. “We’re ready.”

“How many times have we saved the world, now?” Edge asked. He tightened his belt and cracked his knuckles. He flexed both of his hands, opening them fully, extending the fingers, then rolling them into tight fists. His small, lithe body bounced lightly on the balls of his feet as he tested his balance. “I’m ready.”

Kizzlorn was examining wands and placing them into her hip pouch. “We haven’t saved the world at all. We’ve done several things to slow down the coming doom, but in the end… my parents saved the world. We haven’t. Not yet. The same end is rolling towards us, and it’s still as dangerous as it ever was. Our tiny victories haven’t stopped it.” She paused, then saw Shade’s old vorpal sword leaning against a sword rack. She picked it up and strapped its belt around her waist. _So I’ll have a piece of you with me,_ she thought. The weight of the sword felt good. It wasn’t like having Shade standing beside her once more, but there was comfort in knowing it was there. “I’m ready. Would someone call Dartan?”

“I’m here.” Standing in the doorway was Dartan’s massive, armored frame. His eyes were pinkly rimmed, but his face was carved of the meanest stone ever cut from the ground. His dour face was a mask of anger and bitterness. He was holding his sword. 

“Dartan,” Menerous said. “Are you well?”

“No.”

“What did the letter say?”

“That,” the warrior hissed, “Is none of your damned business.” He flicked a finger against his sword’s steel and listened to it ring cleanly. The notched blade glinted in the light. “It is time for war. I’m ready.” He sheathed the sword. “Let’s go.”

They teleported away.

In their wake, the armory lay still once more. Moments passed. Then, a huge figure stepped inside. Behind it followed a smaller one. “This bad idea,” Meepo said nervously.

“You stay in the kitchen and cook if you want, stupid,” Grumbar growled. “Something big is going on out there. Bad things are happening tonight. I may be a master chef, but I know when it’s time to beat the plowshare back into a sword. I’m going out to fight.”

“Meepo make nice,” Meepo muttered. “All Meepo saying is that the bad things being handled, right? Mistress Kizzlorn most strong!”

“Yes… but there are hundreds of titans rising if Thuriaq is freed. If Crow pulls this off… all the heroes in the world will fight for their lives this night. Every sword is needed.” Grumbar picked up his trusty old sword and blew the dust off its hilt. He rotated it, and his wrist reacted to the sword’s weight with familiar, practiced ease. “The world is worth fighting for.”

Meepo cast his eyes down sadly. “Meepo sad, but what Meepo can do? Meepo small. Weak. Meepo no can even destroy castle with force of mighty kobold army.”

Grumbar knelt and placed a hand on Meepo’s frail shoulder. In his other hand was a small sword, held hilt out. “We can try, my friend.” 

Meepo looked up at him, shivering. His hand reached out and closed around the sword’s hilt. “Meepo will try.”

Grumbar smiled. “I knew you would. Against the two of us, the monsters won’t stand a chance.”

“Three, you mean,” came a voice at the door. Horacio the chef walked inside. He took his white chef’s hat from his head and threw it to the ground. “I weel fight weeth you.” He put on a helmet and picked up a large, one-sided battleaxe with a lengthwise head. It most resembled a very large meat cleaver.

“Horacio!” Grumbar exclaimed with glee. “Can you fight?”

“No, but I can preetend that I am choppeeng broccolee.” He laughed.

“This broccoli chops back. Are you sure?”

“You are thee worst cook I have ever known, Grumbar… but you have a good heart… and you are right. Thee world ees worth fighting for.”

The would-be heroes armored themselves. Meepo wore a small saucepan on his head, as no helm would fit. He called Scratch to him. The small silver dragon scrabbled up into his arms. The four of them stole out into the darkening afternoon to find whatever fate lay before them. 

*MORE TO COME…*


----------



## fenzer

It looks like ALL the Knights are fighting this one.  Way to go Horacio, I wish you the best.

Thanks for the update doc.  Post SOON!


----------



## 8XXX{0}====>

Thats just cool. Plain and simple, just cool.


----------



## Shaele

*can't stop reading...*

Great stuff Doc, I'm going to miss this crew when they retire. Grumbar especially


----------



## Lela

8XXX{0}====> said:
			
		

> *Thats just cool. Plain and simple, just cool. *




No, you're wrong.

It's _really_ cool.


----------



## Horacio

You're all wrong, 

It is extremely cool!!!!


----------



## Lela

Horacio said:
			
		

> *You're all wrong,
> 
> It is extremely cool!!!! *




Bah!  Beaton by Horacio yet _again_!  Will the maddness never cease!!!!!!!!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Well, I guess they're all off to see the wizard... Beautiful update, Doc. Thanks so much (again) for your wonderful story hour !!!

Keep writing that stuff - I hope you have some time on this upcoming weekend. 


I'll be damned, if the second group does not make the difference!


----------



## Darklone

Meeeeeepo!


----------



## Dawn

Excellent story!
Take them back to where it all began – with much more danger this time.


----------



## Talix

Somewhat cheesy (the second group, I mean), but still excellent reading.  

I really really hope at some point you are going to tell us what Dartan's letter said!  Please?  8)


----------



## Malachai_rose

I like the second group  They need a story hour ! I mean Meepo, Grumbar and Horacio who wouldnt read that. Seriously the chopping broccolee part reminded me of a SnL skit where Dana Carvey was playing the piano and singing a song that went "I'm chooping Brocolee !!!! I'm chooping Brocolaeee !!!" ect... 

the refrence probably isnt intentionl on your part but it still made me laugh. Also what was in that letter ? 

Well I am looking forward to the last few posts and seriously all kidding aside the Meepo Grumbar and Horacio story hour thing  that would be hella sweet, heheh.


----------



## Malachai_rose

.... ack  my first double post.

NO !!!   

It's like pitching a perfect game then getting being owned prison style in the last inning... 

/le sigh


----------



## Nail

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *
> I'll be damned, if the second group does not make the difference! *



Only problem: Meepo lacks a _teleport_.


----------



## drnuncheon

Talix said:
			
		

> *Somewhat cheesy (the second group, I mean) *




Cheese? Grumbar hasn't mastered cheese.  Just bread.

J


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Malachai_rose said:
			
		

> *.... ack  my first double post.
> 
> NO !!!
> 
> *



That's OK => post_count = postcount + 1




			
				Nail said:
			
		

> *
> Only problem: Meepo lacks a teleport. *



You're right - that could be a problem. On the other hand, they will survive a little longer, that way...


----------



## e3_Jeb

*Meepo & Grumbar*

Meepo and Grumbar bring to mind the song "You've got a friend in me" by Randy Newman. Particularly if Meepo were to serenade Grumbar.


----------



## 8XXX{0}====>

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *
> That's OK => post_count = postcount + 1*




Real men use postcount++;


----------



## Darklone

Nail said:
			
		

> *
> Only problem: Meepo lacks a teleport. *




You never know.... he's a kobold after all


----------



## Felix

Geez Doc, whadda ya doin???

I mean, we've been waitin four friggin days here! _Four_ Days!


----------



## Dr Midnight

It's coming, it's coming, you reprehensible craven!

By that I mean it's coming. Some tonight, perhaps. 

EDIT: Uh, okay, so it didn't come last night. Sorry about that. I sat down, and the words didn't come. I need to get this story written, I know...


----------



## Felix

_yawn_ 

Well, I guess I can... _yawn_... stop waiting for an update tonight.  Go to bed......

Five... _yawn_... friggin days.



Good luck finding your Muse, Doc.


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Doc,

Where is the story? You have kept us addicted to updates for months and now you don't update. 

*suffers from withdrawal*

"Ack....update...update...pleaassseee."


----------



## Richards

Well, this will be a first for me - I've posted numerous parody songs based on events from this Story Hour in the past, but this will be the first time I've ever done up a song about the LACK of events.  With tongue firmly in cheek, here's a parody of Tom Petty's "The Waiting."  My version uses the same title.  Enjoy!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
*THE WAITING*

Oh brother don't it feel like torment right now?
Don't it feel like Doc is holding out?
Yeah, I've never known nothing quite like this
Don't it feel like he just might never post again
We know eventually this torment will end
Hell now, no one could have ever told me 'bout this
I said yeah, yeah yeah yeah

The waiting's driving me insane
Come on, Doc, stop this awful pain
We take it on faith you'll be posting again
The waiting's driving me insane

Well, yeah, I might have checked a couple Story Hours out
All it ever did was pass time
Yeah, there were those that made me feel good
But never as good as I feel right here
Readin' your cool Story Hour is better than beer
So how 'bout an update, we want updates now, clear?
I said yeah, yeah yeah yeah

The waiting's giving us the blues
We beg and plead, but you just refuse
We're dyin' out here, you need any more clues?
We're waiting on your stupid Muse

Don't let it kill you, Doc, don't let it get to you
Don't let it stop you, Doc, we all have faith in you
We'll keep on checkin' back, we'll keep on hopin', too
Don't let this take too long, don't let it get to you
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In all seriousness, though (despite the "stupid Muse" crack above), I know what's it's like to have other responsibilities get in the way of doing what you want to be doing, and I can also sympathize with finally getting the time and suddenly having your inspiration desert you.  In any case, I hope everything's going well at the new job, and that we'll get to see the grand finale of that Spellforge Keep team we've all grown to love before too long.

Johnathan
Self-Appointed, Unofficial Bard to the _Knights of Spellforge Keep_ Campaign


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Damn ENWorld is back up - post Doc, post !!!


----------



## Felix

> Richards
> ...despite the "stupid Muse" crack above...



Ack! Is that how it sounded? I was in earnest! I've suffered writing block before and I know it's no joke. I thank goodness I'm no writer so I don't have to fear that beast very often.

Well, I hope she came back to you during the EN hiatus.


----------



## Richards

Felix - No, the "stupid Muse" crack I was referring to was my own (it was part of the song).  Your comment about Doc finding his Muse came across as completely earnest.  Sorry for any confusion; I just didn't want Doc Midnight confusing my own "real" attitude (which parallels yours) with those of the lyrics of the parody song, which are somewhat more grumpy/complainy.  (Not a word?  It is now!)

It's a tricky business, balancing the life of a regular Story Hour poster and a Self-Appointed, Unofficial Bard.  

Johnathan


----------



## Breakstone

Hullo hullo!

Well, I'm finally able to access ENWorld again (after two and a half weeks of near-no-computer-use), and Doc, I say take your time; I think we all want this to be as great as possible.

Say, have you guys played the last game yet? If so, how'd it go?

Did you guys share a celebratory drink afterwords, and then watch the sun set and slowly drift home, only to contact each other years later for a rather bad sequal movie that stars the same characters but different actors?

Er... yeah... I'm just happy to get back onto the internet...


----------



## Lela

Bah, Tsunami on says that because of the state of his story hour.  Get to it man. 

I, on the other hand, have no disernable alterier motive for telling you to take your time.  But not too much time.  We're too used to quick updates and need--as has been said thousands of times--our fix.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *Did you guys share a celebratory drink afterwords, and then watch the sun set and slowly drift home, only to contact each other years later for a rather bad sequal movie that stars the same characters but different actors?
> *




I think they already did that, once. It didn't turn out that bad, though  

What I'd rather want to know: Do you play anything now, since your final session was played? A new *DnD* campaign? Maybe a new *Star Wars* campaign? _*crosses his fingers and hopes*_

About taking your time...don't listen to Tsunami! I rather hold with Lela! 


PS: Doc, could you please clarify the rumor that you're only taking your time, since the session ended with a TPK. Only a rumor, right?


----------



## Dr Midnight

The Knights of Spellforge Keep appeared at the winding path leading to the lake, just outside Poddleton. The dwindling sun shone down on them as Dartan felt an odd sense of nostalgia wash over him. He led the way down the stairs to the entrance. He peered inside. It looked very much the same… a dark tunnel. The same feeling came to him now as he looked into it: He didn’t know what lay beyond the darkness. He was eager to get at it. 

Dartan grimly drew his sword. "This is it," he said. They all steeled themselves and walked inside.

_The first trap in the original Gauntlet was a large husk of a spider that dropped from the ceiling… be alert._ 

“I remember that, Dartan said, almost wistfully. They walked forward. Almost immediately a large, hairy, multilegged form dropped down in front of him from above. Instead of thunking to a halt at the end of a rope, though, the thing landed on its feet and skittered towards them, hissing devilishly. 

Dartan eagerly went to work, ducking a claw swipe and cutting it viciously across the abdomen. Kizzlorn hurled a fiery bolt that pierced its head, but the thing didn’t die. It scuttled forward and stabbed into her with a five foot needle-claw. She cried out, and Edge leaped forward, flurries of blows raining upon the thing’s face. Broldek stepped up from behind and buried his greatsword in its gut, while Myramus swung his brilliantly shining longsword through the thing’s thorax. It collapsed to the ground and began to smolder before bursting into flames, charring away to nothing. 

“That wasn’t so hard,” Myramus said. “I expected being the chosen warrior of Pelor would be far more exciting.”

Menerous said “Easy, Spot. Sure, it’s not as challenging as fetching Pelor’s morning paper, but it’s something.”

“I… I never fetched anything.”

“Uh,” Broldek said. “Look. Skulls don’t normally do that, do they?” He was pointing to the corner, where a pile of bones lay in a heap. One was rising from the ground. It was a small skull… halfling, most likely. It floated above the ground at about three feet high and seemed to look at them. “Well done. I suppose I really shouldn’t be surprised that you’ve fared as well as you have, though.” Myramus was readying his sword to strike at the skull, but Dartan put a hand out to stay his attack. Dartan’s face was tightly set in a look of concentration. “You’ve grown in power since I’ve seen you last, haven’t you?”

Dartan opened his mouth. “…I… …Bree?” The skull stared back at him, and the others wondered what he was talking about. 

Snooky twitched his fuzzy little ears and said _Yes! Of course! Bree Thornberry! But why would…_ 

The skull seemed to ponder this. “Bree? That… that sounds familiar. Was that my name? I cannot recall.”

“Yes, I’m sure of it now,” Dartan said. “But why would Bree be here? Bree didn’t die here, Bree died fighting Utreshimon the blue dragon. Bree is buried in the cemetery in Poddleton, beside Dekker Roughfoot.”

“Dekker… Dekker. Ah, yes, I remember him now. Somewhat. I don’t remember much else. All I know is that I awoke here, with some measure of knowledge of this place. Your name. It’s… Dart. Dark-man. Dartan?” 

“Dartan, that’s me… we were friends in life.”

”Were we? Do you mind if I accompany you? It certainly would bring back old memories.”

Myramus leaned toward Dartan and whispered. “We should destroy it. Undeath is no way to exist under the Shining One’s rays.”

“Well, we’re in a cave, so we’re not under your cruel god’s ‘rays’, now, are we?” Dartan snapped at him. “She stays.”

“It would be a kindness,” Menerous said. “Besides, if she was buried in Poddleton, Crow had to dig her up to put her here, which means she serves some dread purpose… if it’s really her at all.”

“She stays.” Dartan set his jaw firmly and walked ahead. The skull looked at the Maximus brothers for a moment, then followed him, floating along. 

“I do not like this, brother,” Myramus said.

“Nor do I.” They followed. 

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Bree said. “You’ll need a full set of keys in order to release Gorgoldand. You’ll find the first one underneath that stone there.” Her skull pointed with its jaw toward a rock in the corner. “The others you can pick up on the way.” Dartan found the key and placed it in a belt pouch. 

Once again, the passageway narrowed, forcing travel in single file. Dangling from the cavern overhead was a thin rope, ending in a loose lasso on the ground. The legend “PUT FUT HEER” was scrawled in chalk in the middle of the open lasso. Obviously, this was someone’s childish idea of a snare. 

“I remember this,” Dartan said, almost fondly. 

_Yes, _Snooky agreed. _It was designed to capture naïve adventurers by taking their attention off the real trap… in this case, a pit trap five feet beyond the rope.  _ Snooky pointed with a paw, and they all saw the pit trap’s cut lines in the floor. _Tenchi Foxfingers solved this one quickly._

“How deadly was the pit trap?” Myramus asked. 

Menerous laughed and squeezed by them in the thin corridor- no small feat for a man as portly as he was. “Brother, the only way this could be deadly for you were if those words on the floor read ‘DANGER, FALLING ROCKS’. Come!” He grunted and jumped over the square in the ground that marked the pit trap.

“Now, I hardly think that was app-“ Myramus cut himself off when he saw his brother land at the other side of the pit- and pass through the ground as if it weren’t there. With a yelp, Menerous was now out of sight. Myramus cried out. “BROTHER!”

Menerous tumbled into the ground, past the illusion of rock. He saw here, dimly, blackness beneath him, where he was plummeting toward. He smiled and tried to turn himself into his true form. Myramus had returned as a hound archon, and resembled a canine walking on two legs… but what the others didn’t know yet was that Menerous’ other form was a ball of light that could look human when he wished. He tried now to turn himself into it, and couldn’t. With alarm, his eyes opened wide, and he saw the immense beholder glaring at him with its one huge eye from a recess in the pit wall. Its eye drenched him in an antimagical cone, that negated his ability to turn into his light-form. He shrieked and plunged into the blackness below him. The beholder flew after him, continuing to bathe him in antimagic. As he left, one of the several eye-stalks that twisted and coiled about his head levitated a large stone disc into place, blocking the tunnel downward. 

Myramus jumped into the pit blindly. He landed after a fifteen-foot fall, and looked about. “There’s just a space! Nothing… one of these walls must be false! He began using his enchanted sword to push the wall inward on all sides, looking for secret areas. 

Edge and Kizzlorn joined him. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know, help me look!”

Straight below them, the beholder followed Menerous downward until the risen paladin crashed into a spherelike chamber some one hundred feet beneath his friends. He wasn’t badly hurt, even though he was a two hundred and fifty pound man who’d landed on rock after a fall of one hundred feet, fully armored from head to toe. He propped himself up on his elbows and coughed. Blood ran from one corner of his mouth. All around him, wraithlike ghost-things were emerging from the walls and moaning softly. One approached him and touched him. He cried out as his life drained from him, and the skin on his face tightened then let slack as it aged twenty years. 

The other ghosts reached for him, and both above and below, each Maximus twin cried out for his brother. 

_*MORE TO COME…*_


----------



## Richards

Woo hoo!  Excellent write-up, Doc -- well worth the wait!

Johnathan


----------



## Felix

Great googly moogly! That's a touch rough on Menerous, eh? Poor light archon. Awww.

Great update Doc!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Deadly, Doc, deadly. How much more to come?


----------



## fenzer

Doc, it might be these tired old eyes of mine but I found the whole trap sequence with Menerous a little hard to follow.  From what I gather he jumped over the old trap only to fall prey to a new one.  The whole illusionary wall thing  and what was happening to him as he fell have me confused.  I have had very little trouble understanding your words so it must be these damn cataracts.  Could you to this old reader a favor and clarify what happened to poor Menerous?  Thanks.


----------



## Caliber

I'm not Doc, but it seems to be Menerous fell through an illusionary floor into a long vertical tunnel. A beholder was in the tunnel and zapped him with its anti-magic field so he couldn't fly away while it telekinetically sealed off the tunnel with a stone door 15 feet in.

At the very bottom of the tunnel were a group of wraiths (or some kind of energy draining undead) who were waiting for whoever fell through.


----------



## Immort

Actually I'm gunna go with ghosts seein' as how they were aging him.

-Immort


----------



## Breakstone

Oh... poor Menerous...


----------



## Lela

Sorry Doc, I posted earlier, but it seems it didn't get through.  This rocks.  I take it you went with celestials being able to age, if only magically.  Care to let us in on why you went that way?


----------



## Breakstone

Just a BUMP to keep this from sinking to page 2.


----------



## Dr Midnight

I'm still with you, just takin' my time. 

Lela- simple. "Menerous grunted as he took four points of permanent constitution damage" just doesn't have that ring to it.


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *I'm still with you, just takin' my time.
> 
> Lela- simple. "Menerous grunted as he took four points of permanent constitution damage" just doesn't have that ring to it. *




So, in game terms, you didn't actually age him.  Brilliant! use of artistic license.  I love it.


----------



## fenzer

Got it.  Thanks Caliber.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Nice Easter holidays to you folks! I hope Doc finds some time for the takin'...

oh yeah, and _BUMP_


----------



## Dr Midnight

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I had time last night and didn't feel like writing. I was just tired. I sat at the computer and typed all of "Myramus" before giving up and laying on the couch watching stuff. Sorry my peoples. Expect my next free-timeage to be tomorrow (Saturday) night.


----------



## Talix

No problem Doc, we're just glad you're doing it at all.  

And if this is a dungeon set up by Crow, they're all going to die quickly if they don't get a little more cautious.  Duh!  

Um... no offense to your players.


----------



## Nail

Talix said:
			
		

> *And if this is a dungeon set up by Crow, they're all going to die quickly if they don't get a little more cautious.  Duh!   *



That's what I was thinking too.  I'm guessing they're feeling a bit reckless, as they have been CORRUPTED WITH POWER!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Expect my next free-timeage to be tomorrow (Saturday) night. *



So there is no new, exciting campaign to fill your Saturday nights... Enjoy your DMing-free time!  




> _Originally posted by Talix_
> *No problem Doc, we're just glad you're doing it at all.*



True, true !!!


----------



## Breakstone

It's okay, Doc, I know how it can be.


----------



## e3_Jeb

**



			
				Tsunami said:
			
		

> *It's okay, Doc, I know how it can be. *




Ain't that the truth... 

And I'm up for the wait 'cause I know this is gonna be awsome.


----------



## Dakkareth

After spending yesterday's evening and this whole day reading more than 70 pages of storyhour I have now reached the present.

The beginning was humble, but interesting. And almost right away tragedy struck the party in form of as-good-as-deaths and deaths. But they continued.

Things got a bit ... forced (or at least it felt this way), when the Temple of Elemental evil was being explored, the characters seemed a little unmotivated. But being slaughtered again and again, who can blame them?

And there was Dartan ... seeing his friends die again and again, seing new friends die, seeing his mount die after three days ...

"*To Hell with Heironeous*", indeed.

That was one the greatest highlights as far as I am concerned - Dartan reacting to the truly heart-wrenching death toll and general cruelness and becoming bitter.

Another highlight, but a dark one, was Jamison's turn to Evil (Evil with capital 'E', indeed) gleefully killing his former best friends and even his love. A moment truly inspiring great sadness.

Also Dartan's drawing of four (for heavens sake, *FOUR (4)!*) cards from the Deck of Many things was a cool thing. But where did his last wish go? IIRC the first card gave him two wishes and the second a third. Or was that a typo? Still, drawing four cards and living to tell the tale ...

Vek's reaction to the card dealer was also cool.

Finally the end of this mission, the artifact restoring sanity to the blinded people and all things that led to this end were great and the scene really showed the incredible power of artifacts.

Very good in a sad was was the end of the first generation of Spellforges with their children being forced to live with ignorant nobles being mocked by them and cursed by the rest of the world like their parents ... The scene of their parents departing was very sad and even more so after having the image of the little boys playind with adventurers with sticks and scraps of parchment in mind.

All the better the feeling, when at least *some* of the old crew were back together including Jamison (who's been my favourite together with Dartan and Vek). And Vek just rocks being a lich and high-level spellcaster. "Wee Jas grants you the gift of death." *Poof*

Vek's end was also an incredible good scene, even if his behaviour seemed a little out of character to me seeing as his faith and submission to Wee Jas had been the most important thing to him before. But the of course fanatics have done stranger things. Still a sad thing, he was deemed unworthy ...
But of course ... being killed by one's own goddess as a cleric of almost epic levels is something that probably has never happened before in know times and won't as long as today's powers stand.

"*Wee Jas grants you the gift of Death."

Just great, seeing how Vek had used this phrase so many times on his enemies only to fall in this way himself at the hands (lips) of his own goddess ... simply great.

And of course the feeling of destiny in the last parts as the events are forming a full circle, fullfil the cyclus and end in it's own beginning ...


The general feeling of human weakness, mortality and continuing hope in spite of incredible strikes of fate is very ... <sad/sweet/bitter/great/depressing/...>

It probably doesn't come across as heavy, but if you read it from the beginning to the present, the sheer amount of misery and death (15+ permanent deaths of PCs and some of them died several times before that, too, iirc and countless deaths of NPCs, some of which were close) is more than a human could stand. 

And still Dartan lives, the only  link to the past, one of the first group of naive adventurers setting out from a bookstore to make the world a better place, who has seen all his friends (or at least people he cared about to some extent) being killed several times, one replacing another, has lost his faith and the strength it gave him and has seen more darkness than most 'heroes' will ever see - Godless and bitter he is, but still he continues, refuses to die or give up. This image alone is an image powerful enough to move everyone ... As are the images of Kizzlorn searching for her parents of Jamison troubled by his terrible deeds performed under the control of Elemental Evil, as are ...



Words describe things only so far ... I'll leave it at that. Consider this to be both my curse and my highest praise.

There are other story hours, which are about as good - but they all excell in their own special categories: Writing, fun, light-heartedness, coolness, wickedness, originality, etc, etc

This is not to say, this one doesn't possess these qualities, but what this story hour really excells in is decribed above. Like others this is one of the best things I have ever read.

/me bows deeply

-Dakkareth


P.S: I've said much about Dartan - that's because he was the longest time with the party and the closest to my feeling of the atmosphere of the story. I like the other PCs very much, too, especially Vek with his attitude and spell casting, Jamison, the curious, childlike wizard turned epic monster turned troubled hero, Kizzlorn and the many others.*


----------



## Lela

To that, I say

*"Here, Here!"*


----------



## Richards

Hey, about Dartan and his four cards from the Deck of Many Things - the four he drew were as follows:

Card 1:  Moon.  Two wishes.
Card 2:  Death.  Dartan uses his first wish to make it disappear.
Card 3:  Knight.  A follower appears, willing to serve Dartan.
Card 4:  Death.  (Again!)  Dartan uses his second wish to make it disappear.

With a four-card draw, he got off lucky!

Johnathan


----------



## Dr Midnight

Richards said:
			
		

> *With a four-card draw, he got off lucky!
> *



WAY lucky. 

Sorry to everyone about the continuing delays. I. Am. A bastard. My new FAMILY GUY DVD set isn't helping... heh heh...  

Dakkareth- damn! What a post. They don't make story hour posts like that anymore... brings a tear to my eye. I like long feedback. Thank you sah! I hope to give you a satisfying conclusion to everything. Maaan, it's going to take a lot more writing than I seem prepared to do these days... don't worry though, I'm determined to see things through. 

In fact, thanks to Dakkareth's post, I now feel inclined to hit the keyboard... AND I'M OFF! Wish me luck and prolific typery...


----------



## Richards

Luck and prolific typery!

Johnathan


----------



## Dr Midnight

Myramus felt his brother calling to him, but did not hear. Despairing, he started using his sword’s ability to create tunnels through earthen matter in all directions. It was by chance that a downward angle opened a small hole into the tunnel below. The hound archon cried out and widened the hole. Looking down, the story became clear… a stone plug had tightly sealed a vertical tunnel. At the bottom, his brother writhed in pain as wisp-limbed specters scratched at his face. Far above this was a large beholder, looking down at him. Myramus gripped his weapon tightly, point down, and threw himself down into the pit. 

The beholder’s many eye stalks saw the plummeting paladin and turned to face him, firing several of its powerful and deadly eye rays. Green and purplish beams shot past Myramus and shattered the walls of the tunnel around him as he flew down at the beholder. The gaping jaws and immense eye of the beast turned upward just in time to be plunged through by Myramus’ blinding longsword. It roared and continued to fire blasts of magic at him, even as it began to fall down towards Menerous, with Myramus riding it down, hacking and slashing like a hound possessed. 

Below, Menerous blinked. He felt his magic returning to him. What did this mean? What? His mind was now clouded. The ghostly creatures around him had dipped into him and taken little pieces of his mind. Things didn’t make much sense now. A line of spittle ran from the portly Pelor-worshiper’s mouth as he thought very very hard. These things were hurting him somehow. Can he get away? There is magic now, yes! Magic! “Wasn’t magic a moment ago…” he mumbled. One of the thing struck him again, and he winced. What was going on? “Magic now. Can do, can GO!” He teleported away, barely remembering how.

Everyone who wasn’t a Maximus was climbing aboard Broldek. The troll’s strong arms held everyone securely, and with the help of a spell from Kizzlorn, he floated slowly down into the tunnel. “I don’t like this,” Edge said. “We’re trusting a lot to a spell and a troll, here…”

Broldek rolled his eyes. “Yeah. The HALFLING’S really weighing me down. Oooh. I feel I might drop you all. Please. What are you, thirty pounds?” 

Kizzlorn said “You ARE carrying me, a warrior in full armor, plus the halfling. Just be careful.”

“Half-DRAGON halfling…” Edge muttered. 

A voice above them called down. “Trouble? Trouble! No afraid!” They turned up to see Menerous Maximus standing at the top of the pit, smiling down at them. 

“Menerous?” Dartan asked. “How…”

“He teleported,” Kizz replied. “Good job, Menerous stay th…”

“I HELP!” Menerous jumped into the hole, tucking his legs against his chest and giggling gleefully. 

“NOOOO!!” cried everyone else- but it was too late. Menerous was rocketing down at them. About three hundred pounds of corpulent, armor-clad holy man was barreling down a hole just big enough for him to fit, heading on an unstoppable course for the four floating heroes. 

“Hang on to me,” Broldek growled. “I’ll need my hands free!” The others tried to grasp him firmly. Kizzlorn clung to a leg, Edge dangled from his belt, and Dartan tried to keep a hold around his massive arm. Broldek raised his arms and took a breath, then attempted to catch Menerous. The shock of the impact was tremendous, and drove everyone straight downward. Kizzlorn yelped and held tight. Edge didn’t budge. Dartan’s fingers slipped, though, and he fell. His arms grasped Broldek’s foot on the way down and he stopped his fall. Their descent slowed as Broldek regained control. “What’s your problem,” he asked of Menerous. 

Menerous hooted happily in Broldek’s strong grasp. “Helped. Save day did. For can the lady?”

“What?”

Menerous pointed down. “Lady.”

Kizzlorn said “I think he means me. Uh… I’m fine, Menerous.”

Broldek sighed. “Drained his smarts. What, those things couldn’t have ripped his jaw off like a good undead should? Ridiculous, I tell you. Say there Dartan, I’m sorry about you losing your grip and all. I’m a bit sweaty, and there’s nothing worse than a greased-up troll.”

Beneath them, Myramus continued his madman’s furious revenge on the beholder that had trapped his brother. The eyes kept firing their beams, but not a one broke through Pelor’s holy protections on the Knight. He stabbed and cut with his longsword until he’d ridden the thing’s carcass right down to the bottom. The ghost things reached for him, and he closed his eyes and teleported away. He reappeared above, in the hallway near the pit, where Broldek was rising. 

The troll placed everyone firmly on the ground, and Myramus had a moment to mourn his brother’s stolen wits. “Oh, dear. I suppose I shall fix this… though I don’t miss his unflagging jabs at my current material form and means of death.”

“Rocks!” Menerous barked with a loose smile. Myramus shrugged and placed his hand on his brother’s forehead and granted that his wisdom be returned. Menerous’ eyes closed and he shook his head. “Uh. Thank you, brother. I… I wasn’t myself just now.”

“Yes you were.” They continued their trip through Gorgoldand’s Gauntlet. 

Hanging from the cavern ceiling some twenty feet down the passage were scores of spiked chains of various lengths: some nearly touched the floor, while others dropped only to about chest level. The nasty barbs on the chains were coated with some black, oily substance, Edge saw. It was decided that it would be best to push them aside in order to pass. They did, and nobody was scratched. 

“Oh, yes,” Dartan said as he looked around himself. “I remember this.” Here, a twenty-foot wide chasm cut across the dungeon corridor. The gurgling sounds of water emanated from the chasm bottom. On the stone floor across the expanse, a visored helmet sat upon the ground. The air smelled vaguely of oil. “Here, little creatures… about seven inches high or so… were hiding in that helmet across the way, trying to shoot tiny arrows at us.”

“Tiny arrows?” Myramus laughed. “Oh, tell me you weren’t gravely injured by these sprites, Dartan!”

“No. The ogre living in the water, however, almost did us in.”

Myramus sobered. He looked down at the water. It glimmered blackly in the torchlight. “We needn’t fear an ogre… but whatever Crow has stocked down there, it must surely be deadly. We can make it easily across this. Broldek, can you still levitate?”

“I think it just wore off.”

“No matter. Let me go to the other side and prepare a rope for you all to cross by.” Myramus teleported to the other side of the chasm. Edge tossed him a coil of rope, holding one end as it unwound. Myramus caught it and looked down at the helmet. Curious, he kicked it over. Uncovered there now were three tiny standing skeletons. Each had a skull-head as large as a grape. Clutched to their chests were little painted orange beads. They turned up to look at him. They were almost cute, Myramus thought… but then, no undead perversion against our lord Pelor is worthy of anything but holy justice. Myramus kicked at them, and their bones scattered into the air from the light blow. The bones and orange beads flew over the chasm’s edge, then were gone. “Okay, everyone across.”

FWOOOOMFF!!! A wall of flame exploded from the watery pit. The creatures’ beads had each borne a fiery spell, and now, they had exploded in the gorge and lit the oily surface of the water. The roaring inferno baked their faces from the incredible heat. The rope was burned immediately, and Myramus found himself holding a five foot length of cord, blackened and burned at one end. 

“Damn.” Kizzlorn sighed and looked to the ceiling. There was a small gap above the flames and below the ceiling. She turned to Broldek. “Care to fly us over?”

The amiable troll happily spread his arms so that everyone could find a decent grip on him. “Climb aboard.” The spell was cast, and he flew them all quickly above the flames. They rejoined Myramus and walked into the next area. 

*MORE TO COME…*


----------



## e3_Jeb

A fantastic post! I will relay this to the undead horse who no longer strengthens the ranks of the Knights.


----------



## Lela

Aw, but the wandering skeleton with a broom has already seen.

And likes it.  A lot.

The way you did those _Fireball_ orbs really was a clever idea.  One I think I might one day steal.

The only thing similar I've done is have the bad guys toss the beads to the party, saying that they were important to some secret or another.  Two beads were thrown and one player decided to catch one while another let it smash into the floor.

I had the PC who cought it make a Reflex save to see if he avoided smashing the gem.  He failed and it broke.  And, because this was an ultamate dungeon of dooommm and the foes were Blackguards, I denyed him the Reflex save for half damage (you can see why I wanted the Monk to catch it; he didn't).

Anyway, I'm always on the look out for clever things you can do with _Fireball_ beads.  Thanks for one more.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Hey Dakkareth,

one more highlight - perhaps the greatest shock of all, to my mind - that should not be forgotten was the return of Jamison to the knights. 

The way the simple fighter turned out to be Jamison and then the memory returning stuff was GREAT stuff.


----------



## Lela

Don't forget when Vek and the Maximus brothers joined up with the group.  How many clerics were there?  Three or four?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

me thinks the knights should pay more attention to Crow's perversion of the old traps/creatures, and not ignore them...


----------



## Wee Jas

> even if his behaviour seemed a little out of character to me seeing as his faith and submission to Wee Jas had been the most important thing to him before. But the of course fanatics have done stranger things. Still a sad thing, he was deemed unworthy ...




Vek wished to stand with his goddess as an equal.  He loved her.  Women are so fickle.  One minute they want you, the next they grant you the gift of death. 



> me thinks the knights should pay more attention to Crow's perversion of the old traps/creatures, and not ignore them...




Bah, The Brothers Maximus can handle any threat this mad mage can throw at us!


----------



## Despaxas

Hey, got a question for Wee Jas, Inspired by Vek I created a cleric of Wee Jas in a new game, now I was wondering if there were any good sites/pages about Wee Jas (the goddess, not the poster  )

Got any?

P.S. Rock on Doc


----------



## Wee Jas

> (the goddess, not the poster  )




Don't be hating.

Good luck finding a site on Wee Jas.  There is very little info on her.  Manual of the Planes has a blurb.  The Greyhawk stuff as a very little.  Most of the other stuff you find will be fairley old.  I think I posted some stuff if you feel like trolling the story hours.

try this (It's old though):

http://members.aol.com/dmwog/weejas.html


----------



## Breakstone

I'd just like to say, Doc, that the writing in that update was terrific. I loved the imagery of Myramus riding the beholder down the pit, hacking away.



> I’m a bit sweaty, and there’s nothing worse than a greased-up troll.




Heh heh heh. I'm enjoying Broldek's developement of character.


----------



## Horacio

Wonderful update, as usual, Doc


----------



## Nail

Tsunami said:
			
		

> * I loved the imagery of Myramus riding the beholder down the pit, hacking away.*



I'm curious about the telekinetically moved pit-lid.  Is there enough "oomph" in that spell to move that large an object?


----------



## Talix

Woohoo!  Excellent, excellent...

I love how things are keeping interesting despite the ludicrous amount of magic available in the party now.


----------



## Dr Midnight

brief update- had some time after work and before life drawing, so in a few minutes... brief update.


----------



## Dr Midnight

The Knights found the next cavern to be what Dartan referred to as "The rust monster room". Here, the room was bissected by a tall wooden wall. 

At the top of the wall is a platform,  Snooky said. There is a door at the other side. The viewer is meant to come down off the wall to investigate the door. At that point, two rust monsters would rush out and eat his armor or weapons. 

Myramus stepped forward, aiming at the wall with his sword. "Ready yourselves. We'll face whatever monsters there be on our own terms. Passwall!" Nothing happened. He said the phrase meant to trigger a magically-opening passage again. "Passwall!" Still, the wall stood whole. "That's odd."

"Never mind," Edge said. "I don't have any armor or weapons. I'll go and investigate." He leaped to the top of the wall and looked over the other side. "Nothing yet..." He leaped down. Looking behind him, he saw two disinterested rust monsters milling around beneath the wall's lip. "Two of them... not really much of a threat. I guess I'll go look at the door..." He turned to see the door. It was a large wooden door with four wheels lined up horizontally. On each wheel were four letters. He was about to read the writing above the wheels when he heard his companions cry out behind him.

"Edge! Look out!"

He turned to see the wall- the entire wall- rising from the floor. It warped and rippled as though it were made of water. A mouth opened, and it gurgled as it slogged over the rust monsters, toward Edge, who struck a defensive stance. The rust monsters chittered and rushed for the other Knights, who quickly angled themselves to protect the more metal-ensconced among them. 

Dartan, Myramous and Menerous fell far back, while Kizzlorn and Broldek (with sword sheathed) stood to fight the beasts at the bottleneck of the entrance to the room. The orange beasts twitched their antennae at the delicious smell of metal and attacked. Kizzlorn fried one with a blast of fire, and Broldek pounded the other with his fists. The things died easily... they were only really a challenge for fledgling heroes. 

Edge bounced off the wall behind him and kicked the wall in front of him, driving his foot into the fleshy, wooden-looking creature. It roared and gnashed its teeth at him, taking a chunk out of one leg. Edge spun and plunged his fist deep into the wall's side, crushing something internal that no wall should have. Whatever it may have been, it hurt the thing, and it growled ferociously, fighting on against the cornered monk. 

"We should help Edge," Kizzlorn said. "The rust monsters are- wha?" She fell over as something knocked her aside. It chittered as it went. By the sound, it was heading straight for the armored Knights behind them. "Oh, no... DARTAN! INVISIBLE RUST MONSTERS!" 

Dartan and the Maximus brothers gasped and drew their weapons, then... resheathed them. They began to panic. Kizzlorn hit the wall-creature with a fireball, then blasted the area she believed the rust monsters to be inhabiting with a twisting web of lightning. The things screamed. One of Myramus' belt buckles turned to rust, and he shrieked. Dartan threw a tanglefoot bag at the area, and the loose bag burst. Ropy tendrils of sloppy adhesive liquid splashed around, clearly marking the place where a rust monster was skittering about. "Good work, Dartan," Broldek said as he hurled himself at it and began to pound it to death. Kizzlorn blasted at another invisible monster, and heard it die. 

Broldek stood up when it was all done. The wall was dead, and there was no more chittering, to the delight of the three heavily-armored Knights. When Broldek stood, the dead monster he'd been pummeling came up with him. It was stuck to his chest. "Damn tanglefoot bags..."

He ripped most of the thing off his chest and they faced the door. "Another puzzle," Myramus said wearily. "Here, let's just go." He created a tunnel through the wall at the side of the door, and they passed the puzzle without incident. 

_*MORE TO COME...* _


----------



## e3_Jeb

Good stuff... I really like seeing all of the puzzles and traps being modified, but I particularly enjoy how tense I'm getting waiting to see what happens when the traps have been by-passed and their enemy stands before them... Oh and Cool beans!


----------



## Breakstone

Great stuff as usual, Doc. The invisible rust monsters took me by surprise.


----------



## Lela

That was brilliant Doc.  My gosh, how you and Richards managed to come up with these things, I'll never know.

Invisible rust monsters and some kind of wooden wall monster.  Amazing.

That's one of the best examples I've ever seen of taking a low level monster and making it a true threat to higher level characters.  There's real panic involved in that.

I mean, yeah you can kill me.  But I'll just get True Resed, come back and smack you down.  But don't touch my stuff; I need that.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Yeah, I love the invisible rust monsters kinda thing, too.  But I was also really looking forward to the knights doing the puzzle. Doc, can you tell what you changed it into (if you changed it, I mean) ???


----------



## Nail

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *.....But I was also really looking forward to the knights doing the puzzle. *



FWIW, me too!


----------



## Darklone

Wow! Noone had see invisibility?


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Very strange that no one has see invisibility. Still a good use of a low level monster. I wouldn't have thought to look for invisible rust monsters until I heard them skitter by. 

Doc is really taking his sweet time to the climax of this adventure. I can't wait to see how the fight with the evil Jamison goes. That is the fight I am looking forward to the most. I hope Jamison doesn't die quickly from a missed save. That would suck.


----------



## Lela

I bet there are plenty of Golems and Demons hanging about. . .


Drooolllllllll...........

Edit: And Undead!  Lots of Undead.  And flying beasties!



I'd better stop now. . .


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> I hope Jamison doesn't die quickly from a missed save. That would suck.




Why should he? Has it happened before?


----------



## Wee Jas

> Wow! Noone had see invisibility?




Yeah, I do.. thats why I retreated!!!

All you old school players will remember the 1st edition cartoon of the knight jumping into the arms of the wizard when they encounter the rust monster.. that was me.  

STARFIRE, the holy sword of Pelor... will not be rusted.


----------



## Felix

Get back where you belong: on the first page! Bad thread! Bad thread!

Doc, the Thread Welfare Division of the SPCA is going to be visiting you if you don't take care of your threads better. Allowing them to roam around the boards to the *gasp* second page is gross negligence on your part. In the future, please keep the future of your threads in mind.

---

I've been waiting for a good time to make my 300th post, and I'm glad it's on this great story hour. I know it won't be around for my 1000th, but hey, one hopes.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

He? Doc skipped a weekend?  


That probably means that evil Crow killed the whole bunch and Doc is trying to break it to us in an easy way...


----------



## Talix

Yeah, I want to know what the new puzzle was, too!  

Fun fun fun...


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

thread is getting awfully close to 2nd page again...


----------



## Richards

24...25...26...27...28...29...30...1...2...3...4

Doc--it's been _eleven days_ since your last update!  We beseech!  We implore!  We beg!  We plead!  We request!  We petition!  We pray!  We urge!  We solicit!  We entreat!  We supplicate!  We appeal!

Don't leave us hanging like this!  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Johnathan


----------



## energy_One

We have pitchforks!
______________________
energy_One's Story Hour: Now with bubbles!


----------



## Breakstone

Richards said:
			
		

> *24...25...26...27...28...29...30...1...2...3...4
> 
> Doc--it's been eleven days since your last update!  We beseech!  We implore!  We beg!  We plead!  We request!  We petition!  We pray!  We urge!  We solicit!  We entreat!  We supplicate!  We appeal!
> 
> Don't leave us hanging like this!  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
> 
> Johnathan *




Psst! Richards! I don't know if anyone got your point... maybe you should extrapolate a bit?


----------



## Caliber

I believe those would be the dates of the days since the last post. I may have counted wrong but I think there are 11 of them ...


----------



## energy_One

No no no... you're obviously _completely_ wrong! There be no pitchforks in that explanation!

______________________
energy_One's Story Hour: It's completely _wrong_!


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Why has Doc forsaken us?


----------



## Richards

Day 12.  Still no sign of an update.  The Addicts are getting restless.  Neverwinter Knight keeps nervously playing with his safety - safety on, safety off, safety on, safety off - and energy_One keeps muttering about pitchforks.  Morale is slipping lower every hour.  I don't know how much longer we can hold out.

Johnathan


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

OK, forget the safety stuff and get back to the story.  I think the time has come for an honest speculation on the outcome of the adventure...boiling down to who survives and who doesn't 

First things is

1. Who wins: The knights or Crow


and second

2. Who survives:

2.1 The main cast
Kizlorn: yes/no
Edge: yes/no
Dartan: yes/no
Myramus: yes/no
Menerous: yes/no
Broldek: yes/no

2.2 The backup crew
Grumbar: yes/no
Meepo: yes/no
Horacio: yes/no

2.3 The other NPCs
Crow: yes/no
Gorgoldand: yes/no
Crow's mysterious companion: yes/no


When we have some answers, we can make a nice little statistic


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Now my guess:

1. Who wins: The knights

2. Who survives:

2.1 The main cast
Kizlorn: yes (saved by Edge from certain death)
Edge: no (sacrifices himself for Kizzlorn)
Dartan: yes (last man standing)
Myramus: no (see below)
Menerous: no (the two brothers see most of the battle and return to Pelor's side)
Broldek: yes (he's reduced to a finger and regenerates himself after the battle)

2.2 The backup crew
Grumbar: no (dies in battle)
Meepo: yes (barely survives and gains 20 levels instantly)
Horacio: no (killed by evil Crow for his accent)

2.3 The other NPCs
Crow: no (killed by the knights - last blow by Dartan)
Gorgoldand: yes (someone has to give the reward or final speech and what creature would be better than a golden dragon)
Crow's mysterious companion: yes (this last evildoer escapes - but not before her identity is revealed)


----------



## energy_One

Richards said:
			
		

> *...and energy_One keeps muttering about pitchforks.*



To be fair to the good doctor, energy_One is _always_ muttering about pitchforks. And frankly, he's afraid if he pushes too hard, he'll come off as clingy. Somehow I doubt my relationship with this Story Hour is on firm enough ground yet. So yes... Dr. Midnight, take your time! Quickly!
______________________
energy_One's Story Hour: Goodness!


----------



## Dr Midnight

HELLOOOOO!

I've been trying to write this crap on and off since the last update. I've had some severe writer's block. The part I'm at is midway to the climax, and it's hard to maintain the tension when the instinct is to leave in the jokes and all that. I have about 421 words ready to go, after adding them together slowly, slowly, after too much time.

I'm going to try to give you a very long update. It may not be as long as I hope, but this I swear to you- I will update tonight. 

Send positive writing vibes my way. I've got some iced coffee and a free evening... write, damn me, WRITE!


----------



## Richards

Vibolator energized and on-line...target coordinates locked on...target confirmation: Doctor Midnight.  Repeat, we have target confirmation.

Initializing good vibes translocation sequence...we have lock on!

Good vibes being transferred...NOW!

Johnathan


----------



## Dr Midnight

“I’ve got the key from this room,” Edge said as he walked through the door. “It was hanging at my level. Must be why you people didn’t see it.”

The floor of this cavern was smooth on the other side of the wooden door, although the walls remained jagged stone. Twenty feet ahead, the floor was broken into 5'x5' stone tiles, laid 8 across and 12 lengthwise. Each tile had a letter of the alphabet on it. Over the floor was a huge sheet of fire, leading all the way to the ceiling, blocking visibility or safe passage to the other side of the room.

“I remember this one, somewhat,” the floating skull said. “You have to cross the tiles in a certain order. Oh, to be alive again, when peril meant something…”

Myramus said “Well, undead, if it will pleases you, I will destroy you. How’s that?”

“Quiet,” Dartan said. “You’ll do nothing of the sort. I grew up with her.”

“If it IS her, Dartan. It’s just a skull. We don’t know.”

“We can resurrect her if it is.”

The skull said “Don’t waste any resurrections on me, friend. You’ll need them to survive the Gauntlet. Now, what are you planning to do about this trap?”

“This.” Dartan was tired of puzzles. He’d never liked them. He placed his weight on one tile and grunted as shadowy hands reached up from the floor and grabbed him. A tiny piece of his life’s essence was taken, and he leaped back. The shadows that rose were quickly destroyed, and the puzzle was rethought. In fact, the puzzle was bypassed completely. Myramus’ holy sword Starfire created a tunnel through the stone wall. They went entirely around the puzzle, and left it behind them, collecting a new key on their way out. 

They passed much of the dungeon this way, leaving behind them the staircase with its fire traps and the locked room at its top. They found themselves at the entrance to the room with the mirror. _This is it, _Snooky said. _The end of the original Gauntlet. _

This thirty by forty foot room beyond sported a ceiling height of twenty-five feet and was lit by golden-hued firebrands on the walls Four columns stretched from floor to ceiling in the room. The entire chamber had been carved from stone and painstakingly smoothed and polished, giving the room the appearance of a fancy hall in a lord’s manor rather than part of an underground dungeon network. Across the room was a large mirror, flanked by what appeared to be four skeletons in plate armor, each grasping a sword. There seemed to be letters carved into the wall above the mirror, but at this distance the Knights couldn’t make them out. 

“There’s a portcullis here,” Broldek observed. He pointed at the twin grooves on the sides of the doorway, and the barely visible seams in the ceiling that marked the trap for what it was. “Shall we block it?”

“Nay,” Edge said. “I’d like to walk right into this trap, honestly. I could use a good standing fight. I hate puzzles.”

Kizzlorn scowled. “Edge, this is no time to be cavalier. We can’t take any chances tonight.”

He looked ashamed. “Yes, Mistress Kizzlorn. You’re right, of course.”

“Light in the face of darkness is a good thing, save at the cost of wisdom,” Menerous sighed. “Snooky, what was the solution to this puzzle?”

_Above the mirror was spelled the legend TIRIANISPORITIUS. The skeletons didn’t have eye sockets, and the clue there was that if you were to drop each instance of the letter I, you would have TRANSPORT US above the doorway. Saying that aloud would open the doorway into the next room, where the final opponent- the coin dragon- lay.  _

“These skeletal guards don’t have eyes,” Dartan observed. “They look just like the old ones that I helped destroy. They were constructs, by the way, so spare the undead-slaying holy claptrap just yet.” He stepped into the room.

_That’s odd, _Snooky observed of the inanimate skeletal statues in the room. _The original constructs didn’t have those curious paintings on their breastplates…_ Two had well-painted flowers on their chests, one had a cooking pot, and one had an eye. 

“Tirianisporitius, this mirror reads as well. Huh. All right, then: Transport us,” Dartan said, and the portcullis crashed down behind him, and the skeletons came to life, raising their longswords. Dartan drew his own sword and readied to fight as his companions behind him struggled to life the portcullis. The skeletons rushed in and Dartan ducked one’s blow easily, spun, and brought his sword up through its arm, severing it. He parried another incoming slash, then kicked it in the kneecap, shattering it. The creature did not relent in its attack, but Dartan was in his element. He bashed a third skeleton in the nasal bone with the butt of his sword. The fourth swung and connected, driving his sword deeply into Dartan’s upper thigh. The Godless grunted the pain off and kept fighting. 

“Out of my way,” Broldek said as he muscled up to the portcullis. He kneeled and grasped the latticework, then lifted. His enormous back crawled with flexing sinew as he hefted the heavy iron grate to chest level. The others ducked beneath and ran into the room to aid Dartan. “Hurry,” Broldek wheezed. “I don’t know how… much longer… I can hold… it… just kidding.” He laughed and lifted the portcullis to the ceiling with one hand, placing his other on his belly as he chuckled at the sour look on Edge’s face.   

The floating skull giggled with him. “That was funny. Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve had reason to laugh!”

“Pelor cast thee DOWN, SHADOW-DEMON!” Myramus cried dramatically as he swept his sword, Starfire, through a skeleton. It may not have been a genuine undead creature, but the hound archon seemed satisfied enough just slaying something that LOOKED skeletal. The thing was consumed in a brightly burning rash of white light. Nothing remained. 

The three other skeletons were destroyed quickly and fell to the ground. Nothing changed in the room- the portcullis remained closed (though Broldek could easily lift it again) and the mirror didn’t ripple with the same magic it had twenty years ago for the Knights of the Silver Quill. “I said the words,” Dartan muttered.

_You said the wrong words, I’m guessing, _Snooky replied. _There was a new clue. The skeletons each have a new painting on their chests. An eye, two flowers, and… _He cast his yellow eyes about the floor from Kizzlorn’s shoulder. _The fourth skeleton was destroyed by Myramus. I don’t recall what its painting was. I only saw it briefly._

Myrmamus held his head up indignantly. “I cannot be blamed if the Shining One’s gifts work so well that we are left shorthanded for clue-bearing bodily remains.”

Menerous grinned. “Ooh, that almost rhymed, brother!”

“Ha ha!” The Maximus twins bumped their fists together. 

Edge rolled his eyes. “Ugh.” He wandered to the mirror and looked into it, if only to distract himself from the self-absorbed and entirely dull humor of Myramus and Menerous Maximus. In the mirror was reflected a room exactly like the one they stood in, and he saw his and the others’ reflections milling about in the room. One thing, however, was different. Edge looked behind himself to see if what he spied in the mirror was true in this room as well, and it was not. “Hey, there’s something in the mirror that’s not in this room.”

Snooky jumped down from Kizzlorn’s shoulder and walked towards him curiously. _In the original Gauntlet, a vast treasure was shown in the mirror’s reflection. Only by passing the mirror’s challenge could you reach it. What’s in the mirror? _

“Some old man.” He pointed, and Snooky looked and saw his master, Gorgoldand, dressed in rags and slumped against the far wall in chains. 

All over Greyhawk, the sun had set, and the stars were blotted out by immense thunderheads that spanned miles and miles, like great black wings. The air felt charged and the wind didn’t move. All over the continent, heroes were readied with armor and wand and sword for what the prophets said would arise at the midnight hour. 

They all knew there wasn’t much longer to go. 

*NEXT: Finale*


----------



## Breakstone

Whoo hoo!

I love how you've built tension but still let in the group's humor, Doc.

I can't wait to see what happens next!


----------



## e3_Jeb

Yaaaa I'm so glad I get to read more of this fantastic story. A note to anyone who cares, listening to some of the songs from Gladiator while reading the story hour is quite fun.


----------



## fenzer

Great writing Doc.  I can't wait for the finale.

If this helps ease the writers cramp, imagine a beautiful woman massaging you down all the while whispering words of encouragement in your ears.

If that doesn't work, then hear the yells of this old crusty long time reader, FINISH THIS THING DAMN IT!


----------



## Salthorae

*sweet!*

Awesome post once more as we've come to expect from the Doctor! I almost can't stand the wait for the next post, I've been dying in the past 11 days, and I want a new post, but that will likely mean the end of the Knights....sigh


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wow! It seems the knights were as eager as we were, bypassing all those puzzles like that. If I remember correctly, Crow said that he would let the knights free Gorgoldand and then kill them, so freeing the dragon would probably also trigger the final battle with Crow. If there is not also another final battle with Thuriaq...  

Great writing, Doc. You've got us now, where you want us - so please don't let us hanging out here too long. BTW, what always fills my batteries is a nice game of beach volleyball (which I'll be playing in about 30 minutes).

So long,

da knight


----------



## Krellic

Positive writing vibes, positive writing vibes, positive writing vibes...


----------



## energy_One

Goodness! Thanks for taking the time and the effort out to put something like that together. I'm almost ashamed to admit that my favorite part was the color.

But thankfully, I've already said it. Now I don't have to.
______________________
energy_One's Story Hour: It's the greatest thing between here and... um... that's not actually true!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> I've had some severe writer's block.




Does she have a name ?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *Does she have a name ?    *



Oh, dear sweet crap, I only wish I had an excuse that good...


----------



## Darklone

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *Now my guess:
> ...
> 
> 2.2 The backup crew
> Grumbar: no (dies in battle)
> Meepo: yes (barely survives and gains 20 levels instantly)
> Horacio: no (killed by evil Crow for his accent)
> ...*




I agree about Meepo. But take into account that he already has 20 levels in the _Cute Coward_ core variant class.


----------



## Nail

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *They all knew there wasn’t much longer to go.  *



Here's to hoping that's true for the reader of this story hour as well.


----------



## energy_One

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Oh, dear sweet crap, I only wish I had an excuse that good... *



You know, it's rare that I find a piece of crap that is both sweet _and_ dear to me. I assume it's the same for most other people.

Which leads to my theory:  he's found a dear, sweet piece of--yes, nevermind. *remembers Mr. Noah's announcement*
______________________
energy_One's Story Hour: Mmm... it's bite size!


----------



## Talix

Not... quite... finished...  *dies*


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *“I said the words,” Dartan muttered.
> 
> You said the wrong words, I’m guessing, Snooky replied. There was a new clue. The skeletons each have a new painting on their chests. An eye, two flowers, and… He cast his yellow eyes about the floor from Kizzlorn’s shoulder. The fourth skeleton was destroyed by Myramus. I don’t recall what its painting was. I only saw it briefly.
> *




Doc, were you mad at the group for not trying to solve a single puzzle  ?

If so, I hope it did not affect the outcome of the final battle...which was coming soon, as I recall you mentioned ?


----------



## Lela

Oh, dear, sweet crap, so do I. . .


----------



## Nail

Doc,

There's _way_ too much crap on this thread.  Dilite it with some more story!  (please.)


----------



## Conaill

Nail said:
			
		

> *There's way too much crap on this thread.  Dilute it with some more story!*



So... you're asking him to "cut the crap" as it were?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

It's weekend - story posting time. C'mon Doc, c'mon Doc, c'mon Doc, c'mon Doc, c'mon Doc, c'mon Doc, ...

It's either that or compose some more dwarven techno music - if that is indeed what it was! But that takes way more time than writing.  C'mon Doc, get this out - you know you want to.


----------



## Look_a_Unicorn

Doc, you write a totally excellent story hour - I'll miss it when it's finished. (Though I did have to skip the Knights of the Silver Quill, my brother is running us through RTOEE now. Who would have thought I'd be able to pass my Will save on that one!)


----------



## Dr Midnight

Thanks Look!

I've written more, but sadly, I didn't get enough out before my fuel ran dry and I needed to get away from the computer again. I'll try to update tomorrow, and when I do, I'll try to make it a nice, thick, worthy update.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Well, that's what I call an incentive to hit the refresh button !!!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Update coming soon! Big update! Updatey-dee-update!

Too much coffee in MY bloodstream, but this works to your benefit.


----------



## Olgar Shiverstone

You go, Doc!


----------



## Dr Midnight

_Here on Oerth, under the stars, encased in fear, entombed in fire
The final rage of sword and spell and claw and consequences dire
His faithful few, the Knights, had traveled long and walked the reaper’s wire
To meet and fight the sickened one, his beasts, and their abyssal choir

The war on life and good and all will soon be waged and soon be done
Thuriaq may rise at last and shatter here the hateful sun
Yet he did not, we know, because we lived to hear this tale be sung
So listen closely, child, and learn of how the Knights of Spellforge won.

Here on Oerth, where faith is called upon in all except for one. _

*PROLOGUE*

“Bad things brewin’.”

“We knew that.”

“Just sayin’.” Mallick spat on the ground. The wind blew the wheatstalks all to one side, where they fought with one another in a rippling pattern. The wind was very uneasy tonight. The moon was far too large, and it loomed over them all like a man’s face over a fishbowl. It gave Mallick Hucrele the most repellent feeling. He shifted his axe to his other hand and waited.

“Stop fidgeting,” Helmut grunted. The fur-clad northman frowned at Mallick in the moonlight. “You’re irritating Helmut. Helmut must remain focused so that he might drive the giant back into the ground when it arises.”

Mallick huffed. “Helmut must think he’s a great deal more powerful than he is to believe he can any chance of defeating Perysion the Ululating Horror.”

“Shut up, the both of you.” The small dwarven woman in black sharpened her knives against a whetstone, stopping only to glare at the two bickering men. “You’re like children.”

Mallick slumped against a tree and let some of the breath in his lungs escape. It frosted in the air as he mumbled. “I’m sorry. Just nerves, is all.”

Helmut shifted his weight. “Helmut is sorry as well. He is only troubled by the terror we will face. What will it resemble, again, small one?”

Figfim the Great adjusted his glasses on the tip of his large gnomish nose and squinted. “I am Figfim, not ‘small one’. And Perysion will be a towering mass of tentacles and eye stalks, if the scrolls are to be believed.” He bent over the scrolls again, studying the monster foretold to rise on this night in this portion of the world. “It will reave and devour, leaving only death in its wake. What troubles me most is this final passage: _’And his kind will mark the way of the rising beast.’_”

“What does that mean?” Mallick asked.

“I’ll tell you what it means,” Figfim sighed. “It means, if I’m not mistaken, that Perysion is one of many monsters to come to our plane tonight, and act as heralds for a greater evil.”

“What?”

“Perysion the Ululating Horror is a pawn. Something worse is rising tonight.”

The dwarven woman shivered and sheathed her knives. “Moradin help us. What can this greater evil be?”

“I have no idea, Runhilde,” the gnome replied. “I only hope someone is there to fight it, as we are here to fight its herald.”

Helmut drew his sword and tested its blade with his thumb for the twentieth time. “Someone will.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“It is simple. We live in a world of heroes.”

They quieted and listened to the wind blow as they waited for their titan to rise.

*SESSION 56
5th of Suns’ebb
THE END*

“Gorgoldand,” Dartan gasped. “That’s him. Quickly, shatter the mirror.”

“It doesn’t break,” Edge grunted as he bashed his fists against the looking glass. In its reflection, they saw Gorgoldand, the emaciated wizard, chained to the wall. His once-proud white beard was matted and filthy. 

“You must solve the puzzle,” the skull chattered behind them. “Yes, that is the way.”

Broldek turned on it. “For a thing that claims to not remember anything, you certainly do know everything about this place that may lead us to a sorry end. This stinks of a trap. It was too easy. I don’t trust you.”

The skull floated there. Its feminine voice sounded hurt. “Why do you attack me? I can only recall small things, one at a time. I don’t know why I know about the Gauntlet. I don’t enjoy knowing everything but the solutions to your puzzles, and I am troubled to know you do not trust me. What harm can I do?”

Dartan put a hand on Broldek’s shoulder. “Leave Bree alone.”

The troll turned. “But…” He stopped when he saw the look in Dartan’s steely eyes. “Dartan, don’t be a fool. It’s not your friend.”

“Maybe she isn’t. Not really. I’ll be the judge, and until she gives us reason to believe she’s on Crow’s side, don’t do a thing against her.”

“Dartan, this doesn’t…”

“Don’t. Touch. Her.” Dartan’s eyes flashed, and the muscles beneath his brow twitched. The message was clear, and Broldek backed down, though he felt something crawling inside his gut.

“Thank you, my old friend,” Bree said. “What of the mirror?”

Dartan sighed and looked at it again. “Tirianisporitius. I don’t suppose you know the solution to this do you?”

“No. I wish I did.”

Kizzlorn was studying the fallen skeletal warriors. She took a key from one’s neck and added it to the others. “Eye. Eye… the letter I. Two flowers of the same kind.”

“Irises,” Edge said. “They’re Irises.”

“Hmm. You can spell ‘Iris’ twice with the letters in ‘Tirianisporitius’. Take them away, and you have… ‘Tanpotiu’. Take away an I for an ‘Eye’ and you have ‘Tanpotu’.”

Myramus rolled his eyes. “Nonsense words. What fun.” 

Snooky curled his tail thoughtfully as he sat on the ground. _Not nonsense. It’s a command word. It will allow us into the mirror._

“Nonsense, like I said,” the canine angel huffed impatiently.

Menerous couldn’t help himself. “Oh, stop it you two. You fight like dogs and cats.” He giggled to himself.

“I, brother, am a hound archon, a celestial servant of our lord Pelor.”

_And I am a polymorphed pseudodragon. _ 

“Well,” Menerous said. “That put me in my place.”

_Tanpotu… Tan… Pot! That’s it, the other skeleton had a pot on his breastplate. _ Snooky jumped up into Kizzlorn’s arms, and she kissed his fuzzy little head. 

“Tanu,” Kizz said, and the mirror flashed. They stepped through the mirror’s glass toward Gorgoldand, and the mirror shimmered like a rippling pond in their wake. 

“Gorgoldand,” Dartan called to the chained form as they entered the room where he was imprisoned. 

He looked up at them. “No.” The mirror behind them froze as the last of the Knights left it. The chains fell from the old man’s wrists, and he stood. He changed. He became something larger. A huge cloaked form, vaguely female, with hands that trembled as the last of the illusion melted from them, revealing hideous clawed hands with orange-gold fur.  “It’s an honest mistake, though,” the voice croaked menacingly as it pulled its cowl back. “It must be the resemblance.” The sneering thing’s face was a hideous combination of an ogre’s broad face and sparse golden dragonscales. The eyes were a cruel yellow-orange, and seemingly lit from within. Large fangs were set in the grinning jaw. The ears were bat wing-shaped, webbed crescents of gold jutting from an ogre’s matted hide. 

Snooky hissed in horror. Dartan and Kizzlorn gasped, and Myramus held up Starfire. Broldek drew his sword and readied to fight. “Where is he?”

“Elsewhere. Safe. I am Glamgorthea, and I am pleased to bring you your end, here in the Gauntlet.”

“You’re half dragon,” Edge said, with his fists at the ready. At Kizzlorn’s command he would unleash his fury.

“Yes,” she chuckled.

Snooky growled. _You’re his daughter. _

“Yes.”

Dartan’s sword was prepared to stab the thing through the heart. “Gorgoldand had no daughter.”

“That he knew of. I’m afraid it’s a long story, but the short of it is that mother took advantages of his frailties and drugged an ale one night at the Foamy Head tavern in Poddleton, long, long ago. Let’s just say mother always claimed he’d never acknowledge me, because he wouldn’t remember fathering me.” She laughed.

“Lies!” Dartan plunged his sword forward, but Glamgorthea raised her hand and sent him rocketing backward to smash against a wall. He crumpled to the ground, and his sword landed with a clang. 

“Hard truths. Mother was interested in creating a new breed of ogre-mage beasts with the blood of dragons. I was- shall I say- an experiment. I was raised to follow her plans and breed a superior race of ogres… but I had ideas of my own, and decided to go my own way the day I ripped her throat out.”

Kizzlorn slowly put Snooky into her backpack, to free her hands for spellcasting. “What is this way?”

“I found and joined my brother, Crow, who had deliciously evil ideas of his own. Profane in every way. Gloriously evil and calculating, he is, and more powerful than even I am. He said I could have you to destroy while he worked on freeing Thuriaq. He should be done soon.”

Dartan stood, shakily, wiping blood from his mouth. His sword’s blade scraped on the stone as he picked it up. “He is evil, isn’t he? Evil, brilliant, and vain.”

She raised her hand again, and it started to glow bright green. “Yes. Oh yes.”

“You know what the problem is with evil, brilliant, and VAIN archvillains?”

“Tell me, Godless.”

“They want to see their enemies’ faces as they are destroyed.”

“Yes, so?”

“Crow knows we can beat you.”

“What?” She laughed.

“You said it yourself: Evil… gloriously evil and calculating. He told you to meet us here so that you could kill us, but he will want to see us die, laughing over us, having had the final word. He isn’t here.”

She furrowed her brow. “So what?” 

“So- he lied to you. You’re but one more monster in our way, and he knows your power isn’t great enough to stop us completely. He WANTS us to reach the end, so that we can fail there- and only there.” Her lips parted, and her teeth bared. She trembled, and her fury and fear were plain on her face. Dartan continued to slowly walk toward her. “Evil, brilliant, and vain archvillains do not share their glories. They only use their lackeys, and discard them when they’ve outlived their usefulness. How does it feel to realize you’re a henchman? A simple cog in a large machine. That must hurt.” She growled, eyes wide, and slowly lowered her arm. She seemed to deflate as she gave in to despair. "We are meant to beat you." Tears squeezed from her eyes, and she shook with rage.

“There is an alternative,” Broldek said. “Join us, and add to our strength. We will save the world, and you will have revenge on your brother.” She stared at them. “There is no other way. Join us or we fight you now, and you will die a pawn in Crow’s scheme.” She sobbed, paused, then nodded. She was broken and she knew it.

“Good,” Kizzlorn said. “Where is he?”

“Below. There is a lower level, and there is a passage to Thuriaq’s gate.” 

Myramus stepped forward. “Kneel, Glamgorthea, and renounce your evils. Swear to Pelor that you will not turn on us once our mission is done, and that you will mean Gorgoldand or the people of Greyhawk no further ill. Swear it.”

“I… I do. I renounce evil, in Pelor’s name.” She kneeled on the floor and bowed her head in misery. “I do so swear that I will abandon wickedness, and not turn on you when Crow is defeated. Nor will I attempt to destroy my father. I will join the light. Oh, I… ahuh ahuh huh…” She wept into her hands.

“Pelor has heard your plea, child, and will judge you.” He raised his sword. “Right now.” He brought Starfire down through her neck, severing her head and killing her instantly. Her hulking body disappeared in a flash of white light, and then she was no more. 

Bree the floating skull’s jaw dropped open in amazement, and Myramus sheathed his sword. “I must say, Snooky old chap, that worked marvelously.”

_Thank you. _While Glamgorthea had extolled the virtues of Crow’s plan, Snooky had telepathically spoken to the Knights and suggested that Dartan shake her confidence by pointing out that Crow had betrayed her. Then, Myramus would strike her down in her moment of greatest weakness. _I’m surprised. I didn’t think you’d go through with it, Myramus, _Snooky said. _Killing her as she pledged an oath to Pelor. It doesn’t seem sporting. _

“A painless death and a deathbed conversion. We don’t have the convenience of taking her at her word, so I ended her life here. We did ourselves- and her- a world of good.”

_What if she were telling the truth, though? _

“Then Pelor will know it and judge her truly, as I told her. Her soul may well have been saved. For now, though, we have things to do, and we couldn’t be bothered to worry about her. You were right.”

_I’m glad to hear it. Shall we move on?_

“Let’s.”

They left through the now-funtioning mirror.  Kizzlorn scratched Snooky behind his ears as they went. “Good thinking, Snooky. I’m glad you’re here.” The pseudodragon purred in her arms as they made their way downward, back through the Gauntlet.

*MORE TO COME…*


----------



## Olgar Shiverstone

Interesting ... I sense something evil coming on; it isn't like Doc to let them talk their way completely out of an encounter without stumbling into something worse.

I have this bizarre feeling Snooky = Crow.


----------



## e3_Jeb

...

This is so cool... I know I sound like an idiot but I'm completely dumbfounded by the pure cinematic beauty of this... Thank you very much...

...

*Wipes spittle from chin*

...


----------



## med stud

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> [B
> 
> _What if she were telling the truth, though? _
> 
> “Then Pelor will know it and judge her truly, as I told her. Her soul may well have been saved. For now, though, we have things to do, and we couldn’t be bothered to worry about her. You were right.”
> 
> *MORE TO COME…* [/B]




Kill'em all, let Pelor sort them out


----------



## fenzer

Doc, not to sound ungreatful, but would you hurry up and finish this thing.  I understand the writers block and the time requirement but for the love of Pete, I want to see Crow's head on Dartan's sword.  I want blood, carnage, and shrapnel.  I WANT THE KNIGHTS TO RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET THE HEROS THEY ARE!


----------



## Lela

Olgar Shiverstone said:
			
		

> *Interesting ... I sense something evil coming on; it isn't like Doc to let them talk their way completely out of an encounter without stumbling into something worse.
> 
> I have this bizarre feeling Snooky = Crow. *




And Bree is just there as a distraction.  Brilliant.  Absolutly brilliant.

Yes, I find myself disapointed in Myramus.  Making her walk in front is okay.  And, if her conversion was real, wouldn't the taint of evil be washed away?  Those celestials should be able to detect that.

It's a good thing they're not Paladins.  At her  confession, there would have been a problem.  But if she really meant it, they're in deep, deep trouble.


And Doc, I loved that verse at the top.  I always have trouble with things like that.  My prophisies are mixed up rymes and unlikely word combos.  While it gives a sense of being old, I would love to be able to do what you do.  Got any pointers?


----------



## Breakstone

Whoa!

I was not expecting that in the least!

By the way, Doc, who was the brains behind Snooky's plan? Was it you, or one of the players?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

WOW Doc, all praise to you and coffee, the black gold !

It looks like the heros are making good progress - as you are hopefully making good progress with the story  

I am glad to finally know who the creature was, although I am also her, the one we've been hearing about for so long, unveiled and then killed so soon... I mean, she was an evil b****, but she was pretty cool and I had hoped for the long story.


Great stuff !!!


----------



## Nail

Tsunami said:
			
		

> *.... Doc, who was the brains behind Snooky's plan? Was it you, or one of the players? *



Here's the rub, alright.  Fess up, guys, who's idea was that?  If I'm keeping track of the NPCs alright (which I might not be), about 90% of that stuff was Doc talking to himself!

Not that Doc talkin' is a _bad_ thing......


----------



## Fimmtiu

Ummm... am I the only person here who thinks that tricking and butchering a helpless foe in their moment of sincere repentance is a pretty evil act? Whether expedient or not, it's kind of out of character for an archon.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Hey, you're talking about guys who stole the gems of a poor dwarven slave, while he was sleeping in their midst...

It's alright, folks, we've been there.


----------



## Conaill

Fimmtiu said:
			
		

> *Ummm... am I the only person here who thinks that tricking and butchering a helpless foe in their moment of sincere repentance is a pretty evil act? Whether expedient or not, it's kind of out of character for an archon. *



Yeah, I'm in the "Snooky = Crow" camp right now. Of course "Snooky = Crow" would imply "Myramus = Fallen Celestial". It'll be interesting to see if Myramus still has his powers in the next scene. Such a devious setup would definitely be right up Crow's alley.


----------



## drnuncheon

Fimmtiu said:
			
		

> *Ummm... am I the only person here who thinks that tricking and butchering a helpless foe in their moment of sincere repentance is a pretty evil act? Whether expedient or not, it's kind of out of character for an archon. *




Hmm.  Maybe folks aren't looking at this in the right way.

If she had truly repented, then she would go to eternal reward in Pelor's domain - and it's better for her, because there is no longer any chance that she will backslide to her evil ways (and lose her shot at redemption).

If she was lying, then she would go to eternal punishment in whatever place is reserved for people who break their vows.

Either way, justice is served.

As I recall, this reasoning was used in a lot of "by the sword" conversions - which happened at around the same time period that people were whacking each other over the head with bits of sharpened metal.

So, out of character for a modern person? Sure.  For a neo-medieval person? A lot less so.

J


----------



## Jon Potter

Conaill said:
			
		

> *
> Yeah, I'm in the "Snooky = Crow" camp right now.*




That theory raised the question of why Crow would want to help them eliminate their opposition when he placed it in front of them to begin with. Perhaps he's just confident in his own ability to deal with the Kinghts when they're at full strength. Seems a little silly for the Big Bad not to take advantage of a weakened foe, however.

Of course, I don't know the whole picture, so I guess time (and Doc M) will tell.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Or maybe he knew that the knights were not powerful enough to defeat the half-dragon/half-freak in a straightforward way.


----------



## Nail

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *Or maybe he knew that the knights were not powerful enough to defeat the half-dragon/half-freak in a straightforward way.  *



Unlikely.

Doc's always been a sucker for solving problems with RP instead of a straight-up fight.  Better dialogue that way, for one.  Of course the PCs could have taken the half-b***h.....in this case, they took her without combat.

BUt seriously, I wanna know who thought this plan up.  Who thought up the nasty combat end-around?


----------



## Lela

drnuncheon said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Hmm.  Maybe folks aren't looking at this in the right way.
> 
> If she had truly repented, then she would go to eternal reward in Pelor's domain - and it's better for her, because there is no longer any chance that she will backslide to her evil ways (and lose her shot at redemption).
> 
> If she was lying, then she would go to eternal punishment in whatever place is reserved for people who break their vows.
> 
> Either way, justice is served.
> 
> As I recall, this reasoning was used in a lot of "by the sword" conversions - which happened at around the same time period that people were whacking each other over the head with bits of sharpened metal.
> 
> So, out of character for a modern person? Sure.  For a neo-medieval person? A lot less so.
> 
> J *




Does that really fit the Pelor we've come to know in Doc's world though?  Pompus and arogent sometimes while helpful and loving at others.  His worshipers are always portraid as strong and confident.  But I've never seen them do anything like that.

If that's the way it goes though, is Dartan next?  No wonder he's Godless.


----------



## Celtavian

*re*

As far as I am concerned, what Myramus/Maximus did was just Wee Jas's devious ways. I am pretty sure there are times when Doc just sighs and lets the dice fall where they may, this was probably one of them.

I just hope he gets on with the story soon. I want to see the fight with Crow. I am hoping Crow kills a bunch of the Knights before they finally get him. A nice, dramatic ending with lots of sacrifice and carnage.


----------



## Lela

*Re: re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *As far as I am concerned, what Myramus/Maximus did was just Wee Jas's devious ways. *




Oh, they'd maim themselves if they believed that.  Those two (and Pelor himself) hate Wee Jas.  Not as much as they hat Vecna, but enough.

Low blow Celtavian.  A broom weilding skeleton somewhere is chearing you on.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Lela, I believe Celtavian was refering to the player Wee Jas, not the actual goddess.

But Doc, c'mon and post it already! Otherwise I'll go post-hunting in search for the Doc summoning ritual by DWARF, so long ago.


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

I was referring to the player, but one could argue that the player thinks like Wee Jas.


----------



## Lela

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *I was referring to the player, but one could argue that the player thinks like Wee Jas. *




Yeah, that would make more sense.  I had just been thinking so much about Pelor that I had a bit of tunnel vision.  My appologies.

It also occurs to me that you may not have even been on the same topic I was.  Again, tunnel vision.  Dag nabbit.


In light of that, I'll just restate that I think the act was an evil one and leave it there.


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

I agree. I couldn't see followers of Pelor really killing someone the way it occurred in the story. 

I figure most players don't take the roleplaying aspect of conversion all that seriously.


----------



## Nail

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *.....I couldn't see followers of Pelor really killing someone the way it occurred in the story. *




That last bit is pretty important.  Restated: Doc, as DM, wrote the story from his viewpoint.  That viewpoint may not be _necessarily_ the "accurate" one.  I mean, sure, we all go with Doc's view.  All the time.  On everything.

On the face of it, depending on the circumstances and IC knowledge, the act was evil.  Probably.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Excuse me if I don't agree. Ending the life of that abbarition was maybe not the purest good, but it was far from evil. 

Who could tell, if she spoke the truth or not? The end goal (basically the fate of the world) is too important to jeopardize on a clearly evil monster that probably had a weak moment. If she had rejoined Crow in the final battle, that would have been it.
Maybe Doc could shed some light on the subject.


And most important: She deserved to die because she helped that damn mindflayer who was effectively responsible for the fate of poor Gryph! 'nough said!


*Oh and: POST DOC, POST !!!*


----------



## Dr Midnight

When they reached the first floor again, Edge and the Maximus brothers began searching the walls and floors. Snooky got out and sniffed around, looking for ways downward to the lower level Glamgorthea had spoken of.

 The skull floated close to Dartan as they waited. “Thank you for your help. The troll might have smashed me in his rage.”

The warrior shook his head. “Broldek may be big and stinky, but he’s really very level-headed. At best I think he was trying to intimidate you.”

The skull teetered in midair, nodding. 

Dartan took a breath to speak. He paused, then said “Bree.”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember anything about death? I mean, I know you can’t recall much about your life… but… ”

“Oh.” The skull floated in the air silently for a moment. “I do. I remember death. You’ve been dead before, haven’t you?”

“Yes, but I’m resurrected before long, always. I’ve never died and stayed dead. What’s it like?”

Bree spoke quietly. “Cold. Cold and empty.”

This surprised Dartan. “What?”

“There’s just the grave and you. You’re barely aware you exist, but you do know that you’re cold, alone, and you’ll never again see any of the people you ever cared about. Just cold, wet gravedirt, moss, and a kind of half-dreaming despair.”

“You were a cleric of Ehlonna. Why would a god allow its servants to rot in their graves? It doesn’t make sense. There’s a heaven for people like you.”

“No. There’s no heaven. Gods don’t care… I learned that after I died. When you’re of no more use to the god, the god throws you aside like the husk you are.”

Dartan’s jaw clenched tightly. “That’s impossible.”

“It’s true. Gods use mortals for their faith, to gain power. When you get to the other side, all you find you’ve ever prayed for were empty promises… because who can hold gods accountable?”

Shaking his head, Dartan said “No, that can’t be right… my wife…”

“Is dead. Pelor used her and then she died. She lies in her grave now, only knowing that you aren’t there, and that she is very, very cold. I’m sorry Dartan.”

“What about Myramus and Menerous? They’re proof that Pelor loves his followers. They’d been dead for quite some time.”

“What are they proof of? They look and talk like your old friends, certainly, but do you know that they are? Can you PROVE they’re who they say they are, if Pelor wants you to believe they’re the brothers Maximus?” Dartan sat silently, thinking. Bree went on. “Gods don’t care. One way or the other you’re going to spend an eternity only in the Oerth, only in despair, ever.“

Dartan got up and walked away, facing the wall where the others could not see. He felt his eyes stinging and his throat closing up. _Don’t cry, you old fool,_ he told himself. _You knew this all along. Since Heironeous abandoned you, you’ve known you had no one to count on but yourself. The universe is empty while the gods eat us like apples, throwing the cores away when they’re done._ He felt sick. He leaned on the wall and breathed. _Bree could be lying. It might not even be Bree._ It certainly sounded like her, though… and it confirmed for him what Dartan had privately believed for years. _Gods are bastards._

He took out the letter he’d been given. Myramus had said it was from his wife. He opened it with shaking hands and read again. 

_Dearest Husband

My beloved. I miss you so. Even here in the rays of the sun, in Pelor’s blessing, I feel sadness in that we are not together. I do not yet have your arms to hold me again, and even in the thrall of bliss, it makes me feel incomplete. The only thing I could ask for in heaven is you… because this is not heaven without you. 

It will never be heaven unless you come here. It is for this reason that I am sending this letter down to you with Myramus. I see you, every day, choking on anger… feeling only pain and rage. You needn’t feel this way about my death. I died for the Shining One. I knew what I was getting into. You felt betrayed that Pelor had let me die, and you shut him out. You’re dooming yourself, my husband. Your anger for losing me will cost you an eternity with me in the end. You must let go of your feelings and give yourself to Pelor’s grace. It is the only way we can be together. Without faith, you will die and your soul will wink out like a candle. Open your heart to Pelor, however, and your soul will shine like the sun itself. You will feel His love, and when you die, we will be complete. Nova and Blaze will join us when it is their time and we will be a family again. Please, it is the only way. 

You will play an important part in the coming war. You may not survive it. I beg you. If you ever loved me, swear yourself to Pelor and let his hand guide you.

In the name of the Shining One
I remain your devoted and loving wife
~Arlen   _ 

“Dartan, are you deaf?”

Dartan looked up, blinking. “What?”

Kizzlorn sighed. “I said we’ve found the way down. Come on.”

“Yes. Of course.” He refolded the letter and placed it inside his pack. The letter had been a beaming thing of hope only moments before, but now doubt clouded his heart. He didn’t know why he was believing Bree. The talking skull of a long-dead childhood friend is nothing to take the word of… yet it had told him what he had held to be true for a long time. He felt his arms and legs grow heavy with sorrow. He felt like sitting down and giving up. What was the point of carrying on? His armor clung to him like so much dead weight. _No,_ he thought. _This cannot be. If there’s even the most remote chance that this will bring me to my wife when I die, I must take it. I must._ Dartan breathed deeply and prayed to Pelor. _I believe,_ he thought. _I believe in you and let you into my soul. Please show me my wife was right. I am a tired old man who has been wrong about most things. I only want to be with her. Pelor, take me as your servant and fill me with your light._

He paused at the top of the trapdoor, looking down on his friends who were descending the ladder beneath him, ignorant of his problems. He waited. Nothing. There was no change. He didn’t feel light and love flow into him. He cursed himself for a fool and stifled the sob he felt building in his chest. Dartan put a foot upon the top rung and began climbing down the ladder. _Bree was right,_ the Godless thought. _I knew it._

He climbed down, stone-faced, suffocating the urge to weep. Weeping was for weaker men. He was Dartan, and he’d only confirmed what he’d known all along. 

*MORE TO COME…*


----------



## e3_Jeb

Cool beans! I love seeing this battle within Dartan. And I may detect a tiny bit of evil in Bree... Who knows? I can only hope I'll know soon enough... Keep up the awsome story...


----------



## Breakstone

Wow, Doc.

Just wow.

That was an amazing post.

You've really brought depth to Dartan's character in this campaign, and I think we can all relate, in some way, with his struggles with faith.

Nice going, Doc! There's a big thumbs up on this side of the screen!


----------



## Lela

Oh god, Dartan's not the only one who's fighting the urge to cry.  Dang.

Guys, I think we're seeing Jamison's true plan.  The systematic destruction of each of the party members very selves.  The heart of who they are and the strength of what they could be torn away.  He hopes to leave them baren.  Especally Dartan.  Oh, how he must hate Dartan.

Again Doc, that was pritty painful.  Well done.

I just hope for Dartan. . .


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

I usually enjoy your story Doc, but you have truly outdone yourself. That was  good bit of writing. Very moving. I now see why Dartan is so many folks favorite character. 

Kudos Doc. Keep up the good work. That was a great update. Now not only am I interested to see how the fight with Crow goes, but now I want to know whether Dartan gets back his Paladin status in service to Pelor.


----------



## Darklone

Thumbs up for Dartan!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Although I'm all in favor of a nice happy ending, Doc gives his players the right to choose more dramatic exits. Just think about the end of Vek.

No, I fear a sad ending coming up: Dartan saving the world from evil, and the only reward he get's for it is not being reunited with his wife for eternity. 
Shame on Pelor and his flock !!!


----------



## Nail

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> * Doc gives his players the right to choose more dramatic exits. *



I thought Dartan was an NPC now.......


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

As far as I understood it, Dartan's player switched characters during the bastion of unbourne souls adventure, retiring Grumbar to the kitchen and picking up Dartan again as a PC.


----------



## fenzer

Nice writing Doc.  Dartan, what a great character.  I have no fear that all will turn out right in the end.  I can't wait so hussle up and write.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

As glad as I am for Docs updates, I kinda miss his commentary from the DM side. Hey, don't do it, if it stalls the writing, though!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *As glad as I am for Docs updates, I kinda miss his commentary from the DM side. Hey, don't do it, if it stalls the writing, though!  *



I kinda decided that when you're asking about the HD of a certain monster, or questioning the feat requirements of a PC based on a written stunt, you're not reading the story I'm writing... not really. D&D may not always apply.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Good point, but what about Crow's evil sister - did she give in or was it a ruse?


----------



## Talix

*cries for Dartan*


----------



## Dr Midnight

“I’ve got a question,” Edge announced. “Why is Crow leading us to him, when he’s busy with the rite to free the beast? Won’t he be too busy to fight?” 

“He assumes he’ll kill us, then free Thuriaq,” Dartan said. 

“But… why leave his only known accomplice behind to die? He should know that no one mage has had any luck standing against us.”

“He must have some plan.”

“Or he really can beat us one-on-one.”

“No chance,” Kizzlorn said. “I toppled one of his precious titans with one spell. One man will go down easily, no matter how powerful he thinks he is at spellcasting.”

Dartan added “Which is why he’ll have a plan. He’s too smart.”

The ladder ended and they dropped down to a horizontal passageway which led north for about twenty feet before sloping down in a clockwise direction. They readied their weapons and started walking. 

Broldek snarled under his breath. “Anything you’d care to tell us about this area, ‘Bree’?” 

“My memory… remains foggy. Do take care, though.” The troll did not seem comforted. 

After turning the corner, the passageway began a steep slope downwards, curving off to the right. The corridor is roughly rectangular in shape with rounded edges along the floor and ceiling. There was a glint of metal along the left side of the wall, about fifteen feet down the passageway.  “Oh, I like the look of this,” Broldek muttered.  

“Calm down,” Edge said. “I’ll have a look.” He skirted away, keeping to the shadows, avoiding obvious places to step, warily looking about as he went. 

The hulking troll shrugged. “Sorry. Just… nerves. You know.”

Edge came back. “Doors, along the left side of the corridor, all the way down. There’s one every twenty feet or so.”

Kizzlorn nodded. “What’s behind the doors?”  Edge opened his mouth to reply, closed it, and turned bright red. Kizzlorn looked up and saw that the barred window looking into the door was at least five feet off the ground… far too high for the little halfling to see into. “Oh. My apologies, Edge, I didn’t mean to be insensitive.”

Menerous snickered. “You could ride on my shoulders…”

Myramus turned on him. “Brother, that is not kind. Mocking another’s physical disabilities. And from YOU, a big fat oaf.”  

The portly Maximus brother frowned. “I’m not fat! I’m a little large. Mother always said that I was just made large so that I could hug better.”

“Yes, and in the meantime, you barely fit down this corridor. Shall I smear you with some oil of slipperiness, brother, so you can squeeze through this hallway safely?”

“I’ll not stand here and be insulted by a dog-faced stupid-head!” Menerous lunged, and the Maximus brothers were soon rolling on the floor, wrestling and shouting names. 

“Stop it, both of you,” Dartan said. He looked down in disgust on Pelor’s champions. “Get up.”

The brothers stood, brushing themselves off. Myramus laughed. “I apologize, brother!” 

“Apology accepted, brother!” They bumped fists together, grinning. 

A voice came from down the hallway. “Is… is someone there?” The Knights froze and listened. “Please… help…” 

“Keep talking,” Kizzlorn said. “Lead us to you.” They began to walk quickly towards the voice. It seemed to be coming from behind one of the iron doors further down the corridor.

“Please,” the voice said. Its owner sounded piteous and frail. “So cold. Please.”

“We’re coming!” Kizzlorn moved quicker and got to the door, pressing her face close to the window to look inside. “Who are…” she stopped and whispered “Oh, no…”

“What is it?” Edge asked. 

“An empty room.”  The cobbles beneath her feet gave way to her weight and sank down about two inches. A muted  clicking noise was heard, and the sounds of large, hidden mechanics shifting boomed all the way up the corridor they’d walked down. 

Edge yelled through his clenched teeth. “TRAP!!” They began running from the rumbling sound, coming from the way they’d come. Behind them, something monstrously large was grinding its way down the thin hallway. Edge, who was at the rear of the group, looked back to see a gigantic stone wheel rolling down at them, gaining speed. There was no space at either side for even him to hide. At the top of the twenty-foot high wheel, however, there was maybe five feet of clearance between it and the ceiling. He saw cobwebs whip back as it passed them, violently displacing the air in the corridor. 

The halfling quickly made a choice and dropped to the ground. His foot swept out in an arc and clipped Kizzlorn in the ankles, causing her to fall backwards with a cry. He spun completely around and stood, and she fell neatly into his arms. Edge may have been a few inches under four feet tall, but his strength was mighty and his courage true. He crouched briefly and leaped up into the air, towards the stone wheel. Kizzlorn screamed as they passed through the empty space between it and the ceiling. With a twist and a bend, they landed on the other side as it continued to roll down their friends. 

Edge put Kizzlorn down and cupped a hand to his mouth. “THERE’S ROOM AT THE TOP! FLY OVER, OR JUMP, HOVER, SOMETHING!”

Kizzlorn, Edge, and Snooky watched as Bree the skull floated over the lumbering thing. Then, Broldek’s face and arms appeared at the top of the wheel. He looked like he might make it, then he landed… on the wheel. His arms clutched at it and his mouth was shaped like an O, and then he was gone. The stone wheel shuddered, and it left behind it a vast, very flat puddle of viscous black goo. It twitched as it gleamed in the torchlight. 

On the other side of the wheel, Dartan and the Maximus brothers were running out of time. The brothers’ wings had melted away after they’d landed on Oerth, so they couldn’t fly over as Bree had. They were each running while wearing armor, and the wheel was closing in. “To me,” Myramus yelled, stopping in the center of the corridor. He pulled out Starfire and it shone in the darkness. The others clutched closely to him and he used his sword to create a passage through the stone wheel as it passed over them. 

It had been a grand plan, for something at such short notice, but what Myramus hadn’t known, what none of them knew, was that the wheel wasn’t solid. It couldn’t be, for the beholders to levitate it into place, so Crow had made it hollow and filled it with an alternate substance in the event that it be broken or pierced, as it was just now. 

As the wheel passed over them and the glaring sword made the space for them to stand in, the liquid green slime center of the wheel was released and it gushed out at them, to their horror. The pure sunlight emitted from Myramus’ sword Starfire burned it to ash as it neared them. The wheel passed by and rolled away, smashing at some unknown end of the spiraling corridor some way down. The trembling three stood frozen. It was only by luck that Starfire had happened to save them from the slime, and the near-death experience left them shaken. It would have eaten through their weapons, armor, and their very bodies in moments. 

“This,” Myramus said, “Is a good sword. Thank you Pelor.” He kissed it and resheathed it. 

Menerous clapped a hand on Dartan’s shoulder and said “The Shining One is merciful, eh?”

Dartan shook off the friendly hand and composed himself. He glowered at Menerous for a moment, then walked back up to Kizzlorn and Edge. “That was very close,” he said. 

Myramus, behind them, began to scrape the black paste that was Broldek into a small sack. He was regenerating quickly, but he was by no means in a good mood. The paste formed a mouth. “Hurt,” it groaned. “Ow.” His potions and breakables were smashed beyond repair, but Broldek himself was only momentarily injured. He’d be back to his old self within the hour.  

“Curse me for walking us into such a trap,” Kizz muttered. 

Edge put a hand on hers and looked up at her. “You didn’t know,” he said. It was supposed to be comforting. She replied by clearing her throat and pulling away. “Anyway. It won’t happen again.”

“Is someone there?” a quavering voice called from the cell beside them. The iron door’s window showed only darkness beyond. No one approached it to look within. 

“I’m not falling for this again, Crow,” Kizzlorn said, mostly to herself. 

Everyone jumped when a face shot up at the window and bony hands reached out for them. “Please,” it said. “Please, get me out of here!” It was a girl. Not a day older than seventeen, by the look. She might have been pretty, but her eyes writhed in her sockets like trapped animals and her cheeks were pale and gaunt. Her hands scrabbled at the iron surface of the door as she called to them. “Get me out. Out.”

Edge examined the entrance to the door before anyone was allowed to step there. When he was convinced there was no trap there, Kizzlorn stepped forward. “Who are you?” she said warily. 

Bree floated close and said “Don’t be fooled.”

The girl said “B. Beckamy. My name. Beckamy. Out.”

“Why are you here?”

“Please, let me out. Out. Now, please.”

“We’re not letting you out until we’re convinced you’re not here to hurt us. Now tell us what we ask of you.”

The girl sobbed and said “I’m here for food. I’m his food. He drinks. Drinks me. His food. Out.” Kizzlorn saw the wretched marks at the left side of her neck, where something had bitten her, many, many times. “Says I’m food. He says I’m food.” She started crying desperately, pulling at her cheeks with her nails. 

“Easy, easy. We’ll let you out. Edge?”

“Don’t,” Bree’s skull warned. “This one is not what she seems. This one stinks of death. Do you smell it?”

Kizzlorn considered for a moment. “Menerous, is she evil?” 

The angel closed his eyes for a moment and said “I can’t tell. There’s a field on this door. It blocks my telling whether or not she’s evil, or undead. She could be either, or both.”

“I’m not,” the girl moaned as tears rolled down her face. “I’m not.”

Bree growled. “She is. Leave her.”

“Everyone back,” Kizzlorn said. “Be ready. Edge, open the door.” Edge went to work.

The floating skull said “Are you mad? She’ll kill you all! Don’t you know not to free attractive women you meet in dungeons? She’s a monster!”

“We don’t know not to take the company of  talking skulls of dead friends,” Kizzlorn observed. “Shut up.” The skull floated back, sullenly. 

The door was opened and Edge jumped back. The battle-ready Knights watched as Beckamy collapsed onto the corridor floor before them. She was dangerously thin, wearing filthy rags spotted with dried blood. She crawled forward weakly, then lay still, breathing shallowly. 

“She’s not evil,” Menerous said, kneeling by her. “And she’s not undead. She is, however, dying. We must help her. Brother!” Myramus came near, and together they healed the girl’s wounds and nourished her with potions and water. Her mind, though, was still shattered. 

“Muh. Get out. We have to get out. Go home. No more food.”

“Where do you live? We’ll take you there.”

“P. Poddleton. Take me to my father.”

“We don’t have time to waste,” Edge said. He caught Kizzlorn’s disapproving glare and blushed again. “By that I mean, this is a good thing, but have we the time, Mistress Kizzlorn? And will we be amply repaid for our services?” He didn’t catch himself in time to stop from saying that, and he bit his tongue, cursing himself. 

“We will take her. It will take a few moments. Broldek is still healing, besides,” she said coldly to Edge. “Come.”

Together they teleported to the mouth of the Gauntlet, then again to the center of Poddleton, where the girl was returned to her grieving family. “Becka?” her father called. “BECKA!!” He wrapped his arms around his daughter and wept. The hysterical family hardly noticed the Knights at all until Beckamy introduced them. “You have our undying thanks,” her father said. “I thought my girl had been surely doomed at the hand of that monster. A vampire, did you know? Wretched thing! It’s plagued our town for too long, but we are too weak from its attacks to fight back!” He made a fist and shook it angrily. 

“A vampire, you say,” Myramus murmured.

“Yes. Unholy thing. Wears all black, comes into town as he pleases and plucks our children from their beds. He is far too powerful for us to fight. All our defenses have been for naught. He is ungodly fast, and he wields the powers of the shadow.”

“All in black,” Kizzlorn said. “Supremely powerful. Alone.” The father nodded and she turned to the others. “Gods, could Crow be a vampire?”

“It might explain a lot,” Dartan said. 

“Yes… Crow. A vampire. Damn!”

The father’s brow furrowed. “Crow, did you say? I don’t know the creature’s true name, but it’s an elf… Calls himself  Nightwalker. Tall, thin, with a longbow and not a devil’s care for all the good in the world. ”

*MORE TO COME…*


----------



## Jon Potter

Could it be the last of the missing Knights of old?

We never did find out what happened to Erasmus did we?


----------



## Look_a_Unicorn

W00T!!
Enworld is back up AND Dr. Midnight has updated.
 Now if only I didn't have another 5 hours of work before the weekend begins inner harmony would be mine 

Poor Broldek, what shape is his equipment in?
Apart from thin and squarish obviously...


----------



## Breakstone

I _knew_ you wouldn't forget Erasmus, Doc!

Oh, what ironic fate, a vampire hunter turned vampire...

Genius, Doc!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

OH...

MY...

GOD !!!


----------



## Elemental

You know, if they keep encountering departed friends.....might a certain Shifter show up again, still mind controlled?

Also, I must say, I like Broldrek....too bad he didn't have longer to develop. Out of curiosity, what's his Intelligence score? He seems smarter than the average troll.


----------



## Lela

Were I as evil as Crow, I might have brought back Hannah, in an evil undead way.

But that thought is creepy on it's own.


----------



## Metus

Well, I'm back and all caught up!  Geez Doc, you've been slacking as of late, haven't you!    I'm having fun with the postings, although I do miss all the players commenting on it.  That was part of the charm.

Broldek's defintely my favorite character at the moment.  I'm kinda confused as to which characters are PCs and which are NPCs.  Can anyone clarify this for me?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Welcome back, Captain Metus. To the best of my knowledge, ALL of the characters are PCs now.


----------



## Talix

Heh - it's great that the only character to get squished is the troll.  

_Very_ impressive feat for Edge - she should give him a kiss for saving her, at least.  

As for the trap - too easy, the good guys are always easy to lead on.  

Hopefully the group will treat Bree with a little more distrust at this point, considering she advised (strenuously!) wrongly about the girl, but didn't say anything about the first trap.  

Fun fun fun... even if you are prolonging the suspense!


----------



## Richards

Hey, it's been awhile since I did a parody song - what say we remedy that?  Here's a parody of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary," based on events from the last write-up.  (And who knows, maybe this will prompt another write-up from the good Doctor...hint hint hint!)

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

*STONE WHEEL*

Found the downstairs to the Gauntlet
Searchin' for the calls of help up ahead
But wouldn't you know it?  Just another damn trap
Kizzlorn set it off, now we'll soon be dead

Stone wheel keeps on turnin'
Green slime inside is churnin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin' down to crush us

Edge grabbed Kizzlorn up in his arms
Jumped over the wheel, landed with a roll
Broldek tried the same thing, but he didn't make it
Now our party has one flattened, pissed-off troll

Stone wheel keeps on turnin'
Green slime inside is churnin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin' down to crush us

It all came down to the angels
Bet you'll never guess how they made it through
Pelor's fancy greatsword chopped the wheel in pieces
And the weapon's sunlight burned the slime up, too!

Stone wheel's cut to pieces
Crow, you are monkey feces!
Damn you, damn you, damn you Jamison Crow!

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

Seriously, I think this chunk of story would have a far different ending if it wasn't for that sword.  If they hadn't stopped the stone wheel when they did, Dartan might have had to change his nickname to "the Bodless!"  

Howzabout that next update, Doc?

Johnathan
Self-Appointed, Unofficial Bard to the _Knights of Spellforge Keep_ Campaign


----------



## Dr Midnight

Richards said:
			
		

> *Howzabout that next update, Doc?
> *



Howzabout you shut yer mouth lest I sock ya one right in the jaw, buddy? Huh? Yeah, you heard me, ya pigeon-legged napkin moistener. Howzabout I bust ya one right in the kisser? You want that? Do ya? Maybe you do. You keep askin' for it. Just keep askin' for it, doe eyes, and believe me... you'll get it.

*knuckle cracking noises*

You want some of THIS?







Didn't think so, sniffles. Turn around and start walkin'.


----------



## Lela

Yes, well Dartan and death are not things you want to mix at this point.  Lack of a deity can do that to a guy.


Edit: On second thought, after seeing that picture, I'm with Dartan. . .


----------



## Richards

So, what exactly are you trying to say there, Doc?  Are you gonna update soon, or not?

By the way, I love your new outfit.

Johnathan


----------



## DWARF

You sure that outfit gets passed the "Eric's Grandmother" limit?


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Talix said:
			
		

> _Very_ impressive feat for Edge - she should give him a kiss for saving her, at least.



Well, if Egde was a *half-demon* and *female*, maybe Kizz would make an exception.   




			
				Talix said:
			
		

> As for the trap - too easy, the good guys are always easy to lead on.
> 
> Hopefully the group will treat Bree with a little more distrust at this point, considering she advised (strenuously!) wrongly about the girl, but didn't say anything about the first trap.



Yeah, that's the trouble with good characters. No matter if the previous 50 encounters of that type were traps, you still got to rescue the maidens...


----------



## Dr Midnight

Richards said:
			
		

> *So, what exactly are you trying to say there, Doc?  Are you gonna update soon, or not?
> *



I'm glad you asked. Well, the answer to that question is - oops, ran out of room, time to answer the next question.


			
				Richards said:
			
		

> *By the way, I love your new outfit.
> *



What, this old thing?


----------



## Nail

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *
> What, this old thing? *



I see plenty of Photoshop potential, there.


----------



## Wee Jas

I do love that sword.  

/screams

STARRFFIIIRRRRRREEEEEEE!!!!!

/metal music
/bangs head


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Hey Wee Jas, 

you're back! Where've you been???


----------



## Dr Midnight

Update is imminent! Avert course! Reroute power to starboard shields... Hang on... Nuh... N-N-NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!


----------



## Ave Rage

I just hope we get a "THE END" instead of a "TO BE CONTINUED.."


----------



## Dr Midnight

Not for one or two updates yet after this one, but it will definitely be THE END... save a side project involving side characters, possibly. Unlikely, but possible.

Still typing... Stay on target...


----------



## Ave Rage

2 - 3 more updates left?

Atleast I know I'll have ~2months left of the KSK


----------



## Piratecat

Time to trim! Tom, you need to delete a couple hundred posts out (start with bumps). If I make you a temporary moderator of this forum and show you how, will you please do so over the course of the week?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Yessir, I'll do that. I pwomise.

HEY THERE READERS, I'm sorry, but my steam ran out. I got twelve hundred words out before the inkwell ran dry, and I've got a definite ending place for this update planned... I will not reach it tonight. I will try again tomorrow, but knowing what a big jerk I am (right, Ave Rage?)... who knows. Soon, though. 

Here's a teaser:
------------------------------------------------

Menerous nodded. “Does anyone have anything to say?”

The Knights drew their weapons and readied. “May the hand of Pelor guide us,” Myramus said. “May the Shining One lend his grace to us in this, our deadliest hour.”

Dartan laughed. “May your Shining One choke on the souls he devours.” The Maximus brothers looked hurt at this, but didn’t answer.

Broldek smiled. “I’ve got nothin’ to say. Let’s go in there and start swinging, for the good of the land.”

Snooky said _I just want you all to know how proud my master would be, if he could see you now. If the gods are good he will be able to tell you this himself, in a few moments. _

Edge’s ears were red. He cursed softly. “Hell with it. Kizzlorn… for good luck.” He jumped up and planted a quick, gentle  kiss on her lips. “And because I might not live to do it later.” He turned away in his embarrassment. 

Kizz stared after him, shocked. She’d known of the halfling’s feelings for her, but she never thought he’d dare to be so bold. She opened her mouth to say something scathing for the offense, but decided against it. Instead, she collected herself and said “May our swords and spells strike true. Let’s go.”

They placed each of the keys in a hole, and turned them. When the last key was turned, the door clicked.  Myramus kicked the door in and they ran inside... 
------------------------------------------


----------



## e3_Jeb

Mmm... This will be quite fun...


----------



## Ave Rage

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *I will try again tomorrow, but knowing what a big jerk I am (right, Ave Rage?)
> *




After reading that teaser, YES!!!

I was going to say earlier about how I don't mind waiting if the quality goes up but damn if that teaser isn't horrendously tugging at me.

*goes back to surfing the net for Enchantment spells even though there are none*


----------



## Mathew_Freeman

ARGH! 

I can't believe it! I read through 23 pages of Story Hour goodness, hoping against hope as I went along that Doc would already have finished it...and now this?

I have to wait?

I say again, ARGH!

Doc - a small message of encouragement. If you don't finish this within two weeks (because I'm going away in two weeks for at least 6 weeks) then I'll...I'll...I'll...I'll cry! And then you'll feel bad!
______________________
Great stuff though! Have enjoyed it a lot! Glad to share the fun with y'all!


----------



## Dr Midnight

DEFINITELY updating tonight! I'm going to have a HUGE chapter, over 2,500 words for you, and some stuff I'm going to bet you did not see coming. Tonight's an emotional one, folks, grab your hankies. Gimme maybe an hour more to wrap this sucker up...


----------



## Breakstone

Woo hoo!

What's inspired you to write so much, Doc?


----------



## Lela

You're going to have to work hard to surprise us Doc.  Very hard. . .

So, uh, let's go!



			
				Tsunami said:
			
		

> *Woo hoo!
> 
> What's inspired you to write so much, Doc? *




Well, come on, that's an easy one.  Me.

Gall Tsunami, you know better than to ask that.


----------



## Dr Midnight

“Erasmus,” Dartan grumbled as they left the village. “I was wondering where he’s been.”

Kizzlorn thought for a moment and gave him a look. “Who is this ‘Erasmus’?”

“Do you remember when I told you about Jamison’s corruption? How there were two of us who spontaneously turned evil, and turned on us? Jamison was the first… Erasmus was the other. He was alive at the time… vampire hunter. Archer. Deadly. Could shoot a tossed pebble from the air at a hundred paces.”

“And he escaped?”

“Helped Jamison attack us, then fled. Never heard from him again. I looked for him, for a time, before I met my wife. Never found a thing.”

Myramus sniffled. “Now the vampire hunter is a vampire, and has joined the side of darkness.”

“Hmm,” Broldek murmured. The troll was mostly regenerated now, and only needed to regrow a few patches of skin. His face was half-covered, but the other half was an inky black mess of troll blood and twitching, glistening muscles. His yellow, unlidded eye glared about at everyone. It was most unpleasant to look at.   “There’s an odd poetry in that.” 

“That’s not poetry,” Myramus replied sharply. “It’s a sickening blot on your world’s history, and it will be stamped out with the rest.”

Dartan frowned at the hound archon. “’Your’ world?”

“Yes. The mortal realm ceased to be mine when I died. I’m merely here to help you defend it. Mine is the sun-blessed cirrus meadow of heaven.”

“By Pelor’s light, we will return there soon,” Menerous said piously.

“By Pelor’s light,” Myramus agreed.

Dartan spat. “There’s for Pelor’s light. Take us back to the Gauntlet, we’ve got work to do.”

They teleported. Back in the curving and circular hallway, there were no more cries of distress to be heard. Bree the skull waited here for them. “Let me guess,” she said coldly. “You returned the girl to her grateful parents. She sobbed and hugged them, and didn’t leap for anyone’s throats at any time.”

“That’s right,” Kizzlorn replied. “It would appear that you lied to us. I don’t think even Dartan doubts your treachery now.”

“Fools. Why would she attack now, with you there? She waited until you left, and is now probably feasting on the blood of her family. She was made undead and unclean, and you released her, wasting precious time in the bargain.”

Myramus drew Starfire. “I’ve had a bellyful of this skull. You’re not helpful in the least, lest ‘helpful’ means leading us into traps and ignorance of the truth.”

“Not helpful, am I?” The skull shouted indignantly. “I got you this far. I gave you the clues. I don’t know why I’m here, but I do know that I remember my childhood friend. Dartan, can you have forgotten our time together, growing up? Can you have forgotten our time playing with stick-swords and pretend wands? How can you let them destroy me?”

“I…” Dartan the Godless paused and thought. “It cannot be said that I truly trust you, but I do believe we should let you live.”

“That is enough, I suppose,” she said with a hurt voice. “In time perhaps you will come to understand my worth. For example… I can tell you that the way lies through the door at the end of the hallway.” They turned and looked down the hall, seeing a large stone door. It had a number of keyholes. “There’s a hole for every key you’ve taken. They will open the door. It is trapped with a spell, but I’m certain your thief will be able to deactivate it.”

“I’m not a thief,” Edge said. He cautiously moved up to the door and examined it. After a moment, he said  “She’s right. Lightning trap. Tough to spot.” He dismantled it. 

Kizzlorn knotted her brow and glanced at the skull. “All right. What’s beyond that door, then?”

“Everything. It’s coming quickly to me now… This is the gate to Thuriaq’s prison door. The room where Crow is laboring to release the fiend. He is accompanied by his minions. I think he will be done soon…”

Kizz turned to the others. “Okay. We have to trust to this. Let’s form a quick strategy and move in, taking down what we can as fast as possible. Myramus, you move in quickly with that sword of yours. Broldek and Dartan, follow him, stay hidden from any spells or missile fire, and crack some skulls when you get close enough. Edge, try to dart in and stick to the shadows. Menerous, you and I will try to provide them with distracting targets, under protection of shield spells in the rear. Lots of lights and sound, understand?” Menerous nodded. “Does anyone have anything to say?”

The Knights drew their weapons and readied. “May the hand of Pelor guide us,” Myramus said. “May the Shining One lend his grace to us in this, our deadliest hour.”

Dartan laughed. “May your Shining One choke on the souls he devours.” The Maximus brothers looked hurt at this, but didn’t answer.

Broldek smiled. “I’ve got nothin’ to say. Let’s go in there and start swinging, for the good of the land.”

Snooky said _I just want you all to know how proud my master would be, if he could see you now. If the gods are good he will be able to tell you this himself, in a few moments. _

Edge’s ears were red. He cursed softly. “Hell with it. Kizzlorn… for good luck.” He jumped up and planted a quick, gentle  kiss on her lips. “And because I might not live to do it later.” He turned away in his embarrassment. 

Kizz stared after him, shocked. She’d known of the halfling’s feelings for her, but she never thought he’d dare to be so bold. She opened her mouth to say something scathing for the offense, but decided against it. Instead, she collected herself and said “May our swords and spells strike true. Let’s go.”

They placed each of the keys in a hole, and turned them. When the last key was turned, the door clicked.  Myramus kicked the door in and they ran inside. 

What happened next was unexpected, even for the Knights, who were expecting something bizarre and deadly. An arrow took Myramus in the arm from the moment he was exposed to the room. He cried out and Starfire clattered to the ground. Then, the whole party was awash in bright blue flame. Laughter came to their ears as they scrambled into the room, burning, looking for cover and watching for oncoming attacks. 

“Welcome!” a voice called. It sounded like the hissing of a knife being scraped along a block of ice. Another _twang!_ noise was heard, and an arrow thunked into a chink in Dartan’s armor, where his breastplate and shoulder plate met. The Godless grunted through clenched teeth and looked for somewhere to hide. There was no place to run to. The room they’d entered was a vast hall with far walls, high ceilings, no furniture or cover to hide behind whatsoever… it was a perfect spot  for a master archer. Erasmus Nightwalker stood at the far end of the hall, behind a waist-high stone wall. He was firing arrows at them at an incredible speed. Menerous took an arrow in the belly and he shouted, more in surprise than pain. 





“FIGHT! MOVE IN AND FIGHT!” Kizzlorn was holding an arm back to hurl a fireball spell. “HIT THEM HAR-“ her words caught in her throat when she saw the figure standing behind Erasmus. A tall, thin wraith of a man wearing white dragonhide  armor and a skull for a mask. A vast crimson cape hung from his shoulders and his bony hands clutched a powerful broadsword. “Vek,” Kizz whispered, the wind taken out of her. The spell in her hand fizzled away as her concentration blew apart like leaves before a gale. _Vek, oh gods, Vek, he’s back and he’s on their side HE’S ON THEIR SIDE…_ She watched in horror as he walked forward, brandishing his sword. 

Dartan ran forward to meet it and an arrow struck him in the kneecap. The force of the arrow’s flight punctured his armor and plunged into the tensed ligament beneath. He didn’t scream as he stumbled. “DARTAN, THAT’S VEK, LOOK OUT-“ Vek raised his sword and swung it down against Dartan, who blocked the blow, kneeling on the ground in a spreading pool of blood. 

“No,” Dartan said as he counterattacked. His sword stuck straight through the undead’s chest and drove him back two paces, pushing all the way in to the hilt. “It’s Metus.” The death knight’s eyes glowed sickly red in his skull as he bore down on the warrior. 

Edge was quicker. He bounded across the room in two leaps and ran up the wall, dodging arrows as he did. He flipped to the ground and landed on the balls of his feet, behind Metus. He prepared a devastating wyvern fist attack, that would surely shatter the thing’s brittle ribs… but he froze, then screamed. He fell to the ground clutching his head in agony. 

Broldek was stepping forward, one foot at a time, holding his greatsword with one hand and trying vainly with the other to beat out the flames that enveloped him. The troll inferno walked slowly and surely towards the cloaked figure at Erasmus’ right side, who continued to cover him with fire from afar. A jet of flame shot from Crow’s hands, never once ceasing to bathe Broldek in fire, and the troll never once ceased walking forward to kill him. 

“Milady!” Menerous coughed. Three arrows were stuck in him. “They were ready for us. They knew our strategy. We must pull…” as his mouth formed the word _back,_ an arrow plunged into his eye socket and he choked once, then fell, and lay dead. 

“BROTHER!!!” Myramus leaned down to pick up his sword with his other hand. It was invaluable to him, and one of the party’s greatest assets in combat. The sword skittered out of his reach, however, and flew away, to slap into a waiting hand. Crow held it, smiling. With his right hand he covered Broldek in flame, and his left held Starfire. On his right hand was a glittering gold ring- one of many- this one marked with dozens of tiny gems in all colors. It was a Ring of Dragon Madness, and it was crippling Edge’s senses. 

“Fall down,” Crow said, bemused, to Broldek. The troll took two more steps, then one, then paused, and dropped his greatsword. He crumpled to the ground, a smoldering husk. 

Kizzlorn cast spell after spell from the rear of the room, watching her friends lose. Dartan was quickly being driven under by Metus’ sword blows. Edge was screaming, both nostrils bleeding slow rivers. Myramus ran forward in rage, barely thinking of how to attack. Erasmus let him come within five feet before he shot him through the throat with a particularly barbed arrow. “No,” Kizzlorn sobbed. “We were close.”

“You were!” Crow said. “Sadly, you made the mistake of allowing us to see your every weakness before you arrived. I’m afraid we had help. Erasmus, cripple her and show her what I mean.” As quickly as that, two arrows thunked into her arms, and she screamed, falling to her knees. Something floated past her shoulder. She looked up, and through the tears she saw Bree fly over to Erasmus, who clutched it from behind and made it speak, as a puppet might. 

“Thank you so very much for believing in me, Dartan,” he said mockingly through the skull. “I guess you’ve still got some blind faith left in you, eh? Also, thanks for letting me study the weak points in your armor through the corpse of a childhood friend. That was kind of you.”

Dartan, dying from a dozen wounds, bared his teeth and forced one leg up from kneeling. He caught Metus’ sword in a gauntleted hand. It cut him deeply, but he ignored the pain and ripped it from the death knight’s grasp, then smashed him in the face with its pommel. He stood shakily, dropping the sword. “You fiend,” he wheezed. “I hate you.”

“Hate’s all you ever do, Dartan. Be a good sport and lie down, won’t you?” Erasmus put an arrow through Dartan’s chest, but he didn’t fall. He walked forward as Erasmus fired shot after shot into him. 

“Kill you. Gonna… kill you.” Dartan reached up and snapped an arrow off, gripping it in his fist. He rained blood on the ground as he walked. He stumbled up to Erasmus and yelled, plunging the arrow through the large iron circle he wore, into his chest. The vampire stood and smiled at him. Dartan looked down and saw that the arrow’s broken tip protruded from his back, but did not pierce his flesh. The arrow had disappeared through the iron ring, which acted as some kind of gate, allowing the arrow to pass harmlessly through his body. Dartan stared in horror, and died there. He fell down. 

Metus had found his footing and raised his sword to kill Edge. The halfling’s legs kicked weakly, and he looked at Kizzlorn over the blood and bodies. “I love you,” he said before he was killed. 

Kizzlorn’s head lolled against her chest as she cried. Her shoulders shook from the sobs, and she made no sound. Her tears rolled down her cheeks and fell on her arms where the arrows had struck her. They mingled with the blood. She closed her eyes and wept as she heard Crow’s boots step closer to her. She looked up at him. Her chin trembled. 

He looked down and smiled sadly. “Dartan said it himself, a few hours ago. ‘He WANTS us to reach the end, so that we can fail there- and only there.’ True enough. Now that you’re here, you’ll make a fine welcome home gift for father. Erasmus, bring the mirror.” 

Kizzlorn saw Erasmus carry a gilded mirror from behind the stone wall. In its reflection was a tired looking old man with a white beard, frozen in time. He set it at the front of the room, overlooking the bodies of all the Knights. Kizzlorn also saw that the very far wall, where her enemies had attacked from, had a large circle made of milky white orbs half-embedded in the stone. Only one orb was missing. Six orbs lined the wall, one was absent from a hemispherical keyhole. The gate of Thuriaq, with six of the keys in place.  

Crow circled Kizzlorn, listening to her pained breathing. “You came to die, and die you did. Very well, I might add. That Dartan doesn’t go down without one hell of a fight, does he? Thuriaq will rise, in a moment,” he pulled from his sleeve the seventh orb. It shimmered in the torchlight. “and he will smite the world. Then, when it is done, I will wake him and he will fall from his mirror, to see that his brave young heroes died trying to save it all. He’ll rush to the surface of Oerth, some distance overhead, and see the black ash of the landscape. Nothing alive. Everything dead.”

“Dead,” Erasmus smiled.

”Dead,” Metus croaked.

“Then his heart will break and I will have won. I will come to him and destroy him. It will be easy… there will be no fight in him. Then, I can kill myself and be done, having done the vilest deed ever known.” 

He walked to the back wall, holding the orb. “This has been a long time coming, Kizzlorn, and I must say it’s been incredible. I’m only sorry you and your friends won’t be alive to see the world die.” He placed the orb in the seventh hole and all seven lit up, glowing brightly, white-hot. They flushed yellow, then red, then stopped glowing and turned black. A crack smote the center of the ring and a deep rumbling was heard in the ground. 

“It is done. Several hundred of the fiercest imprisoned titans are now free. Thuriaq is released. He will rise some miles outside of Greyhawk, from where he is imprisoned. We must go and watch. Have you anything final to say?” Crow, Erasmus, and Metus watched her.  

She broke. The last sob went from her, and her head hung down. She mumbled “Just kill me. Please, kill me.”

Crow waved a hand. “Erasmus?” He raised his bow and put an arrow through her head. “Come, gentlemen. We’ve got the end of everything to enjoy. Let’s be off.” The black wizard teleported them away. 

The Knights of Spellforge Keep all lay dead. The room was silent. In a moment, something rustled. Snooky the cat slowly crept from Kizzlorn’s knapsack. He’d heard everything, and was in the absolute blackest despair the little pseudodragon had ever known. It was all he could do to approach Gorgoldand’s mirror and weep, silently begging forgiveness for failing him in the end.

Above, in the world of men, the ground shook. Thunder rumbled everywhere. Lightning forked over Greyhawk, and the air smelled like blood. In a field where nothing ever grew, the dirt churned and smoked. The trees nearby burst into flame, and the clouds overhead boiled. A monster the size of a castle clawed its way up from the ground. Its lungs thundered like titanic bellows working a pit of coals the size of a lake. Thuriaq raised his black horns into the sky and smelled the night air.  The Tarrasque opened its jaws and screamed. 

*MORE TO COME…*


----------



## Ave Rage

That... was pathetic! (The hero's, not the story hour)

And no chance of stopping for a few months and returning as another generation of heros 

They were asking for it though, I mean, really.  Who lets a talking skull live??

Shouldn't the Pelor-twins have been stipped of thier powers for that?


----------



## Ave Rage

Are the bad guy's stats posted anywhere?

I want to see what exactly took down the KSK without breaking a sweat >: (


----------



## Kesh

_Damn._

That was one helluva fight. Taken down quick, but with some great heroics on everyone's part. They certainly went down fighting!

And now, the world ends... can't wait to see how Doc writes it.


----------



## Lela

Hmmm, I'll have to ponder that for a while. . .


----------



## Ave Rage

I just remembered, that even though half of the knights went down... maybe the other half (the kitchen staff) will be able to bring about a good ending.


----------



## Lela

Ave Rage said:
			
		

> *I just remembered, that even though half of the knights went down... maybe the other half (the kitchen staff) will be able to bring about a good ending. *




Entirely possible.  But I don't have that much faith in Meepo.

Though I do wonder where Lela the Broom Weilding Skeleton is.


----------



## Ave Rage

Lela said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Entirely possible.  But I don't have that much faith in Meepo.
> *




The titan went down with a simple stone to flesh spell.. anything is possible *shrugs*


----------



## Malachai_rose

....

abba hamma dubba ...

Thats my way of saying I am speechless, wow great story. This has got to win you the rbdm award for 2003, lol, hardcore man. 

There is hope still I mean what about all the great Greyhawk heroes of legend ? 

Lol, wheres Drizz't and Elminster when you really need em, I mean a little cross reality hopping over to Greyhawk to save the day might be nice... lol. 

Hardcore Doc... hardcore


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

What the...wait a minute...WOW...Tarrasque...The knights, dead...killed by an archer...what the...


----------



## Darklone

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> *
> 
> What the...wait a minute...WOW...Tarrasque...The knights, dead...killed by an archer...what the... *




Meepo will save them 

Doc: Wonderful. Looks like some nice plothooks how this could end.

The party will win the next fight simply because 3.5rd edition will have the archers shafted? Looks like divine intervention. 

PS: Please post the Tarrasque stats somewhere later if you modified it... the MM1 tarrasque is sooo weak


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

WOW!!! Damn, Doc. Have you been reading H.P. Lovecraft or watching _In the Mouth of Madness_? That was a Lovecraftian ending if I have ever seen one. Boy, oh, boy. The world is going to end, the heroes are dead. Just unbelievable.

How did yours players react? They must have been pissed. You annihilated them.


----------



## Morte

Well, maybe somebody will pull the coals out of the fire, but from the story as written the party seemed to deserve what they got.

The note from Dartan's wife (via the angels) directly contradicts what the skull said about the nature of death, so one of them was a liar. I tell you, you should never trust a flying skull... But the big lug was too bitter to think it through, or to believe his beloved wife.

And when they get to the final door, and the final battle against their greatest enemy, they... opened the door and ran in. No divination, no buff, no summons, no attempt at reconnaisance, no "what are our best tactics against a wizard and/or a vampire archer". Unlike the Accsie battle, which was a thing of beauty, they seem to have treated Crow like a room full of goblins.

Here's hoping the kitchen staff will raise them for a second attempt.

And, just by the by, _great_ story Doc.


----------



## Wee Jas

I love Erasmus.. lol.  Great story Doc.


----------



## Nail

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> *I love Erasmus.. lol.  Great story Doc. *




Hmm.


----------



## RingXero

Now all Snooky has to do is break the mirror.

I mean, that was the Knights plan right?  Everyone get killed and get the evil guys to leave them alone with the mirror, so snooky can release the big 'G' and res them?  

Having the added benefit of Dartan realizing the error of his godless ways?


RX


----------



## Broccli_Head

RingXero said:
			
		

> *Now all Snooky has to do is break the mirror.
> 
> I mean, that was the Knights plan right?  Everyone get killed and get the evil guys to leave them alone with the mirror, so snooky can release the big 'G' and res them?
> 
> Having the added benefit of Dartan realizing the error of his godless ways?
> 
> 
> RX *




Yeah, Great Idea!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

<optimism>
Yeah, you guys are probably right: The Knights let themselves get slaughtered, so that they could fight the Tarrasque after freeing Gorgoldand. 
</optimism>

You know, I hope this story takes a turn for the better. Not because I am a romantic fool and want to see the halfling carry off Kizzlorn into the sunset, but because Doc's story has been incredible so far. 
I mean, when I first stumbled across the Knights, they were fighting with safety off, and ever since, I stuck with reading the story. Seeing these characters develop, especially through Doc conveying their emotions and characters in his write-ups, was really something. 

Now reading them being dispatched by that world-breaker-wannabe evil Crow is not an exit in the style of the KotSQ or the KotSK & *this is why they have to get off their dead behinds and take Crow's crazy head back to the keep as a trophy - right along with that of Thuriaq!!!*

'nuff said...


----------



## Olgar Shiverstone

TPK.  Evil.  Cool.

Hopefully we haven't been duped by a bad dream. *wonders what "more to come" is*


----------



## Hammerhead

*So Very Poor*

Not the story hour ending, but the Knight's performance. What level are they? The evil guys took them down as if they were clubbing baby seals. Can Kizzlorn cast 9th level spells?


----------



## Metus

Well I'm not sure what to make of that.  I guess that was good... for me?  Kizz should've never kicked me out!  That was their comeuppance!

The party was put away rather efficiently though, weren't they?  I'm also curious as to how the players reacted, _if_ that really happened.  Very good update nonetheless.  Thanks for the heads up, Doc.


----------



## Ziona

Ave Rage said:
			
		

> *That... was pathetic! (The hero's, not the story hour)*




I haven't peeked in here for awhile (having moved into a house where internet connections were not available in our neighborhood), and I'm pretty surprised by what I'm reading...in Tsunami's words..."whoa."

I agree that the Knights were pathetic in this battle...it would never have happened that way, or at least, speaking on behalf of Kizz, she would never have just stood there and died. 

Very nice writing Doc, and you are in control of the characters in your story, but speaking from my character's point of view, there's no way she would have just given up like that.   She was _far_ too powerful for such an ending.  She would have gone out casting.  

And I have to agree with Celtavian, that the ending was rather creepy and eerie.  (In the Mouth of Madness? _Love_ that movie!)

Oh, and one more thing...



> _Originally posted by Dr. Midnight_
> “Vek,” Kizz whispered, the wind taken out of her. The spell in her hand fizzled away as her concentration blew apart like leaves before a gale. Vek, oh gods, Vek, he’s back and he’s on their side HE’S ON THEIR SIDE… She watched in horror as he walked forward, brandishing his sword.




Now *THAT's* a reason to give up hope, (just not a reason to lay down and die).  

Great job, Doc!


----------



## Lela

So Doc.  When's the next update?


----------



## Nail

...what _she_ said.

Gotta let those creative juices build again, eh? (...if you know what I mean, and I think you do.)


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Ziona said:
			
		

> *
> I agree that the Knights were pathetic in this battle...it would never have happened that way, or at least, speaking on behalf of Kizz, she would never have just stood there and died.
> 
> Very nice writing Doc, and you are in control of the characters in your story, but speaking from my character's point of view, there's no way she would have just given up like that.   She was far too powerful for such an ending.  She would have gone out casting.   *




Were you not playing on the night of the final battle, Ziona? If you were playing, what happened to the knights there - one fatal moment of "To hell with tactics" or what ???


----------



## Breakstone

Great writing Doc!

I loved that picture of Erasmus, and Metus returning was a great quick-twist.

But where's Tsunami?  

By the way, your writing as of late has been superb. The imagery of, well, everything was awesome.

However, you may want to edit in an appearance of Crow into the battle. He just sort of... appeared, unless I missed something.

Keep up the great writing, Doc!


----------



## Celtavian

*Re*

Doc,

Are you just writing the characters now? The players aren't actually playing the game anymore?  Or is it only Kizzlorn's player that didn't show up? What's going on? I would like to know if I am reading a purely storybook ending, or were the players playing with you interpreting events.

I'll read the end either way, but I would like to know.


----------



## Ziona

*Re: Re*



			
				Celtavian said:
			
		

> *Doc,
> 
> Are you just writing the characters now? The players aren't actually playing the game anymore?  Or is it only Kizzlorn's player that didn't show up? What's going on? I would like to know if I am reading a purely storybook ending, or were the players playing with you interpreting events.
> 
> I'll read the end either way, but I would like to know. *




I didn't play in the final battle, giving Doc creative licence over the actions of Kizzlorn.  I just would have had her react differently to everything (except maybe when she saw Vek!)


----------



## Wee Jas

Well,  I made Erasmus and Metus...  but we are lucky that Vek wasn't there too.  Squaring off against 3 of my characters?  Oh man,  I would need to run another 2 of my PCs just to hope to win  

hehe..


----------



## Talix

Sigh...


----------



## fenzer

I don't know quite what to say.  This was not what I expected.  Maybe there is a greater plan in the works or maybe, but I hope not, the Knights were just over confident.  Here's hoping the great Golden One can save the day.

I agree, Tsunami.  Crows appearance read the same for me.  I didn't realize he was there then boom Crow's steeling the sword.

Anyway, you delivered Doc.  This last battle was a twist.


----------



## Look_a_Unicorn

Wow, TPK in the final battle. Bummer!
Masterfully written though, I bet it was fun to teach those upstart adventurers a thing or two about tactics, wot wot 

And who saves the day... Snooky the Tarrasque Slayer!!


----------



## Celtavian

*Re: Re: Re*



			
				Ziona said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I didn't play in the final battle, giving Doc creative licence over the actions of Kizzlorn.  I just would have had her react differently to everything (except maybe when she saw Vek!)  *




Ok, cool. 

Wee Jas,

Why didn't you come up with a better plan? This not like you to go down so easily.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Updating in a few moments... if you're out there at this time (5 am eastern), get ready to read...


----------



## Dr Midnight

Kizzlorn’s eyes fluttered and opened. 

She inhaled deeply, then coughed the dust from her lungs. She sat up. Discarded arrows and blood lay all about the floor, but she was unharmed, and glowing white. The glow faded, and left. Her last memories came to her and she looked about for Crow, eyes wide. The fear and pain of her dying moments came home to her, and she was haunted. Worst was the end, when she had broken. Spirits are hardy things, and Kizzlorn’s among the most defiant on Oerth, but the sorceress found herself empty inside when all she met was death at the end of the quest. _Death,_ she thought. _ I died… I remember. I did. why am I here now?_

She looked around again, this time seeing the mirror with the frozen dragon wizard within. She saw all of her friends dead on the ground… save for Dartan, who was sitting with his back to the wall, reading a piece of paper. He looked up at her. Snooky sat in his lap. “Dartan,” Kizz gasped. “What happened? Why are we alive?”

His eyes went back to his paper. He seemed oddly numbed, she noticed. The paper was the note he’d been given, supposedly from his wife. “It was all a lie. She was lying the whole time,” he said quietly.

“Who? Your wife?”

“No… Bree.” He looked back at her, eyes wide and hands trembling. “Bree was lying about it all.” 

“What…” She shook her head and tried to come to her senses. She repeated herself. “Dartan, why are we alive?”

“The soul-beings. When we defeated Ashardalon. The glowing soul-beings came and gave us a gift. ‘Should you die… you will be reborn, immediately, at full strength. Then shall the gift be spent, and you will live on’ We forgot about it. Crow didn’t even know. Now we’re back.” He folded the paper, placed it in his belt-pouch, and stood. Snooky jumped from his lap as he rose and ran to Kizzlorn, who hugged him fiercely.

“We’re back,” Kizz said. 

Nearby, Edge shuddered as he gasped and coughed, glowing white as Kizz had, and Dartan before her. He sat up and touched the place on his chest where Metus had stabbed him through. The skin was whole. “What… Kizzlorn, we… Where? Oh gods…”

Broldek’s corpse began to glow, and the blackened crust fell away from him in a rain of ash as he shifted. His entire body was whole again, and he awoke with the same confusion the others had. Kizzlorn comforted the two as best she could, and explained why they yet lived. Like herself and Dartan, they’d forgotten all about the gift of the Soul Children in the Bastion. 

Now, they stood and noticed that Myramus and Menerous- who had, of course, not been along for that adventure- were still laying dead on the ground. As only the two of them had the ability to resurrect the dead, none of the living Knights had any means to bring them back… the brothers Maximus would have to remain dead for the time being. Time, of course, was of the essence… Thuriaq was awake, and walking the Oerth above. They could feel the tremblings beneath their feet, even from here. 

“What now,” Kizzlorn asked nervously.

“The mirror,” Snooky said. “Gorgoldand. We must free him.”

They all looked at the tall mirror, and the white-bearded man frozen within. Kizzlorn approached the mirror and touched the glass. “Yes. How do we free him?”

“Jamison freed Acessiwal by shattering his mirror, some time ago,” Dartan said as he drew his sword. “Stand back.” The others crowded behind him, and Dartan swung his sword into the mirror. 

What they didn’t know was that a protective spell had been placed on this mirror. Crow knew Gorgoldand’s imprisonment was worth insuring, so he’d likened the mirror’s hardness to a crystal shard, and hidden that shard deep within a dark place in the world. So long as the shard came to no ill, the mirror would be nearly impossible to destroy. No one knew where it was, and no one cared, as long as no one even knew it existed. When Crow had conquered the Oerth, he would recover the crystal and destroy it, thus allowing him to free Gorgoldand and fulfill his evil plans. 

What Crow didn’t know was that only an hour before, a small group of adventurers had come upon the shard and mistaken it for long-lost treasure. Grumbar, Horacio, and Meepo had delved deeply into a cavern, believing Crow to have been there some years past, based on the testimony of a nearby villager. They’d fought and slain many foul creatures, and in the end found the crystal shard. 

Meepo’s eyes had grown large with greed. “Ooooh, shiiiiiny!”  

“Shut up, that’s mine,” Grumbar had said. “I was the one that beat the big monster.”

“You don’t eeven know what kind of monstair eet was,” Horacio’d argued. “Let me have eet!”

They’d fought over the shard, and it was passed quickly from hand to hand. Meepo had bitten Grumbar’s ankle, who’d screeched and dropped the crystal, which was caught by Horacio, who was tackled by the other two. This went on for some time, until the combative compatriots discovered that in the fray, they’d smashed the crystal to dust from their roughhousing. 

“Oh, NO!” Grumbar had cried out. “The treasure!”

Meepo sat on the ground and wept. “We, the Impossibly Invincible Knights of Kobold Fury and Kitchen Mastery and Bread, set out to beat up bad things on night when bad things rise. What good have we done? We fight over treasure, not kill many beasties, and Meepo get splinter.”

Grumbar then picked the kobold up and hugged him. “It’s alright. We did good, I think.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Remember that goblin you killed? He was fierce! I think you may have helped save the world tonight.”

Horacio rolled his eyes. “You two are patheteek.” Then, the fighting had started anew amongst the Impossibly Invincible Knights of Kobold Fury and Kitchen Mastery and Bread. May their tale someday be told…

Now, in the cavern beneath the Oerth where the Knights stood around Gorgoldand’s mirror, Dartan’s sword connected with the glass. It burst apart into glittering fragments that seemed to light the air with a thousand tiny stars for just a second. The glass crashed to the stone floor and Gorgoldand fell to the ground. He breathed and lay still as the dust settled about him. 

Snooky jumped out of Kizzlorn’s arms and approached his master. _Gorgoldand. Welcome back. _ 

The old man turned his head slowly and looked at the cat. “Who?” he said as his mind came back to life from over two decades of being trapped in the mirror. He reached out and petted his old friend. “Snooky. What… where am I? I don’t remember a thing.” He looked up and saw the Knights. Surprise showed on his face. “Dartan? Is that you? You look so old.” He sat up and the cat curled in his arms happily. 

“I’m still not as wizened as you, old man, “ Dartan said with a smile on his face. “It’s good to see you.”

Kizzlorn knelt by Gorgoldand. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir. My name is Kizzlorn Spellforge. I have come a long way to see you. We all have.” She gestured back towards her friends. “This is Edge, and the big one there is Broldek.”

“I don’t remember any of this,” Gorgoldand said, sounding tired. “What has happened? The recent past is a cloud in my mind.”

“There is a lot to tell, and a very short time to tell it in,” Dartan said. He began talking. He spoke of Jamison’s fall to evil, which of course saddened the wizard greatly. He told of how Gorgoldand had been imprisoned by Jamison in a mirror for over twenty years and hidden, while his fiendish plots developed. He spoke of Thuriaq, the grandest titan, and of how Crow had plotted to raise him just to destroy his adopted father after ruining the Oerth’s life. Finally, he told how they had come to free him, and how the destiny of the entire world rested in tonight’s doings. 

It was all briefly summarized for the wizard, and when it was done, the heartbreak on his face was clear. He’d spent his life doing good and raising others to a position where they could do good. The very idea that his beloved son had turned evil, and that the good part of him died, was more terrible than anything they could have told him. His head hung against his chest in despair, and not even Snooky could properly console him. 

“Thuriaq, by the gods,” he said. “And my son did it all.”

Kizzlorn put a hand on his shoulder. “He’s not your son, now. He’s a dread agent of evil. Your son went to the next world. This ‘Crow’ is merely a poor shadow of what he was. Soon, all will be lost… but it’s not too late. Thuriaq is freed, but it’s never too late.”

Gorgoldand knotted his brow. “You are right, Kizzlorn. I’m glad Dartan had the good sense to take on such sensible companions. It’s never too late. Crow locked up the one thing he knew was a real threat to his plot. The one real threat to the elder Tarrasque, Thuriaq.” He stood up. “That threat was me, and I am released.” Grim hunger burned on his face. He brought the brothers Maximus back to life once more, and they crackled with new energy. The astonished and humbled brothers bade Gorgoldand many thanks, and then spoke their usual introduction, followed by a bopping of fists in the air. The wizard seemed to like their fiery spirit. 

“I’ve found something,” Edge called from the low wall where Erasmus had stood. “Over here.” He lifted a large sack.

Myramus said “Edge, who cares? We need to ACT.”

“You’ll care about what’s inside this.”

Gorgoldand walked over and looked inside the sack. “By the gods,” he whispered. “We may well win this yet.” He turned to the others. “Friends! All is not lost. Come!” He took the sack from Edge and held it. 

Then, in the vast stone cavern, Gorgoldand changed. Sparkles of magic danced in the air around him. His elderly human form rippled and distorted, and he grew, turning golden in color. Edge jumped back to avoid being squashed as the wizard transformed, growing ever larger. His neck elongated, his arms grew claws, and scales bubbled all over him. His wings folded behind his back, and Gorgoldand the dragon stood before them with orange eyes glowing like torches. He was, by far, the largest dragon any of them had ever seen… save for Dartan and Snooky, of course, who had seen him in his true form before. 

*I AM GORGOLDAND, MASTER OF DRAGONS, AND I SAY WE ARE NOT DONE. THE TIDES OF WAR ARE UPON US, BUT WE ARE NOT DROWNED. NOT YET! WE WILL FIGHT!!.* The Knights screamed their war cries and lifted their weapons. *CLIMB INTO MY ARMS, AND STEEL YOURSELVES. * They did as they were told, and Kizzlorn covered them with a protective magic shell. The immense dragon clutched them closely and turned his head upward. He blasted the cavern’s ceiling with magical fire, hotter than any blaze on all of Oerth. The ceiling’s stone melted almost immediately, or became so hot that it shattered to dust from the sudden energy. Then, the dragon coiled his legs and rocketed upwards, shearing through layers of the planet’s crust. He turned the sack upside down and allowed its contents to plummet down beneath them. Even through the crashing the dragon made through the stone, he heard what he had freed from the sack, screeching and fluttering. Bedrock, frozen ground, and soil alike were ripped through easily as the dragon breathed and burrowed upward. 

Suddenly, they flew up into the night sky above the Greyhawk countryside. The moon was large and yellow like old bone. Beneath them, dozens of dragons were shooting up from the hole they made. Dragons erupted from the ground like a geyser, and arced up into the air, screaming for freedom. Hundreds of dragons, now, of all different colors. Blue, white, silver, copper, green, black, orange, yellow, purple, steely-gray, and even a few large reds and golds. The dragons of Greyhawk, captured by Crow over the course of two decades, and held prisoner in a sack of mirrors as possible threats against the titans he was freeing all over the world tonight. 

None was so large as Gorgoldand. *BROTHERS!! *the great gold dragon cried. *HEAR ME! I KNOW YOU ARE CONFUSED. YOU HAVE SPENT TOO LONG IMPRISONED, AND NOW ARE FREE, THIRSTING FOR VENGEANCE AND FIRE. YOU SHALL HAVE IT! ALL OVER THE OERTH, AT THIS MOMENT, YOUR CAPTOR HAS RELEASED HUNDREDS OF TITANS. THURIAQ, HIMSELF, IS FREED.*

A large green spoke. *THURIAQ? THE TITANS? GOOD… THEY WILL CRUSH THE HUMANS AND RID US OF THE SQUEALING PINK THINGS THAT IMPRISONED US. I SAY LET THEM HAVE DONE.* Several dragons murmured agreement.

*NO, *Gorgoldand said. *ALL THE HUMANS ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR THE CRIMES OF ONE. THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE TRUE REVENGE ON YOUR CAPTOR IS TO UNDO HIS PLAN!*

A magenta dragon stroked his tendril-like whiskers. *WHAT WILL YOU DO, IF WE ARE TO DESTROY THE TITANS?*

*I WILL TAKE THE FIGHT TO THURIAQ HIMSELF. IF WE DO NOT FIGHT TONIGHT, MY FRIENDS, THE TITANS WILL GROW TOO POWERFUL FOR EVEN US. THEN, THEY WILL OVERRUN US, LEAVING THE ENTIRE WORLD DEAD IN ITS WAKE! I WILL NOT HAVE THIS, NOT HERE, IN THIS WORLD I LOVE! *The dragons growled together. *FLY, AND FIND THE TITANS. FIND THEM WHERE THEY RISE, AND FIGHT. THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE- GO! FLY! * Gorgoldand flapped his wings, rising before the moon. *TAKE BACK THE WORLD!! FLY!!! * 

Each dragon roared and flew. The dragons spread outward from the area at a demon’s pace to all the corners of the world. They spewed flame and lightning as they went, looking like shooting stars from the ground as they shot across the night sky. 

Gorgoldand himself turned east towards the city of Greyhawk. He put the Knights on his back, who clutched at his back-spines and felt the wind on their faces. 

Menerous turned to Menerous. “Pelor is good, brother!”

His brother laughed and they smashed fists together, agreeing. “Pelor is good!” 

On the horizon, something huge and black was moving across Greyhawk’s high skyline. Smoke and fire rose from its path. Gorgoldand flew harder, and the wind screamed past their ears as Greyhawk loomed larger. There, they looked upon Thuriaq, the horned demon-god thrown out of hell.  It was taller than any building it stood amidst, and its eyes shone pale yellow as it devoured and destroyed. 

Erasmus, floating high above the devastation with Crow and Metus, looked westward when his eye caught a glint of something. “What is that?”

Crow glanced up and his eyes flew wide. “No.” He screamed. “NO!!!”

The dragon in the distance screeched and bellowed fire as his wings pumped him on. The Knights of Spellforge Keep were riding Gorgoldand, ready for war, shouting oaths with their weapons held high.

_*MORE TO COME…*_


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## Morte

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Updating in a few moments... if you're out there at this time (5 am eastern), get ready to read... *




*rubs hands*

Edit: during those ten seconds....


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## Morte

Times are good. Now this is what I call drama. Bravo, doc, bravo.


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## Celtavian

*Re*

Good write up Doc!! We'll see how long Crow lasts against a super Great Wyrm Gold Dragon. It shouldn't be pretty.


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## Neverwinter Knight

WOW !!! I can't believe that we all forgot about the free resurection stuff (especially you, Lela)  . What a story!



> The Knights of Spellforge Keep were riding Gorgoldand, ready for war, shouting oaths with their weapons held high.




Now that's what I call worthy of the knights !!! Go Doc, what an update. Thanks!


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## Olgar Shiverstone

*grabs popcorn*

Ooh!  Godzilla v. Mothra!  In the City of Greyhawk!


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## Datt

Excellent update Doc!

That is...just wow!


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## Datt

Excellent update Doc!

That is...just wow!


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## Ziona

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> Spirits are hardy things, and Kizzlorn’s among the most defiant on Oerth...




Like Mother, Like Daughter!   



			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> The Knights of Spellforge Keep were riding Gorgoldand, ready for war, shouting oaths with their weapons held high.




Excellent mental picture of this, Doc. Nicely done. I think you had many of us fooled with your eerie, death-filled ending. I know I had honestly forgotten about the ressurection gifts, so I'm not suprised that the rest of the readers forgot as well. 

*Weeee-oooooh-weeeee-ooooh!*


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## Wraithdrit

Woo hoo! All is not lost! Go Doc! Damn fine writing. Damn fine! And what a great story.

I especially loved the other group destroying the shard just in time. Poetic. 

So none of it would have ever come to pass if it weren't for the heroics of Meepo and crew. Heh! I love it. 

Grand epic heroism!

Bah, I've rambled enough.


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## Dr Midnight

Closing this thread... 

I know there's only a few updates left, but I'd rather start a new thread that people can continue to talk in than go through this one editing feedback. I LIKE the feedback.

Here's the new (and final) KoSK thread:
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52618


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