Chapter #143
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+
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+ THE ADVENTURERS +
+ +
+ Epic II +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ The various characters contained in these writings are +
+ copyright 1994 by Thomas Miller. Any resemblance to any +
+ persons or characters either real or fictional is utterly +
+ coincidental. Copying and/or distribution of these tales +
+ is permissible only under the sole condition that no part +
+ of them will be used or sold for profit. In that case, I +
+ hope you enjoy them... +
+ +
+ Thomas Miller +
+ tmiller@cimmeria.gatech.edu +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ THE PARTY: +
+ +
+ Alindyar 15th level drow elf mage (N) +
+ Lyra 12th level female drow elf mage (N) +
+ Belphanior 12th/13th/13th level high elf w/m/t (CN) +
+ Ged 13th/13th level grey elf priest/mage (NG) +
+ Arnold 11th level human warrior (NG) +
+ ? grey cat (familiar) (NG) +
+ Mongo 15th level dwarf warrior (CG) +
+ Flint 11th level dwarf warrior (CG) +
+ Peldor 18th level human thief (N) +
+ Rillen 15th level human warrior (N) +
+ +
+ WITH SPECIAL GUEST STARS: +
+ +
+ Belphanior-2 15th level elven ranger (LN) +
+ Sparky extremely large wolf (N) +
+ Peldor-2 18th level human thief (N) +
+ Rillen-2 13th level human ninja (N) +
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+ Date: several days after arrival +
+ Time: late afternoon +
+ Place: the fortress of the evil Ged, in an alternate +
+ dimension +
+ Climate: crisp and chilly +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ "Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice +
+ to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it." +
+ - W. Somerset Maughm +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CXLIII. A Fitting End
Reunited in recent moments, the party is moving upward
through the fortress. They have already accomplished much,
fighting their way up from the dungeons, in the process
freeing some prisoners, destroying a laboratory, and starting
a fire. Ged has been feebleminded and brought back to normal,
and Mongo's precious hammer has been melted, permanently
ruining its magical properties.
Somehow, the adventurers sensed that their quarry - the
evil tyrant Ged-2 - was close at hand.
Mongo: (using his dwarven expertise to judge the distances
the party has covered) We've come up at least a couple
hundred feet. Probably more.
Flint: We've got to be in the upper part of the fortress
by now.
Mongo: Yeah. (looks around)
Rillen-2: I feel that the evil one is near.
Belphanior: Hey, me too. I can smell him.
Peldor: Typical property of a Ged...you can smell one from
afar...
Ged: Enough of your foolishness.
Alindyar: This is certainly the most odd of invasions.
Belphanior-2: Truly.
Flint: Well said.
Peldor-2: Shh. I hear something ahead.
A pair of huge double doors stood ahead, slightly ajar.
Beyond, the sounds of pitched battle could be heard, and
Mongo rushed forth excitedly.
Mongo: Hiya! (kicks open the doors)
Arnold: Aaa.
The area beyond the portals was surely the biggest hall
any of the adventurers had ever seen. Its ceiling stood
a hundred feet above their heads, supported by numerous
pillars, each one as thick as the height of a man. The
massive chamber spanned at least two hundred feet in width,
and extended for twice that - before it opened to the green
sky, from which a chilly wind came forth into the hall.
The chamber seemed a suitable place for dragons to fly
down from the skies and land in, such was its size. Several
stairways at the hall's edges led to other levels, and more
than a few doors led away from the fringes of the place.
Near the center of the hall was an immense firepit, over
which rested a gigantic cauldron. The huge metal pot was
supported by a pair of thick steel poles, and tongues of
flame licked at its base from the pit beneath.
Right at the moment, this great hall appeared to be the
battleground of choice for a number of combatants. A large
group of men and women in rags was scattered around the
vast chamber. Though unarmored, most of these people were
bearing weapons of some kind. Various humanoids were doing
battle with the ragged humans, and freshly arrived from one
of the hall's many exits was a trio of armored fire giants,
their black skin gleaming in the light of the torches in
the walls and the green sky. From another exit streamed a
horde of undead, who had apparently intended to attack the
half-naked men and women. The rotting ones had, however,
been stopped in their moldy tracks by the arrival of a
very large silver dragon. Even as the adventurers watched
in awe, the hundred-foot-plus dragon swatted a dozen of the
skeletons with its tail, smashing them to flinders.
map of the hall (compressed somewhat - remember that it's
over 400' x 200'):
sky
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
<---- ledge opening into sky
| |
| // |
| <:===---- |
| \\ # # * adventurers (13)
| ## # | . ragged humans (scattered)
# | G trio of fire giants
| . | x humanoids (scattered)
| . x [[[ # undead group
| .x x |
]]] . x | //
| . x G | <:===---- silver dragon
| . x \\
| |
| [[[ or ]]] stairs into hall
| |
| * [[[
|________ ________|
Rillen: Truly this will be a battle of epic proportions.
Alindyar: Methinks mapping is pointless at this juncture.
Peldor-2: Yeah.
Belphanior: (regarding the ragged humans) Those must be
the prisoners we freed at the outset.
Mongo: Now how in the HELL did they get up here before
us?!?!?
Ged: Boccob's will, no doubt.
Peldor: Hrmph! Boccob's a bozo and you know it.
Ged: Choose your words carefully, thief.
Belphanior-2: What is yonder silver dragon doing here?
Flint: I don't know, but I intend to stay out of its way.
Quickly, the various adventurers scattered into the room,
each doing what he or she felt was most appropriate.
Mongo: (hefts his half-melted hammer and charges toward
the humanoids menacing the ragtag humans) The cavalry's
here, have no fear!
Flint: (follows his liege into battle, axe held high) Hey,
you made a rhyme!
Rillen: (unslings his longbow and begins choosing targets)
Rillen-2: (draws his katana and heads for the fire giants)
There shall be blood tonight.
Arnold: Ah-nold! (charges toward the giants)
Belphanior-2: No humanoids shall menace half-naked people
while _I'm_ around! (dashes toward the humanoids)
Sparky: (runs after his master) Grr!
Peldor: (goes invisible and slinks in directions unknown)
Peldor-2: (likewise) Hey! (realizes that two invisible
people can't see one another)
Belphanior: (opens his Book of Beasts and begins casting
a summoning spell) Time to conjure up some help.
Ged: What's that black book you've got there?
Belphanior: Nothing. (he continues with his incantations,
ignoring the priest/mage)
Ged: Well.
Alindyar: (begins casting Summon Spider)
Lyra: (begins casting Telekinesis)
Ged: Hmm, no time to conjure an elemental...(he begins
casting Evard's Black Tentacles in the area of the band
of undead)
Lightbringer: Smash those undead!
Ged: Not now. Can't you see that I'm busy?
grey cat: (sensing that this isn't the place for him, he
leaps from Ged's pack and dashes for cover, running into
a nearby stairway where no one can spot him) Meow.
Various combats were in progress at every quarter...
orc: Harg! (he gleefully cuts down a defenseless man)
Mongo: Hey! Hey you! (he wallops the pig-faced humanoid
in the head, splattering brains everywhere)
Flint: (chops a gnoll's legs out from under it) Whoa!
gnoll: (falls) Argh!
hobgoblin: (prepares to swing at the dwarf) Heh heh heh.
WhuGGGG! (it gets impaled by two arrows, and falls to
the floor gurgling)
Rillen: My point exactly.
Belphanior-2: Slayers of innocent men and women! (he
cuts down a goblin)
goblin: Ya fergot children!
Sparky: (tackles the goblin, ripping its head off within
moments) Snarl!
other goblins: (cower fearfully)
men and women: (begin cheering, and fight back with renewed
vigor) Yea!
Mongo: That's the spirit!
Rillen-2: (slashes a fire giant, wounding it) Time to
meet your maker, large one.
fire giant #1: Argh! Not yet, hood-boy.
Arnold: (barrels into the giant, sword-first) Aaa!
fire giant #1: Urgh! (he watches as blood flows from
a chest wound)
Rillen-2: Good move.
Arnold: Thandks. (they back up, facing the giant and
his two companions)
fire giant #2: I thinks you outnumbered.
Rillen-2: Really? I wasn't aware that your kind could
count.
zombie: (bats ineffectually at the silver dragon) Duh.
silver dragon: (grabs the undead in one claw and crushes
it) How disgusting.
skeleton: (stabs the huge dragon, wounding it ever so
slightly)
silver dragon: What? (for the first time, it notices
the adventurers) Hmm. (it turns, and lumbers in that
general direction, smashing a ghoul and two zombies who
stand in the way)
other zombie: (knocked aside, it falls into the firepit)
Blrg-
Lyra: (completes her telekinesis, and causes a gnoll near
Mongo to levitate upward)
gnoll: Whaaaaa?!?
Lyra: (smashes the gnoll into the ceiling with great force
before letting it go) Time for you to take a fall.
gnoll: (half-dead, it begins falling) AAAAIEEE!!! (it
lands atop an orc, killing both itself and the swine-kin
instantly)
Alindyar: (completes his spell, and fifteen spiders of all
sizes - mostly fairly large - appear on the scene and
scuttle toward the humanoids) Kill all of the humanoids
but ignore the others!
spiders: (move to comply)
Alindyar: (pleased with himself) Excellent.
Belphanior: (completes his spellcasting)
giant slug: (appears) Sss?
shambling mound: (appears) Gronk?
Belphanior: Get those fire giants!
giant slug: (slithers toward the giants)
shambling mound: (shambles after the slug) Gronk!
Belphanior: And don't kill each other...!
Ged: (completes his spell, and numerous black tentacles
materialize near the undead, killing several and pinning
down others) Yes, by Boccob!
Lightbringer: Now let us go and slay those undead!
Ged: Hmm...
Rillen: (nearby, he fires two more arrows, hitting the lead
fire giant in the shoulder)
assorted humanoids: (they panic as the horde of spiders
arrives amidst their ranks)
fire giants: (notice the fifty-foot long slug headed toward
them) Huh?
Lyra: Why summon so much firepower for help?
Belphanior: 'Cause you never know who else might show up
to fight us...
Just then, one of the doors into the room shattered into
splinters, admitting a couple of familiar faces as well as
a few unfamiliar ones.
Ged-2: (surveys the situation) Well, well, well.
Lyra: Look!
Ged: Yea, I see him.
Mongo-2: (standing next to Ged-2) Hah! I bet they thought
they'd killed me!
Ged-2: Probably.
huge golem-like thing: (standing fifteen feet tall, its
body below the neck is covered with oversized muscles,
while its head is normal-sized, tiny in comparison) Aaa?
Ged-2: (instructs the golem)
Alindyar: Fascinating! Yonder construct resembles-
Ged: Yea, I'm not blind. It kind of looks like Arnold.
Belphanior: Maybe it's this dimension's version of the big
guy.
human with purple skin: (standing next to Ged-2) Ssslth.
Ged-2: Very well, go get them.
purple guy: (his clothes dissolve, and his body morphs into
a large glob of purple jelly, which oozes toward the field
of battle)
soldier-type: (runs out of a nearby exit, screaming) Fire!
Fire! There's fire below! It-
Arnold-2: (swats the guy out of the way, breaking his neck
in the process) Aaa.
Ged-2: Oops...oh well, I can always get more soldiers...
Mongo-2: I'm sure someone will take care of any fire that's
burning below.
Ged-2: Yea.
Belphanior: What a bastard.
Ged: Looks like an utter disregard for life to me.
Total chaos reigned at this point. The giant slug and the
shambling mound joined Rillen-2 and Arnold in attacking the
trio of fire giants, while Alindyar's spiders assisted the
adventurers who were fighting the humanoids. Ignored by
the silver dragon, the mob of undead hobbled and crawled in
the direction of the humanoids and humans. The dragon was
occupied elsewhere, as it faced off against Ged-2, Arnold-2,
and Mongo-2.
Belphanior: (hasting himself, he makes his way toward the
humanoids) Time for battle.
Rillen: (fires two arrows at Ged-2, but the missiles are
deflected by some unknown source) What?
Ged: (dashes in the direction of the undead) Arnold!
Arnold: (busy trading blows with one of the beleagured fire
giants) Whaaat?
Ged: To me! I need cover!
Arnold: Righdt! (he breaks away, leaps over the giant
slug's tail, and follows his liege)
Ged-2: (to the dragon) I don't know who you are, lizard,
but you'll rue the day you-
silver dragon: (inhaling)
Ged-2: Quick! Stop him!
Mongo-2: (hurls his black hammer at the silver dragon) Ha!
Take that, you do-gooder!
silver dragon: (reels from the blow) Ungh! You'll not
deter me, evil ones! (it breathes upon the three foes,
unleashing a mighty gout of frost and ice)
Mongo-2: (staggers) Ungh!
Arnold-2: (even his non-living tissues are frozen by this
extreme cold, and he falls) Aaaa-
Ged-2: (laughs as the ice and snow falls short of him in a
spherical area, hinting at some kind of protective shell
or globe) Nothing can stop me! Nothing!
silver dragon: (looks around, then closes in on the elf)
Anti-magic shells are fine and dandy, but I can still
reach you with claws...
Mongo-2: (interposes himself between Ged-2 and the dragon
and waves his hammer) Come and get some more of this!
(he hurls the weapon, hitting the dragon in the head and
actually driving it back) Hah!
silver dragon: Argh!
Ged-2: Yea. (draws a sword)
Belphanior: (hastes himself with his sword, as he sprints
toward Ged-2) A sword?!? Him?!?
orc: (tries to slash the elf as he runs by)
Belphanior: (dodges the attack, and stabs the humanoid in
passing, slaying it and gaining its life energy) Thanks.
Ged: (faces the undead) Back! (he brandishes his holy
symbol and attempts to turn the undead)
skeletons: (four of them dissolve)
zombies: (three of them dissolve)
ghouls: (two out of four dissolve)
Ged: Boccob's might now confronts you, O evil ones! Cease
and desist!
ghouls: (snarling, they make their way toward the elf)
wight: (approaches Ged from one side)
Arnold: Away, dirdy scum! (he slashes a ghoul, shearing
off an arm)
ghoul: Yieeee! (staggers and falls)
Arnold: Aaa. (kicks the thing into the firepit)
ghoul: Sss- <CLANG> (bangs its head on the big iron pot
before falling into the flames) YiiIEEE-
Arnold: Phew.
Rillen-2: (slashes fire giant #2 with a well-aimed blow,
severing a leg)
fire giant #2: AAAARGH! (he falls)
shambling mound: Gronk! (it embraces the fallen giant,
attempting to crush him to death)
giant slug: (spits acid upon fire giant #1)
fire giant #1: ARGH! (he wipes uselessly at his chest and
arm, which are covered with the digestive acids)
Rillen: (buries two more arrows in the giant's arm)
Rillen-2: (follows with a slash to the chest, spraying the
giant's blood in all directions)
fire giant #1: (now clinging to life, he yells in fury and
staggers) YEARGH!
Lyra: (looking for a target, she spies the giant and lets
him have it, firing five magical missiles) Maybe this
will finish him...
fire giant #1: Ugh! Agh! (slain, he falls)
Alindyar: (casts Stop upon fire giant #3)
fire giant #3: (halted in place) Huh?!? Hey! HEY!
Peldor: (invisible, and very near the giant, he spies his
opportunity, and uses his boots of striding and springing
to jump, successfully backstabbing the giant) Ha! (his
blow is so excellent that the sword's sharpness power is
invoked)
fire giant #3: (badly wounded, as his right leg is severed)
ARGH! (he tries to flee, but of course is held in place
by Alindyar's spell)
Peldor-2: (backstabs the giant at this moment) And now we
shall learn why two Peldors are better than one!
fire giant #3: (collapses from blood loss)
Peldor: Well done, Peldor.
Peldor-2: Of course, Peldor.
Belphanior: (approaching Ged-2, he has avoided Mongo-2 as
the latter is busy keeping the dragon at bay) Time to
see what your sphere spell really is.
Ged-2: You'll never get through! Just to try means death
for certain!
Belphanior: I think you're bluffing. (he steps within ten
feet of Ged-2) See, I'm right. Now why did you go and
lie to me like that?
Ged-2: (waves his sword) Away! Stay away!
Belphanior: (approaches, his own sword raised)
Ged-2: (he makes an unexpected and daring lunge, scoring a
minor wound upon Belphanior) Ha!
Belphanior: Hah! A tiny scratch like that won't even faze
me! And since no magic will work inside this anti-magic
zone, you can't possibly outduel me, either!
Ged-2: On the contrary...(holds up his sword) The tip of
this weapon is coated in the most potent poison known to
man. Or should I say elf? In any case, you should be
dying right...about...now!
Belphanior: (wobbles on his feet) Damn you...(he falls to
the floor)
Ged-2: Hah! Pure evil triumphs again! Well, since the
poison was only good for one application...(he sheathes
his sword) Time to drop the anti-magic shell and get
down to some serious spell-casting. (he does so)
Mongo-2: If he had known who he was dealing with, he'd
also have known that you were no pushover in swordplay.
Ged-2: Yea. Too bad for him, isn't it?
Ged: (waving Lightbringer at the undead) Good shall win
the day!
zombie: (gropes at Ged, bruising him)
Rillen: (fires two arrows at the thing, slaying it) That
should stop him dead in his tracks.
Arnold: Aaa! (hacks another skeleton, destroying it)
Belphanior-2: (looking around his immediate area, he notes
that the humanoids are almost all slain, mainly due to
the prowess of Mongo and Flint) Hmm. (to the men and
women who remain alive) You people! Get back from this
battle - it's going to get a lot more dangerous soon!
ragtag people: (they scatter)
Ged-2: (brandishing a rod tipped with a small hand)
Soon, all shall die...
shambling mound: (between it and Rillen-2, the last fire
giant is not long for this world)
Rillen-2: (to the Peldors) All is well here. Go elsewhere
and be useful!
Peldor: He doesn't like us anymore.
Peldor-2: His loss. (they both become invisible again and
wander away)
giant slug: (somehow sensing that it is no longer needed
in this area, it yet cannot find Belphanior to give it
new orders, so it heads in the direction of the undead
who remain)
wight: (looking around) Sss!
giant slug: (spits acid at the wight from behind, hitting
it squarely in the back) Phffft!
wight: Aie! (staggers and claws at its back) Aaaaaie!
purple glob: (collides with a fleeing prisoner, swallowing
him)
prisoner: (dissolves rapidly)
Lyra: (using her boots of flying, she sails above the glob
whilst spellcasting)
Ged: (waving Lightbringer, he turns undead again) To your
vile maker, foul ones!
Lightbringer: (glowing) Hit them!
Ged: No need.
skeleton: (dissolves)
zombies: (two, both dissolve)
ghouls: (three, all dissolve)
wight: (two, both dissolve)
Ged: Boccob has seen to it! No more undead! (he turns
and assesses the other combatants)
Lightbringer: Hrmph.
Arnold: All righdt! (he whirls and charges Mongo-2)
Mongo-2: Hah! (hurls his hammer at the warrior) Don't
even think about it!
Arnold: Aaargh! (hit in the chest, his armor is dented,
and he sails backward ten feet)
Mongo-2: (catches his hammer) Hah hah!
Mongo: Hey! You! Aren't you supposed to be dead?!?
Mongo-2: (turns) You! (hefts his hammer) You'll die
this time!
Mongo: (hefts his own hammer) No way! (he charges his
counterpart, and their hammers lock as they go to it)
silver dragon: (with Mongo-2 out of the way, its path to
Ged-2 is clear, and it prepares to cast spells or claw
at the evil one) Your time is near, foul one!
Ged-2: Never! (he waves his rod, and a gigantic, opaque
hand appears, grabbing the dragon's throat) How's that
grab you?
silver dragon: (stops its advance and tries to pry the
thing loose) Ghak!
Ged: Boccob! It's a Bigby's Crushing Hand!
Ged-2: (notices his good counterpart) Of course, you
fool! Here, wait a moment, and I'll make one for you!
Ged: Uh-oh. (begins preparing his next spell)
Lyra: (floating above the purple glob, she completes her
spell, and a large web appears and covers the glob)
Alindyar: (muttering to himself, as Lyra is rather far
away) Well done. (he commands his spiders to advance
on Ged-2, hoping to distract the elf, and then readies
his staff of the magi)
Ged: (to Arnold) Help that dragon, Arnold! Cut away the
hand!
Arnold: (gets up and staggers toward the dragon) O-kay!
Rillen: (fires two arrows at Ged-2, but they bounce off
of his armor) Damn.
Ged-2: What was that?!?
Arnold-2: (explodes from beneath a pile of ice and snow,
his oversized body blue in most places) AAAAAAA! (he
reaches out with one huge hand and grabs Belphanior-2,
who was standing near the pile of icy residue)
Belphanior-2: Whaaa-
Arnold-2: (slams the elf into the floor with devastating
force, and then begins pummeling him) Aaa!
Ged-2: Good boy, Arnold!
Sparky: Grr! (leaps onto the construct's back and begins
tearing chunks of flesh off) Graar!
Arnold-2: (ignores the wolf as it mashes Belphanior-2)
Rillen: (buries two arrows in Arnold-2) That is one big
monster, there...
Arnold-2: Aaa. (ignores the arrows)
Alindyar: (uses his staff of the magi to conjure a huge
fire elemental) Heh.
fire elemental: (appears, and regards the drow)
Alindyar: No time to take chances...(points to Ged-2)
Slay him, please.
fire elemental: (obeys, blazing a path across the huge
hall as it heads for the evil elf)
shambling mound: (having crushed the life from the last
fire giant, it looks around in confusion, ignoring the
numerous wounds that the giant inflicted upon it over
the course of their battle) Gronk?
Rillen-2: (looks around as well) Hmm. (he somersaults
his way toward Arnold-2)
purple glob: (dissolves the web that Lyra cast, and moves
to intercept the fire elemental as it approaches Ged-2)
silver dragon: (still ripping at the hand which is slowly
crushing its throat) Ghak!
Arnold: Led me helb. (he begins sawing at the magical
manifestation)
Mongo: You motherfucker! (he is going at it full force
with Mongo-2, and the ground around the two is shattered
from their giant-strength blows)
Mongo-2: Die! I'll crush your head and eat your heart!
(they continue to trade hammer blows)
Arnold-2: (shaking Belphanior-2 like a rag doll)
Belphanior-2: (makes a weak stab at the golem, scoring
very little damage) Ugh...
Rillen-2: (slashes Arnold-2, scoring mighty damage from
the backstabbing attack) Die, lifeless one!
Arnold-2: (drops Belphanior-2 and turns)
Peldor-2: (backstabs the purple glob, but does no apparent
damage) Huh? (notices that his sword is dissolving) Oh
shit!
Peldor: (seeing this, he holds off with his own backstab)
It ate your sword!
Peldor-2: Yeah, no shit! (he whips out a scroll)
Peldor: What's that?
Peldor-2: Spell scroll. Thieves of our expertise can cast
spells from these, you know.
Peldor: Oh, yeah, I knew that.
Flint: (heading toward Ged-2 from another direction)
fire elemental: (undeterred by anything, it collides with
the purple glob, and both are obscured as a large cloud
of oily smoke is generated)
Lyra: (begins spellcasting)
Ged-2: (having put his Bigby-rod away, he is already
spellcasting)
Ged: (also spellcasting)
giant slug: (without Belphanior to command it, the thing
slithers into a side passage, surprising the hell out of
a squad of ogres who were headed here to help Ged-2)
ogres: Shit! (they turn and flee from this huge monster
whose body fills the passage entirely) Run for your
lives! It's a demon!
giant slug: (merrily gives chase, quickly vanishing from
sight) Sss!
shambling mound: (wanders toward Belphanior's fallen body)
Ged-2: (thinks the plant-thing is coming to attack him)
No matter! (he lets his Meteor Swarm go, launching eight
missiles at the silver dragon, Arnold, and the shambling
mound, all of whom are in the same approximate area)
Arnold: Whaaaa-
There was a series of tremendous explosions as the spell
culminated, and flaming debris and sparks showered the area
as large volumes of smoke and haze were created.
silver dragon: (badly wounded, it writhes in pain as the
Bigby's crushing hand continues to choke the life from
it) Ghaaa...
Arnold: (falls, his armor torn in numerous places and
his body bleeding from numerous wounds)
shambling mound: (ripped to shreds by the force of the
multiple blasts, its remains fly in all directions)
Mongo: (as he and Mongo-2 were at the fringe of a couple
of explosions, they are knocked down) Argh!
Mongo-2: Urgh! (both dwarves continue to fight, undaunted
by the blasts) When I get through with you, I'm gonna
kill that damn elf!
Lyra: (also caught in the force of the explosions, she is
knocked from the air, and falls to the floor, unmoving)
Alindyar: NO!
Ged: (though undamaged, his spell is ruined) Damn it!
Ged-2: HA! The mighty triumph! (he notices Flint coming
in from one flank) Huh?
Flint: (breaks into a run) You're dead!
Peldor: (backing away from the purple glob and the fire
elemental, he and Peldor-2 are approaching Ged-2 from
the south) Yeah! You're dead, Ged!
Peldor-2: (still casting his spell from the scroll)
ogres: (four of them spill into the hall from the doorway
right behind Ged-2)
Ged-2: (whips out a black rod) I doubt it. (to the five
ogres) Get them!
ogres: (two head for Flint, while three head for the two
Peldors) Gyah!
Peldor: I don't know about you, but I'm insulted.
Peldor-2: Indeed. I think all five ogres should have
gone for us. After all, we _are_ Peldors.
Rillen-2: (slices Arnold-2 again) Fall, damn you!
Arnold-2: (no blood spews forth from his wounds, and he
swings at the ninja wildly) Aaa!
Rillen-2: (deftly avoids the golem's blows, but realizes
that even one of them could spell doom)
Sparky: (continues to tear at the golem) Snarl!
Belphanior-2: (staggers to his feet) Urgh. (he swings
at the golem, but misses) Argh.
Rillen: (fires two more arrows at Ged-2, hitting the elf
this time)
Ged-2: (winces at the two arrows which just did nick him)
Argh! Ugh! (he sticks the black rod in his belt and
begins spellcasting again) That's it! Death for sure
this time!
Alindyar: (completes his casting of Feeblemind, upon Ged-2
of course) Perhaps this will soften you up.
Ged-2: (shrugs off the spell) Bah.
Alindyar: Ah, well, it worked on one Ged today.
fire elemental: (now much smaller than it was when first
summoned, it wavers weakly)
purple glob: (now a mere purple smear on the floor, it is
gone)
Mongo: (both he and his counterpart, bruised and bleeding,
are greatly weakened) Argh!
Mongo-2: (grins and spits blood as his blow lands, then
reels from another of Mongo's blows) Ugh! (both dwarves
teeter on their feet)
Flint: (chops at one of the ogres, causing serious damage)
Fuckin' ogres!
ogre #1: (wallops Flint with his mace) Har!
ogre #2: (misses the dwarf, who recovered quickly and got
out of the way)
Peldor: (stabs ogre #3) Back, smelly one, lest Peldor be
forced to thrash you!
ogre #3: (remains unimpressed)
Peldor-2: (finally finishes his scroll-spell, casting a
Burning Hands upon ogres #3, 4, and 5) Peldor triumphs!
three ogres: (burned seriously, they recoil) Argh! Ugh!
Ow!
Peldor: Wow. Remind me to get one of those scrolls.
Flint: (chops ogre #1 again) Chew steel, ugly!
Rillen: (hits Arnold-2 with two arrows) Will he never
fall?!?
Ged: (spellcasting)
Ged-2: (spellcasting)
Alindyar: (having moved north somewhat from the end of
the hall where he had been, he is not spellcasting)
We must help Lyra!
Rillen: (moves with the drow, to cover him, and hits
Arnold-2 with another pair of arrows) I hear you.
Flint: (mows the legs out from under ogre #1, slaying
it, and whirls to block a blow from ogre #2) Whoa!
ogre #2: Huh?
Peldors: (both continue to slash and stab at their three
burned ogres, babbling merrily all the while)
fire elemental: (seriously weakened, it disappears into
the fire pit)
Alindyar: (watches his elemental in shock) But-
Arnold-2: (somehow hits Rillen-2 with one huge fist,
knocking him down) Aaa!
Sparky: (tears bones out of the golem's body) Grarr!
Arnold-2: Aaa. (it reaches up and grabs the wolf, and
then hurls it right at Rillen-2) Aaa!
Rillen-2: (knocked down even as he was getting back to
his feet) Oof!
Belphanior-2: (slashes the golem from behind, cleaving
it with the blow of a lifetime)
Arnold-2: (sliced in half, it falls in two pieces) Aaa?
(both parts cease to move)
Belphanior-2: Whew. (he administers to Sparky, who lies
nearby, unmoving) Oh, no...
Rillen-2: (stands up) You don't look so good, yourself.
silver dragon: (at the point of death from the Bigby's
Crushing Hand, it tears weakly at the thing) Urg...
Ged: Aw...(he quickly finishes his spell, and an Anti-
Magic Shell of his own appears around him, and since he
was standing near the silver dragon, the Bigby's hand
is dispelled) For Boccob!
Lightbringer: (ceases to glow, and to talk)
silver dragon: (instantly changes form, becoming a quite
familiar person...the wizened Alindyar-2) Ahh...
Ged: You?!?
Alindyar: 'Tis I...I who had thought to rid the world of
the evil one...'twas good to see that the old shape
change still worked...or did it?
Ged: You did fine. (he notices the extremely weakened
state of the ancient drow) You need some help, pal.
Alindyar-2: ...no...you must not sacrifice your anti-
magic shell...
Ged: Bullshit! I'm going to save you, and that's final!
voice: REALLY? AND WHO'S GOING TO SAVE YOU, ELF?
Ged: (turns to see the towering demon that Ged-2 just
summoned) Ulp.
demon: ALTHOUGH I SEEM UNABLE TO APPROACH YOU, THERE ARE
STILL...OTHER WAYS. (it rips a pillar from the hall's
floor and ceiling and hurls it at the grey elf and the
drow)
Ged: Boccob- (he leaps aside, and is only brushed by the
heavy stone missile) Argh! (several of his ribs crack)
Alindyar-2: (barely able to move, he is not so lucky, and
is smashed to a pulp as the pillar lands upon him)
Ged: NO!!!
demon: HAH HAH HAH!
Ged-2: (grins evilly) Good thing I had favors to call
in...of course, I AM the most powerful spellcaster on
this world...
Alindyar: (having reached Lyra, he feeds her one of his
potions of extra-healing)
Lyra: (not really that close to death to begin with, she
sits up) Uh?
Alindyar: (points to the demon) We have need of your
summoning sorts of magic...
Lyra: I hope that's not the only reason you helped me...
Alindyar: Of course not.
Lyra: (regards the demon) Whoa, that's a big one. (she
begins spellcasting, and flies back up above the battle)
Mongo-2: (raises his hammer) DIE!
Mongo: (raises his half-melted hammer in defiance) NEVER!
AAARGH!
The two dwarves collided, as did their hammers, and there
was a sharp <CRACK> which was followed by flying shards of
metal, some of which buried themselves in the two foes.
Mongo: (looks in amazement at the headless handle he is
now holding) Fuck!
Mongo-2: Ho, ho, ho. Mine is better, it seems...and yours
is gone...
demon: (preparing to use one of its innate powers)
Rillen: (fires two arrows at the demon, but the arrows
bounce off of its red hide) Uh-oh.
demon: BAH.
Rillen-2: (hurls one of his shuriken at the demon) Hai!
demon: (slightly wounded by the silver missile) ARGH!
(the demon begins waving its hands in arcane gestures)
Ged-2: All goes well...
Belphanior: (rises behind the elf like a specter of doom)
demon: (having absolutely no regard for the safety of any
of the combatants save itself and Ged-2, it exploits this
tactical advantage, casting a fireball of enormous size)
There was a thundering explosion as the huge ball of flame
exploded, filling a rather large portion of the hall with
searing fire.
Rillen-2: (caught at the approximate center of the blast,
he is burnt beyond recognition)
Belphanior-2: (likewise)
Sparky: (likewise)
Peldor: (standing near the fringe of the fireball, he is
blown into a wall, and falls limply)
Peldor-2: (likewise)
three ogres: (a bit closer to the flames, they all die)
Rillen: (on another fringe of the blast, he is burned
badly, and falls)
Alindyar: (fortunately, he wasn't that close to Rillen
anymore, and only gets wounded, though his spell is
ruined) Aie!
Lyra: (high in the air, she remains unfazed)
Mongo: (both he and Mongo-2 are grazed by the blast, and
are knocked down)
Ged: (witnessing this carnage from afar, he begins hasty
spellcasting)
Lyra: (also spellcasting)
Ged-2: (gloating from behind the demon) Hahahah!
Belphanior: (having risen behind the evil elf) Hey,
turn around.
Ged-2: (he whirls) What-
Belphanior: (backstabs his foe, ruining his spell) Die!
Ged-2: (reels and falls, badly wounded) Ugh...but how?!?
Belphanior: (clutching his periapt of proof against poison
in one hand) One dirty trick deserves another...(he
raises his sword) Get ready to die.
ogre #2: (wounded, it breaks away from Flint nearby and
tackles Belphanior, knocking him away from Ged-2)
Ged-2: Excellent. (he gets to his feet, and pulls out
the black rod he was waving around before) Time to
erase some of you fools.
Flint: Hmm, Belphanior's strike must not have been fatal.
Well, I can remedy that.
Ged: (casts a Flame Strike upon the demon) Boccob!
demon: (laughs as the spell fizzles around his body) HA!
Lyra: (casts Dismissal upon the demon) Go back to the
pits from which you came!
demon: (resists the spell) BAH! NO ONE CAN STOP ME NOW!
Belphanior: (gets to his feet, having slipped free of the
ogre's grasp by stabbing it in the gut) Whee. (he turns
around slowly, to face the fifteen-foot tall demon who
is standing right behind him) Yikes!
demon: PREPARE TO DIE, ELF.
Flint: (charges Ged-2)
Mongo: (in a fit of rage, he wildly pummels Mongo-2 with
his mailed fists) YAAAR!
Mongo-2: Ugh! Argh! (he reels, and raises his hammer)
I'll smash you!
Mongo: (he leaps forward, wrestling with his counterpart
for the hammer) Never!
Ged-2: (waving his black rod) Come to me! Come!
demon: (picks Belphanior up, preparing to rend him) YOUR
TIME HAS COME, MORTAL.
Belphanior: (his evil eye glows) I think not.
demon: EH? WHAAAIEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee...(he suddenly
collapses, his skeleton turned to jelly by the power of
the artifact) Blblbloop.
Belphanior: (springs free of the thing's grasp and watches
it die) Bah. So much for him.
Ged: (charges toward Ged-2)
Flint: (likewise, but closer, he raises his axe)
Ged-2: (waving his black rod around insanely) Come!
Suddenly, a two-foot wide sphere of utter blackness came
out of a nearby wall, leaving a neat hole in its wake.
Ged-2: Yes! (he waves the weird rod around, directing
the black sphere) Whoa! Ha ha!
Flint: (standing directly in the path of the rapidly-
moving sphere) Huh? (he backs up, then flees, but the
sphere is faster) Yah!
Ged-2: (gleefully directs the sphere to mow down Flint)
First there was the sphere, about to hit the dwarf. Then
there was just the sphere. Flint was gone.
Mongo: (spots this while wrestling with Mongo-2) No! NO!
He killed him!!! (in a fury, he knocks the hammer out of
his counterpart's hand) YARGH! (he hefts Mongo-2 over
his head, and hurls him into the firepit) DIE!
Mongo-2: (falls into the firepit) Aaaaaaaaaaaa...
Mongo: (grabs the dropped hammer, and looks around) He
fucking-a killed him...(he pulls an adamantine horn from
his pack and prepares to wind it) Graaa! I'll kill him!
Him and this whole fucking place! Raze it to the ground!
Ged-2: (prepares to do further evil with the sphere) I'll
wipe all of you out now!
Rillen: (on the other side of the hall, he staggers to his
feet, bow in hand, and nocks an arrow) Not if I can help
it. And I can. (he fires two arrows)
Ged-2: Wha- (both arrows hit the black rod, knocking it
from his hand) No! (the thing skids across the floor,
mangled and ruined) You broke it!
Rillen: Of course. (collapses again)
sphere of annihilation: (hovers for a moment, then sails
toward Ged-2)
Ged-2: What?!? No! (he begins running)
Ged: Gotcha! (he tackles his counterpart, and both fall)
Ged-2: No, you fool! You've doomed us for sure now!
Ged: (aware that his anti-magic shell is still in effect)
Maybe, maybe not. Either way, you're history. (he gets
Lightbringer out and begins pummeling Ged-2) Murderer!
sphere of annihilation: (collides with Ged's anti-magic
shell and blinks out)
Mongo: (still in a rage, winds his horn)
Belphanior: What are you doing?!?
Mongo: I'm bringing this place down! (the fortress begins
to rumble) He killed Flint!
Ged: (to Ged-2) Where's your magic mirror?!? Tell me!
Ged-2: (his lips bloody) Never!
Ged: Shit! We've got to get out of here, now! Tell me!
Ged-2: Go fuck yourself.
Alindyar: (limps forth, casting ESP) Allow me.
Ged: (backs away from Ged-2, so that the latter won't be
within his anti-magic shell) Okay.
Ged-2: (tries to resist the spell, but can't)
Alindyar: I have learned that which we need to know. The
mirror is in a large chamber up that flight of stairs.
(he points to some stairs)
Ged: Good. Let's go find it.
grey cat: (dashes out and leaps into Ged's arms) Meow!
Ged: Where have you been?
Lyra: (lands beside Alindyar) Nicely done.
Ged-2: (having scrambled away a bit, he is now casting
another spell) Hah hah! I'll have the last laugh!
Ged: Boccob...somebody get him!
Alindyar: (he and Lyra are closest to the evil elf, about
five feet, in fact) Uh...(he looks at his staff of the
magi, held tightly in his hand)
Ged-2: Ha! It's this simple. I wish-
Alindyar: (breaks his staff over his knee) NO.
Lyra: (holds tightly to her mate)
There was a tremendous explosion, as all the energy in
the magestaff was released. Ged-2 didn't even have time
to scream before he was incinerated. The shockwave of the
blast exceeded even that of the earthquake Mongo had
called. When the smoke cleared, there was a huge black
crater, but no sign of Ged-2 or either of the drow.
Ged: Boccob!
Mongo: No...oh, no...
Peldor: (wakes up, battered and bloody, and stumbles about
in a daze) Wha' happened?
Ged: Uhh...I'd guess they're dead. All three of them.
Belphanior: Well, technically-
Ged: They're probably dead, and we both know it.
The shock of recent events didn't even have time to sink
in, for the fortress was coming apart, and any delay meant
certain death. Gathering those who they could, the living
adventurers followed Alindyar's instructions, ascending the
stairs and entering a large trophy room of some kind. Sure
enough, mounted there in the wall was a large black mirror,
identical to the one the party had used to get to this
alternate dimension in the first place.
Ged: Hurry, now. We've got to get out of here.
Mongo: Let's hope the damn thing works.
Peldor: If you hadn't blown the earthquake horn, we could
take our time getting out of here...
Mongo: (stares at the thief with icy eyes) Drop it.
Peldor: ...
Peldor-2: (holding a scroll) We won't be joining you, of
course. (next to him are the motionless, charred forms
of Belphanior-2, Sparky, and Rillen-2)
Peldor: Huh?
Ged: But-
Peldor-2: I can use this scroll to get us back to safety.
From there, I'll see what can be done about these.
Peldor: (shakes hands with his counterpart) Uh...there
aren't words to fit this occasion...
Peldor-2: Never mind. It's been a blast.
Ged: Hmph.
Belphanior: Well...(looks at Belphanior-2) Take good care
of him. He's not such a bad guy.
Mongo: (watches as a huge pillar falls, taking out a wall)
Hey, I hate to break this up, but we really need to get
out of here...
Peldor-2: (holds his companions as he reads a spell of
Teleportation from the scroll) Good luck...(the four of
them blink out)
Ged: Well...(he looks at the mirror)
Peldor: It's sure cold in here.
A large crack appeared in the floor, and without further
ado, the remains of the party leaped into the mirror and
vanished.
next time : back on Oerth...
notes : This was a challenging episode to write. With
any luck, it made for a serious adventure while
also paving the way for future plotlines.
Speaking of which, now is the time to mail me
ideas for plots and quests you'd like to see the
party go through.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
previous chapter (#142)
next chapter (#144)