"No, I'll stay in the room..."
Brave, or foolhardy, no-one is quite sure. Our heroes are really in the thick of it, stuck on a flying castle, miles from anywhere, surrounded by enemies and in a room showing very clear signs of combat, they've already been caught once, and now find themselves wondering what to do next - not even they can stand up to an entire castle full of enemies...or can they?
Starring, in order they sit around the table:
Sigurd , (played by Iain) a travelling swordsman; brave, strong, can hold a tune...prone to unfortunate outbursts in the face of extreme danger...
Venmir, (played by Brett) an elven clergyman with an eye for a sharp exit.
Nyvan, (played by Jason) a elven knight, who should have worn his longjohns.
Rodin Halfbeard, (played by Lorne) the sullen dwarven axeman, amazingly, not the first one "around the corner" - wait and see...
Nandrin the Naughty, (played by Hilton), the world's most polite elven mage, a bit of a loiterer - and known to hang out on dodgy corners.
and The DM, (played by Alex), who loves to comment in blue. And writes this blog. He's also a bit of a git and likes to make life difficult for his players.
Tonight was a real landmark - our final session of Hoard of the Dragon Queen. This session also marks the first time the party members will give me their chosen names for the blog entry - and the winner gets an exp bonus.
Some closure, and some unexpected ice cubes made for an eventful evening, but not one without success. It did, however, demonstrate that our heroes need to think a little harder about preparation when they know what's coming...
They sat around in silence. The room was filled with smoldering scrolls, pools of blood, ruined furniture and a strange growth of wild grass - strange because it was indoors, and doubly so because it was a flying ice castle which had no grass anywhere else. Every now and then, one of them would pick a piece of grass and look at Nandrin like he was insane.
When they discussed their options, the way seemed simple. Search the rooms nearby for Rezmir, kill her, then crash the castle. Easy peasy. They left the room and walked across the hall to a large set of doors opposite.
As they approached, the doors to the main courtyard opened in front of them. They looked up to see a massive figure walk into the doorway - it must have been 20 foot tall and it's voice filled the corridor, so loud that they felt it reverberate in their chests as much as through their ears. It's skin was grey and dull, almost like rock. It was dressed in ragged furs and carried a club nearly ten foot long.
"So, more cultist insects scurrying about the place, eh? What are you doing in here?" asked the giant.
Nyvan stepped forward. "We are no cultists!" he proudly proclaimed. The others gasped.
"Really?!" replied the beast.
"Yes, have been sent here to find those infiltrating the cult..." said Nyvan, looking slightly less confident.
"I thought you said you weren't cultists?" pondered the beast. The others looked around, trying to act nonchalant - no-one was quite sure what was going on.
"That's right, we're working for the cultists. And we killed some other folk who weren't cultists."
"I really don't see what you're trying to say. I think you may be confused." said the giant, scratching his head (along with most of the table).
"Ahem." interrupted Nandrin. "Allow me to explain..." he sauntered up to the giant, trying to look confident.
After a brief exchange (which involved some discussions over where the bodies of the slain cultists were (thrown overboard!) - as well as a very passive aggressive threat to the giant), the giant lifted Nandrin with one hand, holding his face up to his own. Nandrin gagged a little on the smell and swallowed some vomit which had popped into his mouth. Just as it seemed that Nandrin might have his head bit off, another giant voice broke through the stillness of the air. The first giant's partner walked in!
She, for it was a she, calmed down the situation and decided to rather liked Nandrin, repeatedly patting him on the head, even suggesting he be taken home as a toy. She welcomed the party, asking them to introduce themselves.
It became apparent that the two groups were working for similar goals - as the giants, and their leader, Blagothkus, were distrusting of the cult and did not like their influence on the castle. Blagothkus was the one who ran the castle, and controlled it - but the giants did not think he was willing. So after some debate, they decided to take the heroes to see him for themselves.
They were lead through the castle, to the upper courtyard, and to the rear of the area - where they entered a massive tower. They walked past the ridiculously armoured ogre guards who tried, for a moment, to stop the heroes, but were soon taught the errors of their ways by an angry stone giant. They were left unmolested.
They walked into Blagothkus' chamber, where he was being attended by two ogres. He was easily 7 or 8 feet taller than the other giants. He towered over everyone in the room. His voice was almost musical, much less aggressive than the other giants'.
After getting everyone's names, he asked that they explain their reason for being there. Sigurd answered, truthfully, explaining how they had got there, and what their intentions were. The giant then cast some magics, before having them repeat their stoies, before nodding in acceptance that their stories were true. He was pleased that the red wizards had been driven from his castle.
He sat down again, and the ogres began to brush his hair. He thought. He thought as giants thought, and for twenty minutes, the only movement in the room was the two massive ogres brushing their master's hair.
Then he spoke again.
"We have a common endeavour, then. You wish to slay these cultists, an I wish to be rid of these cultists. The only remaining issue would be the dragon. If you can slay the cultist leaders and the dragon, then we would finish off the cult and we would both have our own way. What say you?"
"Yes!" shouted Nandrin, "We accept your deal!" worried that the giant might change the terms.
"So, you would kill Rezmir, and the dragon?"
The others stared in horror at Nandrin.
"Yes, I think so..." he replied, his strong confident voice starting to crack at the end.
"Then it is a deal!" roared the giant, startling everyone in the room!
"You kill Rezmir and the dragon. We will kill the remaining cultists!" announced the cloud giant, "Now go and prepare, and I will do the same. Send the captain of my guards up to me..." and with a gesture he dismissed the heroes. They left, with not a word in his direction. They were too busy glaring at Nandrin.
"Sorry..." he mumbled, as he withered under their gaze.
They descended the stairs and began to rest.
------------------------------------------
They found out Rezmir's room was the one they were about to enter when they encountered the giants - and they headed there as soon as their rest was complete.
The huge door, twenty foot tall, was locked, and they had no key. A polite lock had no luck. Nandrin considered his magical options, and selected a spell he thought might help.
"Step back..." he suggested, before standing some distance away from the ice doors - and he cast his spell.
There was a massive explosion of sound as the doors shattered, blasting inwards and outwards at the same time, the mage's sonic attack disrupting the door and showering them all in razor-sharp shards of ice. All of the party took some damage from the explosion, but then again, so did the people in the room.
(I say people, but....) In the room stood Rezmir, her wicked two-handed sword in her hands. Her face was bloodied from the explosion and her anger was clear. He black, scaled skin glistened in the light the blade in her hands swayed from side to side, as if alive itself. O her face was a black mask, as if to make her look more like a dragon. Next to her stood a large humanoid, it's face covered in a rag, while huge chains with bladed hooks on the ends trailed about it in the air, lazily, lashing from one side to the other as if alive.
"I always knew you feeble fools would die by my hands - today is as good a day as any other!"
And battle was joined.
Nyvan rushed to Rezmir and struck her a mighty blow, claling on his deity to support his strike. Almost immediately, Rezmir struck back, smashing through Nyvan's defences, her blade causing a wound which immediately puckered with black ooze and prevented even his own mighty powers from healing himself (they both hit each other for 29 damage - OUCH!).
The chain devil leapt across the room, it's chains flailing out and striking the heroes, but fortunately they managed to avoid being caught up in the chains. Sigurd side-stepped the beast and joined the assault on Rezmir. Nandrin's magics flew across the room, striking their two foes with fire, whlie Venmir and Rodin tore into the chain beast.
Sigurd and Nyvan lay into the half-dragon, but the half-dragon was like a creature possessed, it's blade carving through Nyvan once again. He felt his life begin to drift away. Sigurd dived forward, his sword a glittering arc which came down across Rezmir's neck, dropping the cult leader low, spraying Nyvan with the cultist's blood.
As she fell, the other creature cried out - whether in agony or relief the heroes were not sure - and disappeared from view.
Rezmir's corpse turned to ash as it fell to the floor, and the mask glowed briefly on top of the piles of remnants, but before Sigurd could grab it, it glowed brightly, then disappeared from view in a flash of light.
They paused for a moment, exultant in the result. Sigurd looked down at the blade which Rezmir had been using. He had seen its abilities on Nyvan - and he encouraged the paladin to lift it - it would surely come in handy for the battle with the dragon.
Nyvan leant down and picked up the blade, hefting it in both hands. It was well-weighted.
"Kill them...."
Nyvan looked around the room, puzzled. He had heard a voice, clear as day, rasping and sibilant.
"Kill them all. They're not your friends. Kill them before they kill you."
His muscles tightened and his face contorted. The others didn't notice.
"KILL THEM NOW!"
With a cry of effort, Nyvan lifted the blade over his head and charged at Rodin, his inherent dislike of dwarves coming to the fore. He slashed the blade down, narrowly missing Rodin, while the others leapt to stop him - he was tackled to the ground by his companions.
Despite numerous attempts, including tying up the paladin and testing his strength of will, each time the blade was lifted, it filled his mind with hatred and even burned his hands when he invoked holy powers. It was decided the blade would not be useful - although Nandrin wasnted to tie it to a broom-handle and use it like a spear. "Dragon next!" declared Nandrin to his glaring compadres. Venmir was too busy looking through a treasure chest to care.
----------------------------------------
They rested for a while, before the sounds of combat from outside came to the ears of Nyvan. He alerted the others, and they dashed outside into the courtyard.
All around them, battle was joined. Ogres fought cultists, cultists fought ogres, kobolds ran screaming from every door in the castle, trying to avoid everyone and generally getting swatted by whoever was nearby. One of the stone giants ran past and briefly acknowledged the heroes with a smile before kicking a kobold 60 feet across the courtyard, where it hit a wall 20 feet up and then slid slowly down to ground level. They were sure they could hear a strange squeaking noise coming from the tiny creature as it hit the wall.
"This is brilliant!" thundered the giant before running towards the thickest of the action.
The party headed for the stairs down into the ice caverns. A dragon awaited them. They went over their plan - lure the dragon out in the courtyard, where the giants could smash it, leaving them to clean up the mess, crash the castle, emerge victorious and become great heroes. Some parts were a little sketchy, but the overall plan was agreed. Lure the dragon out by running away, blame the giants, profit.
They quickly found their way to the ledge where they had met the dragon previously. As before, the creature was attached to the ceiling, looking about confusedly. It quickly approached the heroes, querying them all the way.
"What's all that noise? What's going on? Are we under attack? Who are you? Where is Rezmir? I don't know what to do!" spoke the dragon, in a surprisingly squeaky voice.
"Yes, we are!" answered Nyvan, before following up, "the giants are attacking the cult, you must get up there and save them!"
"Oh no!" cried the dragon, "what about Rezmir?!" and with that the dragon passed his muzzle close to the paladin. His nostrils flared as he sniffed at Nyvan.
"Why can I smell dragon blood on you, elf?" queried the beast.
"Um....I was there when Rezmir was slain! It was awful." countered the elf.
"Hmmmmmmm......." grumbled the beast, "I can smell her blood all over you! Tell me who killed her!" screamed the dragon, his nose pressing up against Nyvan.
"We killed her!" cried Sigurd, as he drew his sword and charged the dragon, which roared in anguish.
The others stood for a moment, before attacking as well, taken slightly by surprise. Before long, they managed to over their fear of the beast, which was mightily impressive.
Blows were traded, and the party began to realise the size of the task in front of them when the dragon lashed out with his claws and teeth, smashing through their defences. Nandrin flung fire into the beast, but it shrugged off the worst of it, while Sigurd, Rodin and Nyvan all slashed at the beast, inflicting deep wounds on its face.
The heroes leapt forward and back, trying to stay out of its range, but close enough to strike. Nandrin summoned a flaming sphere, and Venmir stood back, flinging arrows into the dragon's face. The dragon leaned back, his mighty wings buffeting them all, and knocking most of them to the ground.
Suddenly, Rodin took the chance to sound the retreat. He nimbly leapt out of the dragon's reach, and ran towards the corner behind which lay the safety of the ice tunnel. It started an avalanche. They all turned and ran, but most of them did so carefully, disengaging themselves from the creature's attacks, apart from Sigurd and Venmir, who risked opportunistic strikes from the beast by running without a care for what hit them in the back, the two of them disappeared around the corner. Nandrin waited at the corner, all the better to control his flaming sphere.
The creature reared back, the distance between him and his foes left him no choice. He pulled in a massive lungful of air, before expelling a cone of deadly cold onto the party, covering them in freezing ice beyond anything any of them had ever imagined.
Sigurd stood in the ice hall, his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. Venmir was right behind him, equally out of breath. They waited for a moment for their companions, but heard nothing apart from the sound of a dragon moving away in the other direction. With heavy steps, they gathered their strength and ran down the corridor. Just the two of them.
--------------------------------
The two of them ran up into the courtyard. Before them, a huge battle raged.
Bodies lay everywhere. One of the stone giants lay unmoving, surrounded by dead cultists and kobolds. Mounds of dead ogres and humans lay here and there, whlie at the far end of the courtyard, Blagothkus and the other stone giant, together with a handful of ogres, were striking down the last few dozen cultists.
The two of them smiled as they gazed upon the battle - surely the cult would be ended here - the giants would finish them off, and their pact would be fulfilled.
Suddenly, a dark shadow crossed over the open area, and a cold dread filled the adventurers. With an ear-shattering roar of hatred, it swooped across the battlefield, sending a huge cloud of frozen air across everyone in the fight. It swung back majestically to land and survey its results.
Only one or two dazed cultists remained standing. The ogres lay dead, or stood frozen where they had been struck. The stone giant clutched at it's face, where its eyes had once been, only bloodied holes remained. It swung it's club blindly, roaring in agony, striking the remaining cultists and sending them flying across the floor. One strike clubbed against the dragon's skull, momentarily dazing it.
Blagothkus alone seemed unharmed by the blast of air and he seaized the moment, leaping up grabbing the dragon around the face with one mighty hand, his thumb slowly forcing its way into the dragon's eye socket. He smashed it across the side of the head with his mighty morningstar, lightning fell from the sky, striking the beast. He screamed with battle-lust.
This dragon, however, was long-lived and tougher than he looked. His eye reduced to pulp, and his skull cracked on one side, he reared backwards, pulling the giant with him. His jaws snapped at the giant's neck, while his claws ripped open his chest, sending a spray of blue giant's blood in all directions. His wings scrabbled to give him balance, but the gian't strength seemed incredible.
Blagothkus, a veteran of many fights, knew his time had come, but he refused to give up. His one free arm still held his morningstar, and he swung it down on the dragon's back. Once. Twice. Three times he struck, and with the third, a bolt of lightning came down from the heavens, sundering the dragon's spine and shattering its armour-plates.
The two mighty combatants fell away from one another and collapsed to the floor.
For a minute, Sigurd and Venmir stood, unmoving, and barely believing. They ran forward to investigate stable on the other side of the battle. Deciding not to enter it's darkness, they turned to check on the giant and the dragon. Venmir wanted to slay them both, Sigurd only the dragon. Both still breathed, shallowly.
Blagothkus opened one eye weakly, and saw the heroes.
"The dragon...a worth foe. Too much for you, yes?" and even though he was whispering, his voice was louder than a normal human's shout.
"Yes, we are all that's left." said Venmir, bowing his head.
"Then your vow is discharged, I say. But I beg of you one thing. Save my children, please. If nothing else, save my children. Go to the blue tower above, and speak my name, but save them. I beg you...." he looked at the adventurer's expectantly.
"We will...." promised Venmir. With that the giant's breath rattled deep in his chest, and his head fell back, never to lift again.
"His children? What the fuck?!" asked Sigurd.
Venmir shook his head, unknowingly.
Sigurd walked over to the dragon, unsure how to proceed. Eventually he decided to drive his blade into the dragon's eye ball. He met no resistance and the dragon breathed its last.
They headed for the stairs, and the blue tower.
--------------------------------
Thankfully, the door to the blue tower was open and the two of them walked inside.
"Speak his name? Is that all?" asked Sigurd.
"Yes," replied Venmir, before speaking again.
"Blarthakus." he said, but nothing happened.
"Blegithikus."
Sigurd grinned and spoke, "Blagothkus" and he disappeared from sight!
"Blinthikar"
"Fuck sakes!" cried out the cleric.
Sigurd found himself in a different town. One wall was dominated by golden levers, and the air was filled with floating symbols. He reached out for one of them.
"I wouldn't touch that, human." spoke a voice from behind and above him. He twirled around and found himself staring at the knee of a massive female giant. "What is your name and why are you here?" she asked.
Sigurd explained his position, and spoke about how the casle was now nearly deserted, and that Blagothkus was dead.
The ghost was clearly distraught.
"Oh! My husband!" she wailed, "and my children!". She cried into her ghostly hands. "The cult, they took them, and held them hostage, to ensure we would serve them faithfully. Who will save them now? "
"We will!" volunteered Sigurd.
"Really?"
"Yes, we promised Blagothkus." replied the swordsman.
The giant ghost bean to weep with relief. She offered Sigurd control of the castle if he would save her children, explained how the castle worked, and offered her services - and explained how the castle worked, running on either gold, or magical items - the latter was much more efficient. They, Sigurd and Venmir, later filled it with several hundred gold pieces - enough to go for a day or two. She gave him the password to return to the blue tower, it was her name, Esclarella.
"Esclarella." he spoke, and he reappeared in the blue tower.
Venmir stood in the middle of the room.
"Blarneycuss. Blinkimuss. Blogapuss. Oh, there you are Sigurd. What did you find out?"
---------------------------------
The remaining heroes found their friends, frozen solid in the ice tunnels and left them there. They were confident they could use the treasure hoard to find a way to bring them back once they returned to civilisation.
They also encountered a speaking raven, which delivered them a message from Leosin Erlanthar, the Harper they had first met in the raider camp near Greenest. He had provided them with a teleport scroll, and an invitation:
To come to Waterdeep, and from there, to save the world.
THE END
(tbc with Rise of Tiamat)
Epilogue
Tiamat turned all of her heads towards the scrying bowl. She spoke out loud, even though it was unnecessary.
"Severin. While you have not yet failed me completely, I am sick of hearing of your setbacks. Sound the horn and summon my children. Gather the masks and complete the ritual. I am sick of this place, and I hunger to return."
"Of course, mistress," replied the shadowed figure in the bowl, his voice deep and powerful, "your wish is my command. No more setbacks, I promise. Faerun will be yours!"
One of Tiamat's heads nodded slightly and the water in the bowl went dark. She looked around the massive chamber, it's walls carved from bone and decorated with the corpses of a thousand devils.
"I hunger."
No comments:
Post a Comment