Chapter 7 : Judgement Day

[BigRedRod]

The world fades back into clarrity. The teleportation spell was clearly something beyond the limits of Azure's ability and it has left you with a confused sick feeling.

Crusad stands before you with two other wizards, they seem quite pleased,
"Our catching up will have to wait. I'm not sure what has happened, but Sacorn has demanded you report to his office the instant you arrive. If you do have some free time it would be nice to see you all again"
His smile fades,
"Although I've heard that Charir has been lost to us all, and from what I can gather the events which have called you back so suddenly involve our friend the Fiend, who I was informed would not be returning with you. It's a sad and confused time..."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Wincing at the thought that their masters have such power to transport the unit across the land without ever blinking an eye, Collin frowns and stomps away the queasiness of the teleportation. His frown doesn't go away as he listens to Crusad speak about the failed mission. He thinks to himself. Geez, does everyone know? And if they could teleport us so, why go through the pretext of having us walk?

Taking the hint from the wizard, the priest makes his way towards the office of Sacorn to repeat the same report. Dirty and dusty from travel, Collin takes a seat and says, "It appears as if you probably already know what happened. We got the recap from Crusad when we arrived, so if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to take some for myself. There's a sunset I wouldn't mind contemplating."

[BigRedRod]

The way to the Commander's office is paved with suspect glances from almost everyone passed. Clearly rumours of some event have permeated throughout the academy

Commander Sacorn looks highly unamused with Collin,
"Yes, I've had a brief message. But you have a report I need and I have rather important news for your team. So no, you cannot go and contemplate a sunset right now, but if you actually cooperate and cut the attitude you should be free for this evening's"

[Gnarsh]

"Batboy stole the book, we were attacked on the way back, lost a dagger, and got teleported here. Enough of a report for you? Now what's this news?" Lynores says to Sacorn, obviously fairly annoyed by recent events and the behavior of the people in the halls.

[BigRedRod]

Sacorn gives a dissaproving look towards the impatient fencer,
"A physical report, Sub-Commander Edgley should have compiled before you were sent here. A method which I am quite impressed worked without incident."
The Commander even manages a flicker of a smile at his last statement

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Rising to his feet, back straight as an arrow, Collin gives the commander a crisp salute. He then goes on to report in a shouting tone that oozes sarcasm, "SIR, yes, SIR! SIR, whatever you say, SIR! SIR, Collin reporting that the Black-Fiend did steal the tome from us, SIR! SIR, we were ambushed by multiple fiends who turned to dust when killed, SIR! SIR, the lead fiend stole from us, one halfling's dagger, SIR! SIR, finally those fiends mentioned they worked for the One Who Watches, SIR!"

Collin salutes again as his report is completed. "SIR, is there anything else you want, SIR?"

[BigRedRod]

Sacorn looks quite frustrated,
"Bantrus, as much as I usually enjoy your attempts to make due process more exciting, I'd much prefer that today you cut out the pathetic posturing and just let me have the report that Edgely gave to your team."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Snapping off another salute, Collin reaches under his breastplate and produces the sealed envelope. "SIR, yes, SIR! SIR, here's what Sub-Commander Edgley provided, SIR!"

With the exchange completed, Collin simply remains standing, hands to the side and chest puffed out. Although the chest standing out isn't really seen since his breastplate covers it. Seeing that his efforts are being wasted, Collin slumps once more, waiving his hands as if absolving himself of any responsibility.

[BigRedRod]

Sacorn briefly glances at the envelope and slides it along his desk,
"Thank you, you'll be sent for after the academy has had time to study the report and assess the situation."
The commander pauses for a moment, finding the right words to continue,
"I won't bore you with a recount of how we have all been betrayed, afterall you know this better than anyone. To put things plainly, we have a very large issue at a time when we need everything to be running smoothly to ensure that our invasion is successful-"
There is a short knock at the door,
"Enter"
The door is opened and a man steps into the office of Commander Sacorn. He salutes, without mockery of the kind which Collin showed, but out of actual respect.

The man is tall and far from skinny, with his large muscles informing the world that he is more than capable of handling himself. The scars on his face , oddly enough, seem to do little to detract from his good looks. The scarred man is clad in a uniform similar to Sacorn's but with a few less of the bars and circles on his collar and sleeve.

The Commander gestures to a chair,
"Torin, please be seated. Collin Bantrus, Variir Jbyl, Tolven Marrek, Lynores, this is Torin, the new addition to your team, as a replacement for the tragic loss of Charir and the traitor."

[itches]

Nodding in greeting to each of them - giving the flaming dwarf a second glance - Torins sits down in a spare seat.

[Cadrius]

Varidiir rolls his eyes at Collin's behavior. As much as the constant reporting and verification bores the azer, mockery won't make things much better. Yet he remains silent, even when the newcomer enters.

Scarred, strong, looks like a decent replacement for Charir. Hell, I don't care so long as he isn't like Unknown.

He inclines his head once, in greeting, to Torins before returning his attention to Sacorn.

[Gnarsh]

Lynores turns and gives a casual salute to Torin, then turns back to Sacorn.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin looks the new man up and down, noticing the accolades and stripes. But for the time being, he dismisses the man as anything other than another meat shield.

I wonder what's so special about this fella? Maybe he's going to blind his opponents with his perfect boots and medals? Still, it's nice to know that I won't be the only normal person in the group.

The priest remains in his laidback position, waiting for their next set of orders. But there seems to be a hint of anxiousness about him, perhaps he still wants to contemplate that sunset?

[BigRedRod]

Sacorn continues,
"Torin should be able to balance the skill defict you seem to experiencing. I won't bore you all and sound off his impressive past, that can be done in your own time."
The Commander pauses for a moment and then sighs,
"You will be sent for at some point today or tomorrow, so you are to stay inside the academy. I need to take this report for evaluation, I suggest that you spend the time together, afterall you need to be able to rely on one another. Dismissed"

Sacorn slides a small book across his desk, opens and begins jotting down some notes.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Taking the hint, Collin stands, gives a lazy salute and deaprts the room, heading towards the barracks. When he's outside the commander's office and partway down the hall, he turns his head back to see if the others are following.

Can't hold a razing for the Eff-en-gee (FNG) in the commander's office. Might as well hold his initiation in the barracks. Seems that he'll feel right at home over there though. A replacement for Batman, anyone would be a better fit than that character. Hell, I'd take the stableboy over him, the dirty rotten son of a two bit mangy flea bitten mule hog!

[Gnarsh]

Lynores turns to the others, grinning, as Sacorn leaves. "How about a night on the town, then? I know I feel like drowning my sorrows and seeing how much the new guy can stomach. My treat, of course."

[Cadrius]

Varidiir brightens at the mention of a night of drinking and carousing. It strikes the azer as sad that he has little else to do. Another night of quiet introspection, perhaps, or grueling physical training. Yet they can wait for another time, once he and his comrades are out on the road again.

"Count me in, lad," he says, elbowing the fiend and grinning.

[itches]

"If we're going to be heading off base, give me a second to get out of Uniform"

So saying Torin makes his way to his quarters before re-emerging dressed in a light brown tunic and leggings. Tightening a belt around his waist on witch rests a plain but well cared for dagger.

“I wasn’t told this before, but who is our unit leader?”

[Gnarsh]

Lynores stares at Torin for a second, momentarily confused. "Leader? Last I checked, we didn't have one. Though with my literally devilish good looks and sheer charisma, I suppose that I could qualify for the position." He answers with a grin. "Now let's head for the tavern, it's a pretty long walk from here. Tolven, Collin, will you be joining us?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin nods to the tiefling. "You said you were buying, I suppose that means I had better come along. If anything but to simply purge the poisons from your body when the night is through." He gives Lynores an evil smirk at the thought of having to call for divine aid to cure drunkenness.

[Gnarsh]

"The bar, then! Catch up if you want, Tolven." Lynores says, heading out the door for the bar, the others following. Once they arrive, he pays for the drinks, pulls out his lute, and takes requests for songs from the crowd.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

While the songs are played, drinks are served and joy is being had by all, Collin puts a bit of a damper on things when he finally gets around to ask the new Lieutenant, "So Lieutenant, what kind of field experience have you had? And if you say it's all classified, I'm sure that you'll find yourself bonded to the flagpole with some univeral solution as we leave."

[itches]

With a smile and a wave of his hand, Torin waves away the comment.

”Please, call me Torin, no need for the formalities. It would get a bit to much quickly, and as you people aren’t regular army, there is no need for you to observe the formalities.”

With a widening grin, the Lieutenant pauses for a breath and continues.

”And yes, some of my field experience is classified, but there would be little that you aren’t cleared for. Truth be told it isn’t that exciting. I joined the army when I was 18, and the stuff was pretty basic around then. Fighting bandits, and stuff like that. I served at the siege of Astoloth*, but it was all really ordinary stuff

I was invited to join the pathfinder division after that, and I accepted. Only served one field mission with them however, an exploratory strike into Kjeld territory, which I can’t tell you more about unless I’m given the all clear.

After that I was discovered to have some minor arcane talents. And was transferred out of regular army and into a Special Forces mage hunting division. During my time with them, I Successfully participated in the hunting and capture or elimination of 7 mages.”

Looking around the table solemnly, and absently brushes his scars with his hand, Torin continue in a lower voice.

”I’ve missed my mark only once in that time.”


* The Siege of Astoloth, was a case of where bureaucracy cost the army dearly. An official of the empire decided to set up a fort on an Island in the Broken Isles, where the two present sides were involved in a blood feud with each other. Ignoring warnings that incursion would likely unify the tribes against the invaders, the fort was built as per the official’s orders. No sooner was it completed, and then the tribes healed the rift between them, and assaulted the newly contracted fort. The savages lacked the warcraft to fight on equal terms with a well-prepared Vodalian force, but in this instance they greatly outnumbered the soldiers. After a week of bitter and near non-stop fighting the primitive siege was broken, with few survivors on either side. Those who did survive on the Vodalian side became renown through out the armed services for their tenacity to survive in the face of incredible odds.

[Gnarsh]

"An excellent record. You should fit in nicely here." Lynores says to Torin. "We've had our shares of success and failure, though I'm sure you've heard all about that." A waitress brings a bottle of wine over, handing it to Lynores. "297. Excellent year. Some glasses, if you please?" He pours the drinks, hands everyone their glass, and raises his in a toast. "To future success, luck, fame, and fortune. May we do Vodalia proud."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"I served at the siege of Astoloth*, but it was all really ordinary stuff."

Nodding along in agreement as Torin recites his brief history, Collin has other thoughts about the actual events.

At 18 you were serving during the siege. Yeah, you probably were, serving food and washing dishes.

"During my time with them, I Successfully participated in the hunting and capture or elimination of 7 mages."

Seven mages, but probably not a single one caught single handedly. On top of that, they were most-likely apprentices, not full blown wizards. I wonder about that scar he continues to stroke. Why would a mage he was going to kill, allow him to live? Must be his unit that bailed him out, like I was thinking. Could that be another reason for his transfer? Is he a washout from the wizard assassins? If he is, I hope he doesn't freeze up on our assignment.

Lynores chimes in before Collin can speak a word. "An excellent record. You should fit in nicely here." The priest isn't so optimistic.

With Torin's tales at an end, and Lynores brings forth a toast, the priest asks the new guy, "So is this why you were transferred to our unit? Think you can track our invisible flying fiend?"

Leaving the goblet of wine untouched, he states matter of factly, "You should know that fiendish wizards are quite different from the bandits, mindless barbarians and minor tricksters that you've previously conquered. Combining wings with magic, he may never need to touch the ground. And not knowing our foe as we do, could you divine his location? I mean if you're so good at eliminating them, why wouldn't you be with your hunters? Unless that isn't what you're here for."

That's it, he's a spy, come to check on our unit. Because of Unknown, we're made to suffer. Damn that black fiend, how I'd love to sacrifice him to Gul'ren. Or was he placed here because of one of the others? The elf's a sorcerer, could it be him? Or perhaps he's left something out and suspects me? What have I done? Was it my questioning of our insane orders? I suppose in the meantime, I'll just have to watch over this one and play along.

Taking up his wine, Collin holds it up and toasts with Lynores, "To our success!" With a new found smile, he adds, "long live the empire."

[itches]

"If you mean track him as in follow where he travelled, or divine his location by some magical means, then no, I'm almost totally positive that such a feat is beyond my means. But discussion of this can wait until tomorrow."

Raising his glass.

"To our success. Long Live the Empire."

[Cadrius]

"Come on, even he has to rest sometime. It's not like he can exist on just evil thoughts alone," Varidiir says, pausing to consider the idea, before shaking his head.

While accepting the wine, Varidiir does not contribute to the toast, only offering a cursory raise of his glass before drinking the contents. He doesn't gulp it like he might an ale, having the presence of mind to savor the aroma and the taste. Yet despite all this he still finishes his glass quickly enough and is up at the bar getting himself a pint.

Long live the empire, he thinks, taking a long pull from his ale.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Come on, even he has to rest sometime. It's not like he can exist on just evil thoughts alone."

"I don't know," responds the priest. "Do you remember him sleeping at all? I can't seem to remember him dozing. He was always hunched over his books or threatening us."

Collin attempts a very bad impression of Unknown, using his hands to simulate fangs and horns. For added effect, he dips one hand into his wine, allowing it run off his fingers like blood. "Duh, do as I say, or else I'll lift you off the ground and drop you!"

With his acting at an end, Collin laughs for the first time. "What the hell were we thinking when they said that fiend was supposed to work with us? The next time they force a creature of darkness into our ranks, we should save ourselves the trouble and slit its throat."

Looking around the table, he gives a puzzled look and then catches on. Smiling at the tiefling and drow, he corrects himself and laughs. "Present company is excluded from being the targets of the plan of course."

Glancing back at the new unit member, he jokingly asks, "You don't have any fiendish blood in you do you? No hidden horns or scales that we should be made aware of?"

[BigRedRod]

The evening's activities fade into the early morning when it becomes clear that the tavern-keeper also would quite like to get some sleep, the team stagger back to their quarters in the academy and enjoy all the benefits of drunken sleep

...

Around mid-morning of the following day, each of the members is sent for by a messanger and told to report immediately to Commander Sacorn's Office.
As they slowly enter Sacorn waves them to sit down and walks over to the window before he begins to speak, his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes fixed on some point of the landscape of Vodan he overlooks,
"To look at the positive, you are still part of the special forces, at certain points yesterday it looked like it was all going to end. The grimoire which was stolen is of potentially unthinkable power, there is little which can be done by this team to directly aid the war and allowing the nameless fiend to maintain possession of the book is not a line of thought I'm willing to entertain."

Sacorn turns from the window,
"As you are no doubt aware, the fiend was very protective of having any name attached to him, his weakness was the revelation of his true name. This is a weakness it does not appear he will have been able to protect, and so we have increased our efforts in finding out his true name, afterall we don't need to be so subtle anymore"

"This leads us to the next step you will be making. The fiend was last seen, by yourselves, heading northward. We also know the location of a lair kept by the fiend before he was recruited, as far as we are aware the fiend does not know we have any knowledge of this. Divinations are being attempting, but as we suspected the lair is protected. It is located in the cold wall, a short distance north of Kholtan."

The Comander strides to his desk, and removes a carefully folded cloth map from a stack of papers, the map shows the location of the fiend's lair. It seems to be built in a small underground ruin deep in the network of tunnels that run through the entire cold wall.

"You are to travel there. If the fiend is inside, then I want him taken to the fortress in Kholtan, dead or alive. Transport will then be arranged to return what is left of him to the academy. After the fiend is dispatched, or if he is not present, then you must search the lair for the grimoire, if it can't be found then search for any evidence of it's location or any dealings he may have made."

Rather than ask for question, the Commander sighs and looks to Collin

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin turns his head and looks at his teammates with a look of disbelief. "What?" He asks rhetorically. "Am I the only one to speak up again?"

Returning his attention back to the Commander, Collin clears his throat and predictably asks his questions. "Sir, this mountain cave, can it be accessed by us on foot? It would be a shame to arrive there only to find out that it's located in the middle of a sheer cliff. I'm sorry to say that we expended considerable resources in locating the book and will need a way to re-equip ourselves."

His second question goes directly to the apprehension of the fiend. "Sir, the fiend is known for his use of invisibility. Would it be possible to requisition some means as to defeat this advantage? While I plan on taking a bag of flour, we may need something more powerful to locate him, at least initially."

Another follow up question, regarding travel is next. "With the fiend's head start, and the considerable distance we'll need to traverse, will we be able to expect any additional support? The Misty Mountains are halfway across the world from where we are now. If we left by horse, it'd take us at least a month to locate the cave."

His final initial question is founded upon the relative success of the divine sending Collin managed to utilize following the failure of the book mission. "Upon our completion of the mission, successful or not, I take it you'd like a sending to keep you informed? Or would you rather the message be sent to someone else?"

[Gnarsh]

"Also, sir, some way of keeping the traitor out of the sky and within reach would be appreciated. Tanglefoot bags would likely work, and some extra funds to purchase a few of them would be appreciated," Lynores adds once Collin is done speaking.

[BigRedRod]

"The enterance tot he cave network here,"
He points to one of the entry points
"Is around ground level. Gaining access shouldn't be difficult, traps should be your main concern. Our initial scouting attempts revealed the location of several, but they could well have been altered or moved"

[ooc: I'm draw this map and bang a copy up at some point soon]

Sacorn smiles broadly as Collin mentions the time it will take to travel so far
"I'm glad you asked about travel. Time is, as it always seems to be, of the essence. Recently we have been investing heavily into research on a method of faster transportation. A more permanent version of the somewhat risky method used to bring you back from Dauthim has been created in the academy, unfortunately it's far from perfect ... I won't bore you with the details, I'll leave that to Sari. Have you encountered Eiko Sari, yet? Well, she headed the research and will be explaining exactly what will happen later on. It should be ready to go in a few days, which will save dramatically on the time it takes to move between key positions in the Empire ... and even beyond"

Sacorn nods,
"A sending would be most useful, Bantrus. Please direct any such activities directly to myself"

"Any supplies which you may need Lynores I shall leave it to you to purchase. Although you make a valid point that you have not been paid, I will have that dealt with by the end of the day."
Sacorn returns to his desk, takes a seat and writes a note on a piece of paper. He lifts his head and awaits any further comments

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Great, more traps. Collin thinks to himself as Sacorn continues his briefing. And worse yet, he knows us and our abilities. If only there were a way to throw goblin spoon into the mix. I suppose that's what the new guy is for.

Experimental transportation, now that's excellent. Use the special forces to test it out. Don't use some cannon fodder grunts or prisoners, use the elite. Nah, bugger that idea. I'll put my trust my god before I do this so-called research. Let's see if the others are gung-ho about being used as guinea pigs. But still, perhaps I'll ask.

"Sir, this transport, could it work if we were to add one more to our group?" Before the commander can shoot down his inquiry, he adds, "I was thinking that we might bring along a hunting dog to assist with the mission."

[BigRedRod]

"I wouldn't know. It's best to ask Sari for any detaisl, although I'm sure it will be possible to compensate for extra passengers"

[Cadrius]

Varidiir snorts at the mention of more traps. He's gone from disliking them, skipping over hate, and landing firmly in loathing country. He half-wonders if the wizards and other such people who created these traps did so to irritate any would-be intruders enough to simply leave. The azer rolls his eyes; there's nothing to be done about it now, best just to pay attention.

"Er, 'far from perfect,' sir?" He asks, blinking a couple times, "I hope that means we could end up a little farther away from the caves, and not transport half my body there while the rest stays here."

[BigRedRod]

The commander smiles,
"I'm sure it's safe. I'm sure you will find a use for the map"
He prods the map on his desk,
"Or maps really, one shows how to get to the general area from Kholtan, the other is a more detailed map of the tunnels around the lair. It should let you plan the mission. You will be sent for as soon as we have the gateway ready to us. Unless there is anything else...?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin glances over the maps. He squints for a moment before asking, "Sir, I take it the Tees indicate the placement of old traps? If so, have you any data on what those traps were at the time that your advanced scouts marked them off?"

[BigRedRod]

"I believe that is what the note at the bottom right is about. Sounds a little mundane to me though, especially for something as egotisitcal as the nameless one"

[BigRedRod]

Sacorn nods at the group,
"In that case, you are dismissed. I'll have your payment sent to you before nightfall, and you can expect to be sent for as soon as the gateway is ready to be used. Until then I'd advise that you consider your strategy and relax while you have the chance."

[Gnarsh]

Lynores gives a salute to the commander and leaves the office, heading down to the labs, looking for Crusad. Once he finds the wizard, "Crusad! Nice to see you, a shame we didn't get a chance to talk after being teleported in. I've got a couple things I'd like done, and you seem like just the man for at least one of them. First of all, I need to find a decent alchemist who can create, say, three tanglefoot bags for me. And I would like you, or one of your colleagues, to enchant a ring for me, one that can ward off attacks and the like. Can you do it, or are you to busy working on the group teleportation spell?

[looking for a ring of protection +1]

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

After the briefing is ended, Collin approaches the Commander. "Sir, it would be advantageous for the group to be compensated well before the mission is to begin. There seem to be several items that will possibly need time to acquire and the additional funds may help to expidite their acquisition."

With his concern expressed, Collin leaves the commander's office, but as he steps through the door, he stops to ask one more question, "Sir, about the 'dead or alive' part of the mission, was there a preference? It seems that if he's become such a threat, dead would be the prefered method, wouldn't it?"

Answers or not, in his seach for Crusad, Collin works his way to Lynores' side again. Stepping in just as he asks about the mage working on the teleportation spell, the priest winces. I still am not sure about this, but I suppose we're in Gul'ren's hands.

Waiting for his friend to complete his buisness, Collin unpacks the battered great axe they recovered from the smashed ogre. Wincing at the damage to the shaft, the priest frowns in concentration. Taking out his holy symbol, he casts a minor spell of detection. I can't believe I never got around to doing this, but I suppose we were in haste.

(OOC - casts detect magic on the huge axe. Will follow up with Crusad after the results are known.)

[BigRedRod]

Sacorn shakes his head,
"Don't let your lust for vengance cloud your vision, Bantrus. We want him alive if it's feasible. He has a great deal to answer for."

The huge axe radiates no magical aura

...

Crusad is clearly pleased to see Lynores as he enters the maze of magic labs that occupy much of the academy basements,
"My friend! Tanglefoot bags, you say. Yes, I know of just the gnome, he doesn't like to feel his work goes unappreciated so it won't be all that keep. Stop by later and I'll see what I can do with him about those."
He looks around the lab and makes a large arm-movement, even Lynores can see it isn't all that busy,
"We aren't on the teleportation project, it's really not my forte, and with all eyes on getting the gateways built and installed we're being ignored. It'll take me a full two days, and ..."
He hums for a moment,
"Eighteen Hundred gold pieces. Fair?"

[Gnarsh]

"Sounds excellent to me. I'll be back before we set out. Would you prefer I pay now or later? It makes no difference to me."

[BigRedRod]

"Now if you would , I need to sort out materials. Any idea when you're setting out?"

[Gnarsh]

"As soon as the gate is ready, though I'm sure it would be alright to delay our departure by a day or so if necessary."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With Lynores' business concluded, Collin waits patiently for Crusad to finish his sorting of the Tiefling's needs. When he finally looks up, the priest sets his hand down on the counter.

"Hello Crusad, I'm also in need of your services. I require several items, but knowing your limited time, and my limited resources, perhaps I could give you a short list and see what you can hammer out before my unit is sent back out."

"First on my list, I require a magical means to store equipment, and provisions. A bag, backpack or harversack enchanted to hold more than is physically possible, yet keeping the total weight down. I may seem large, but in our journeys, I've only slowed the others because I haven't the endurance to carry everything we need."

"Let's see, I suppose this goes hand in hand with the enchanted pack, but if I were stronger, I might not need the bags. I've heard that mighty fighters have used magic to augment how much they could carry. Perhaps it would be possible for me to do the same. Unfortuanately, spells have a short duration, what I need is a more permanent solution."

"Do you know anyone who deals in alchemical potions? Or perhaps you know the (wrinkles his nose) science? It would be of great help to me if I could obtain potions which allow one to see the unseen. In fact, everyone in my unit might require this special brew."

"Finally, the last item is one which could be useful in numerous situtions on the road. There are shielding amulets which prevent magicians from hitting you with their arcane tricks. I believe the one I'm looking for are typically made as cloak clasps."

Collin waits to see if Crusad can help him with any of his requests before asking him to help with one final task. "I obtained this ring while in the wilderness, and while I know it's magical in nature, I haven't a clue as to what its function is. Perhaps you could help me to identify its special qualities?"

(OOC-Collin is looking for a small bag of holding or a heward's handy harversack. He's also needs gauntlets of ogre power, potions of see invisible and a brooch of shielding. His last request is simple, an identify spell cast on the ring.)

[BigRedRod]

Crusad nods at the list,
"I'll have my team work on this and see what we can do. There's a decent chance that for two-thousand gold pieces we can have a bag with a pocket dimension inside made before you are called away on duty, I've heard you only have a short stay. But should you let you carry a decent amount"

"It will take a fair few days to have a pair of gauntlets capable of granting increased strength. Although I suppose it need not be gauntlets, but if you have no preference ... but those will require three thousand seven hundred coins, and as I said, it will take more time than you likely have."

"Potions are not a problem, tell me what you need and with luck I can have it to you within the hour. It's one of the commodities we keep a stockpile of, but not my department, so I'll have to get back with the cost."

"Ah yes, magic missile, so very common. Although I feel perhaps this could stretch every mage in the keep to breaking point, but for one thousand three hundred gold bits we should have an agreement."

[ooc : Bag of holding type I 2k, gaunlets of ogre power 3.7k, brooch of shielding 1.3k]

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

As Crusad rattles off the prices, Collin nods his head, thinking yes, he knows what I want and might be able to help. Still, I wonder about my ring. Is he afraid of it?

Finished with the pricing, Collin holds his hand out, palm down with a twitching thumb. "Ahem," he clears his throat. "And what about this? Have you ever seen it's like before? If you need to," Collin removes the ring from his thumb, "here, have a closer inspection."

"As I was saying, I've detected magical qualities eminating from it, but have yet to find out how to activate its powers, if there are any. Perhaps you'll have better luck than I have in determining its purpose."

[BigRedRod]

Crusad picks up the ring,
"Bah! Some people just have no respect for proper workmanship."
He twirls it around in his hand and gives it back,
"No markings at all, just a plain ring. A big one though. I'll have it looked at should you want"

A cough from behind attracts Collins attention
"Mr Bantrus, sir. I was told you would be expecting this."
The young man hands Collin a coffer and prompty dissapears
[ooc: contains your payment for the last while : 400pp]


[ooc: everyone else can assume they have recieved their payment now too. It's all the same, so let me know if anything needs doing in the next indeterminant period of time]

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Holding on the coffer, Collin snorts as he weighs it. He then turns to thank the messenger, but the man has promptly disappeared. I wonder how much he took out for making the delivery?

Returning his attention to Crusad, the priest nods his head in agreement. "Yes, if you could, consult your books, use your rituals and anything else it takes to unravel the mystery behind this ring."

"As to the other items, should I return at the same time as Lynores? Keeps everything tidy doesn't it. I also believe you'll want payment in advance. Seven thousand gold I believe, plus the cost for this last service."

Collin lays the coffer down and then rumages though the rest of his gear to get the rest of the payment. While doing this, he pulls out a small bag. Looking inside, he frowns and then puts it back in its place. When he's done, he leaves the coffer plus the remaining difference in gold, another 3,000 pieces.

"Ah, who did you say to talk to about those potions? And where could we find him?"

[BigRedRod]

"My trusted companion Makal, is in charge of Alchemy. A bit of a surly gent, gnomish, pretty much always around the labs. I must have introduced him at some point... anyhow, yes Makal is the gnome to speak to. It's easier to do these things directly, rather than going through me."
Crusad says as he pokes idly at the platinum within but then he clamps it shut and stands a little formaly,
"Well, I should get to work, you've given quite the list. My men should be busy around the clock, such a welcome change"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Well, I should get to work, you've given quite the list. My men should be busy around the clock, such a welcome change"

"You're welcome," Collin replies. "I assure that your work is appreciated. We'll see you in a couple days, hopefully with some good news!"

The priest leaves and works his way to the gnomish artificer's lab. There he purchases a potion to nullify the benefits that his invisible fiend would have.

Following his magical purchases completed, he ventures off to the central markets to buy more mundane materials. Afterward, he kneels down to pray and fast until it's time to pick up his gear..

(OOC - one potion of see invisible for 270 gp. In addition he buys a healer's kit, a silver holy symbol, bedroll, clean linen cloth, 2 square yards of it, a scroll/mapcase, some paper, ink and quill, or possibly a small blank book, a set of manacles, 10' of chain with a collar, and several 50 gp black onyx gems, 4-6 of them, ruby dust, 50 gp worth and some 200 gp diamonds, two of them. Total cost for all of this including the potion, 1121 gp, 2 sp.)

[Gnarsh]

Lynores also thanks Crusad and proceeds with Collin to the alchemist, where he purchases 4 tanglefoot bags.

He then heads into town, looking for a decent tailor, where he purchases a new set of clothes, his old ones being rather...bloodied.

(4 tanglefoot bags+courtesan's outfit=230 gp total.)

[Cadrius]

The others move to equip themselves before the mission. It's a wise idea, but there's little that Varidiir could use. Certainly one of those potions, to spot Unknown would be great. Indeed, he makes time to visit the alchemist, inquiring about their purchase. Yet apart from this brief expenditure, Varidiir lives normal, if split, life. The next couple of days are filled with quiet meditation, rigorous exercise, and training. With the nights comes the carousing and tavern-crawling, a profession he prefers greatly to its cousin, dungeon-crawling.

[BigRedRod]

It's been three whole days and finally a messanger arrives requesting the presence of the team in a previously unexplorered area of the labs which stretch out under the academy like a root system.

You recognise Commander Sacorn and Senior Wizard Crusad. The remaining figure is that of Eiko Sari, a beautiful elven woman in an exotic red robe looking at Tolven with undisguised disgust. Exactly which race of elves she hails from is unclear, she could possibly be a product of mixed blood.

Crusad steps forwards and indicates a number of items resting on a table,
"It was a rush, but it's mostly here except your gloves, Collin"
[ooc: Gnarsh : Ring of Protection +1, Collin : Bag of Holding Type I, Brooch of Shielding]
"I also made some progress with this"
Crusad picks up the large ogre-ring from the table,
"It's odd, very odd indeed. I think it's only a part of a larger item .. or series of items. The ring served as an amplifier between at least two other objects. I'll keep at it though, I might find something useful about it, afterall it's very intriguing."

Eiko looks away from Tolven, and gestures towards a chalk circle on the floor. Directly above the chalk circle, attached to the ceiling are a number of metal loops stacked on one another , perfectly in line with the chalk circle,
"This is a gateway. It allows two-way travel between another gateway and itself. Unfortunately it is the only gateway which exists wholly. Others will be constructed. But for now this means it is not without risk, it also means that travel is largely one-directional. It will send you to Kholtan, specifically a tower in the Kholtan barracks."

Sacorn steps toward the chalk floor circle and stares upwards,
"Hmmmm..."
After a moment he turns to regard the team,
"You have your task, any last moment questions?"

[Gnarsh]

Thinking for a moment and glancing around at his companions, Lynores responds: "It appears we don't. Send us on our way then, there's a fiend that could use a few puncture wounds out there, and the sooner he gets them, the better. Farewell."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Thank-you Crusad," he says as the requested items are handed over. "If it makes any difference, the ring's previous owner was an ogre who met a grizzly death. If you could figure out what the other items might be, we may be able to find them." Thinking about it for moment, Collin asks, "Could one of them possibly be an enchanted dagger or tome?"

As he converses with the artificer, he replaces his gauntlets with the magical ones. The new broach is firmly clasped so that it rests on his neck. The bag is sinched closed and tied to his waist. And finally he takes his ring, inspecting it before finally placing it around his thumb.

The priest thanks Crusad one more time before turning his attention to the mission briefing, "Once again, many thanks for your hard work. I hope to bring you more treasures in the future."

When Sacorn asks for any questions, Collin can't help but ask it, "Sir, about the book. Have you any idea what kind of knowlege is contained within its pages? It might give us an idea on what to expect from the fiend."

(OOC - I'm going to update Collin's character sheet with his items and a revised spell selection.)

[BigRedRod]

Crusad rocks his head from side to side,
"The exact shape isn't something I Can guess, but I'd have to guess it would contain some kind of crystal. Possibly entirely made from crystal."

The Commander smirks at Collin's question,
"The problem with mythical objects of great power is that no one ever seems to be able to agree on exactly which powers they possess. From what we can gather the tome holds a number of ancient and powerful spells and rituals, the tome itself seems integral to the casting of these ancient magics. Although as you are no doubt aware for all the posturing the nameless fiend did his mastery of wizardry progressed slowly, with a little luck the majority of the power in the tome with be far removed from what he can grasp"

[BigRedRod]

With no more words to be exchanged the Special Forces Team step into the chalk circle of the gateway. Two previously unseen, hooded mages step forwards and stand around the chalk circle along with Eiko, all three join a chant. As the words flow through the chamber very little seems to actually happen, the rings above shudder for a moment and then nothing ... after a minute or so of chanting Sacorn is starting to look impatient and as he opens his mouth to speak the rings lose their grip on the ceiling and fall directly downwards one at a time towards the chalk. There is a flash of white light and several clanks.

It takes a moment to realise that you are in a different and considerably smaller windowless room. The room is unfurnished, but there is a vague chalk outline on the ground, it is much less defined than the circle in Vodan. Apart from that the room is unremarkable, being roughly semicircular and containing a single large metal door with no spy hole as seems favoured by door construction engineers.

The group can hear a few vague sounds, you can hear the familiar sounds of military drills, but more immediately there seem to be people on the other side of the door. More than one, but not more than a handful, other than that you can't guess.

[Gnarsh]

Lynores steps from the circle towards the door and opens it. Assuming he sees some people on the other side, he greets them, "Well, we've arrived. When is the banquet and parade in our honor scheduled for?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Ugh, there must be an easier way to do this. I'll put my trust in my god, but those black robed mages are another matter. Now is everybody accounted for? Good, time to get moving.

Stepping behind Lynores, Collin claps his hand on the Tiefling's shoulder and says, "We know where Batman's supposed to be, so let's not waste time dining with the locals, unless you plan on taking some of the garrison to use as a diversion, or fodder." For a moment Collin smiles at the thought of Unknown wasting his mystical energies against some hired thugs. The moment gone, he continues with his orders, "We'll find some mounts in the stables, and food in the mess. Is there anything else we need? No? Let's get moving then."

[Cadrius]

Varidiir gently pats his arms, torso, and legs, checking that he did indeed arrive in one place.

"I still don't like it," he grudingly admits, "but it saved us some time."

He strides out of the circle and follows Lynores and Collin.

[BigRedRod]

Lynores opens the door to find a pair of guards looking straight ahead, one turns to face Lynores and salutes and speaks in the loud voice used for adressing one's superiors,
"Very funny, sir! The mess hall is at the bottom of the tower, you can get out the same way. You have horses waiting for you in the stable. Kholtan Barracks wishes you good luck while you are in the area. Sir!"

Down the spiral-staircase of the tower the barracks opens up into what must be the main room. Rows of tables and benchs fill it, although most are currently unoccupied, the shift rotation of the soldiers meaning the room is rarely over half full. You catch a few gazes as you enter from a recessed side-passage, some are clearly of awe, some jealously and others blatant contempt. The corner of the room houses several large pots, a table covered in bread rolls and several jugs, the cook scuttles about between them, sometimes disapearing into a back room which is clearly the kitchen proper. Through the large iron-bound wooden doors you can see the courtyard and the outer wall of the small fortress, you also make out what appears to the stable joined to the outer wall. A number of soliders are currently being drilled just within your line of sight

[ooc: if there is anything fairly mundane you need, you can pick it up here. Other than that it's clear sailing and I'll move along to the journey]

[Gnarsh]

Lynores heads for the stables, finding the best-looking horse he can and throwing the saddlebags he'd been carrying onto it, then climbing into the saddle and heading outside. "Shall we be off, then? I'd hate to disappoint that bastard son of a bat by being late."

[BigRedRod]

The team take horses and ride out of the fort, except for the azer who manages a comfortable stride easily matching the speed of his mounted companions. Through the gate of the barracks a wide road can be seen stretching away to the north and back to Kholtan to the south. The large town grows in density and height as it draws close to the Cold Wall, and the journey along the well-travelled road gives plenty of opportunity to see smaller clusters of buildings serving as mine holdings which support much of Kholtan's economy.

The traffic of the road is mundane in both directions, mainly merchant caravans with the occasional guard patrol. After crossing the large stone bridge which fords the first of the River Kholt's tributaries, the sightings of guard patrols drop off dramatically. The second tributary is bridged by a smaller construction, which looks to have very recently been repaired after taking heavy damage. Turning from the road the group follow a much fainter path alongside the steep-sided stream, after a few moments a cluster of houses can be made out, and it isn't long before you notice a number of men fishing the stream with nets that stretch across it's entire twenty feet of girth. A number of children playing in the grass regard the riders with curiosity and then fear as they get a closer look at Varidiir.

The sudden rocky face of the enormous cliffside grows taller and taller as the forces draw closer, until finally they reach the source of the stream. The ground is rocky and very wet. Tiny holes in the rock have been worn smooth and pump out water which collects together and forms the stream. Some of the sources are many tens of feet from gorund level, and the splatter of water as they fall gives the area a constant rainfall. The collection of small waterfalls feeding into a single stream is quite impressive to be behold, and it doesn't take long to locate what was marked as the "flood tunnel" on the map. There is a small irregular opening about five feet tall and two to three feet across, a few feet above the ground level in the sheer cliff. Water spirals downwards and spills into the tunnel , making it all too likely that the tunnel slopes downwards towards a pool of collected runoff.

The journey lasted only a few hours, and judging from the map, it seems the other marked tunnel allowing entry to the traitor's lair is ten minutes or so northward.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Seeing the waterfall, Collin's excitement turns to disappointment. Craning his head back to look over the rest of the cliff face, he says to his companions, "Rats, I was hoping that we could have made our way up through the water tunnel. I don't think any of us could fit through there, let alone breathe water."

Looking to his left, he shields his eyes with a hand. "If we can't go through here, let's move up that way. According to the map we were given, there's another tunnel that will give us access. We should be on our guard though, there are traps and possibly worse things in there."

Looking at the two rogues, and the new Lieutenant, the priest waits to see if any of them will take the lead. "Don't worry, Varidiir and I will both be right behind you."

[Gnarsh]

"As I've pointed out more than once, my knowledge of traps is virtually nonexistant. That's more Tolven's line of work. And as long as he seems to just be standing there in silence, it seems we may have to go with the next best solution," Lynores responds, "We send YOU in first, hoping that your god and your armor will protect you well enough from the traps you'll be setting off, while we follow through the recently cleared-of-danger lair. What do you think, Varidiir?"

[Seraphine]

Torin smiles at the banter, but also shakes his head slightly. Oscar pokes his head out of his pack and opens his mouth for an extended yawn. Torin reaches into his pocket and retrieves a small grub for his companion and smiles as he watches him nibble away.

"Well then, though you mask your suggestion with jest, I do believe it is time to allow the trap extrodinaire to do what he does best. Unless of course, you'd like me to 'disarm' these traps with my flesh and blood instead."

Oscar gives one last yawn and retreats back for another resting period.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin glares at Lynores and snaps back with a snarl, "Could it be that the gods will not answer my calls when it comes time to bless or heal you? Oh, but do not blame me, the humble priest for the tragedies that will befall you Lynores. For I am but an instrument of the gods, a vessel from which their powers flow. And their decision making is at best a fickle one. If you wish that I go first, so be it. But I do hope you can fly, since I plan on not setting off any traps once we enter the cave. For my god will grant my request, that I do not wish to step foot inside Batman's lair."

"Lynores, you may have given me an idea." Thinking about it for a moment, Collin asks the Lieutenant, "With your knowledge of such things, do you know if such a fiend requires breath? If not, we may be able to smoke the monster out of his lair and thus not have to worry about these hidden traps. I'm trying to remember if he did breathe, and I keep thinking that he did, even when he was mortally wounded."

"Ugh," he spits, "Would that my Lord never granted him back his life. We should have allowed him to die with Charir. If we had, we'd never be in this place." Looking over at Lynores, Collin continues, "See how fickle the Gods can be? They help and curse us at the same time, giving us Unknown and taking Charir away. So be it then, must I take the lead, or should our scouts earn their keep?"

[Gnarsh]

"Aye, smoking the fiend out could work, and would require slightly less wasted manpower. I cannot recall whether the creature needed to breathe or not, myself. Though I do see a small flaw-If he realized we were trying this, he could merely turn himself invisible and fly out by another exit, assuming the fiend had enough sense to have a back door put in. Is there one marked on the map?" he asks, pulling it out.

"Hmm, none that I can see. Though there may be one, but hidden. Any other plans other than smoking him out or the standard send-Tolven-in-and-follow method?"

[Cadrius]

The thought of swimming, in water no less, causes Varidiir's mouth to form a small, tight line that is only slightly softened by Colin's banter. Nobody hates traps more than Varidiir, but the priest might come close. He gives a short nod in agreement. The azer isn't going in first.

"Would that my Lord never granted him back his life."

Varidiir snorts, shaking his head before saying, "He probably has something in mind then, or else he wouldn't have let you bring that son of a whore back," he blinks and turns to Lynores, "no offense intended."

He folds his bronze arms over his chest and says, "Well, let's get going. I'd rather burn him out than deal with that water, but either way, let's be done with it."

[Seraphine]

Pondering a few moments Torin scratches his chin. The options set before him simply aren't that appatising.

"Fiends and breath. I had no use for this information before for my solution usually involved simply cutting out it's throat. However, I would assume this would be just a matter of how powerful our fiend was. If he was a capable one, I'm sure he can render himself able to survive even in a thoroughly smoke filled cave.

"However are you sure you want to alert it to our pressence? Currently he should be expecting a force sent after him, but not so soon. If we smoke the cave, it will alert it to our pressence and may try to escape leaving nothing that we need. And as our livly friend has mention, possibly undetected through this entrence, or possibly another we do not know of."

After finishing this Torin lets out an audible sigh. "I believe there is no easier way to do this. We're going to have to go in on foot and try to maintain our advantage of surprise. Otherwise these rather elusive creatures will escape our grasp."

[Gralhruk]

Standing around silently, indeed. Doubtless it never occurred to you that stepping lightly is a good way to avoid a trap.

Tolven stands slightly apart from the others, a slow, disdainful smile spreading across his handsome features. Death and traps, smoke and fiends - but above all, fear. It was the fear of the unknown that fell across his companions like the shadow of the reaper.

See how they bicker to avoid the danger. See how lost they are without me.

He lightly clears his throat, scuffing one foot lightly in the dirt as he waits for their attention. When he finally has it, he takes a moment to adjust the length of his sleeves before speaking.

"Philosophical discussions on the nature of gods and the respiratory properties of bastard fiends should probably wait until after our work is done. "

He smiles brightly, and perhaps a tad smugly, before shrugging his lithe shoulders.

"As you know, I've always been more than willing to lend my skills where they are needed."

With no more than that, he sets off toward the front door. He moves slowly, almost leisurely, as if walking towards a tea party instead of some beast's dank lair. All of which, of course, conceals a heroic effort not to get blasted by some damned trap before they even enter the caves.

<OOC: Search>

[BigRedRod]

[ooc: I'll take the common view you are going through the non "flood" tunnel]
The tunnel is worn smooth for the most part by the water eternally seeping from the walls and room. All is silent bar the sound of water splashing against the floor and the occasional splash of a puddle. After several minutes of very slow, uneventuful movement Tolven notices an area corresponding to a marked trap on the mark. The tunnel splits into three, and the region is slightly drier. The floor is clearly false, capable of supporting very little weight before collapsing, and a number of small holes are present in the walls. However, Tolven is unable to locate any mechanism for the discovered trap.

For a moment there is absolute silence, even the dripping water seems to have stopped as Tolven assesses the extent of the trap, but the silence is replaced by the echoing sound of chanting. Perhaps a single voice, but the sound is confused by the tunnels making any specific details difficult to make out.

[Seraphine]

Torin tries to search for the voice's source direction but the effort is in vain. He wispers to the group, "It seems our voices travel a bit too well here, we should try to remain as quiet as possible, hand signals from here on out if possible." After this he gets Tolven's attention by taping his shoulder, then with a questioning look, he points to the area ahead.

[Gralhruk]

Tolven flutters his hands through a series of complex gestures, accompanied by several posture changes. One might think he's mocking Torin - unless they happened to be fluent in drow sign language, in which case they'd realize he wasn't mocking, he was downright insulting. At the quizzical looks from the others he grins and mouths trap while pointing to the false floor.

Skirting the device (if possible, otherwise he'll attempt to disable it), he attempts to move with all possible stealth to the first intersection and then peers in both directions. If doesn't see anything, he'll turn right and continue searching for any traps that aren't marked on the map, stopping before the second lefthand tunnel.

[BigRedRod]

Even here in a relative dry-spot of the tunnel, the walls are smooth and damp. The false-floor spreads in all directions leaving no real solid ledge around it making skirting the trap quite impossible without climbing equipment and time.

Disabling such a trap appears to be out of the question, the mechanism just relies on the floor being made from a thin weak stone slab (which is supported by unknown means, but possibly just a mundane system of support columns) which will break when exposed to the weight of an average man (or inquisitive drow) allowing him to fall to whatever lies beaneath. The small holes are more of a mystery, those which Tolven can reach to peer into each contain a small dull metal disc about an inch across and an inch deep in the hole. They seem to be fixed in position and are marked with an arcane rune which the dark elf recognises as meaning one of three things : burn, corrosion or possibly sour. The disc at the end of each hole seems identical, although their purpose is unknown to the elf.

[Seraphine]

Torin nods, smiles and gives the dark elf one hand signal he's sure to reconize. [:-p]

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Slightly frustrated at their pace, he thinks to himself, I suppose I could always go head quickly. But there could be other things besides pit traps. Frowning at the delay, Collin takes out his holy symbol and whispers a prayer. "Light as a feather, quiet as a mouse, and swift as an arrow. Let the land obstacles diminish." Completing his prayer, he kisses his tiny silver gauntlet.

"I'll be right back," he says to the others as he floats over the stone slab and proceeds down the right hand passage. Beyond the trap, he looks for something his grappling hook could be attached to that will support the weight of the others. If needed, he removes from his pouch an everburing torch to provide the necessary light. I can see why Batman likes this place. If we all had wings, there wouldn't be anything to worry about. Now if I can hook the rope somewhere over here, the others can safely climb across.

[BigRedRod]

The priest walks a few inches above the ground over the false floor, occasionally tapping downwards with his foot to see where the solid tunnel floor begings again. Eventually becoming satisfied Collin sets down on the ground and attaches the grappling hook around an odd little natural formation that looks something like a smooth vertical handle. Giving a little tug on the rope Collin feels fairly sure that it should remain fixed to the wall.
The chanting continues, as does the confusion to where it is originating, what language it is in and who is doing the chanting.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Feeling that the rope will hold, Collin drifts back over the pit and looks for another place to attach the rope to. Finding an anchor, he gives the rope a few hearty tugs.

"All secure here, let's keep moving. The chanting should mask our movements, but I don't know how long he'll keep it up. Plus I'd hate to see my spell ended."

He then floats back across the pit and down the rocky corridor.

(OOC - If you didn't get it BRR, Collin cast an Air Walk spell before.)

[Seraphine]

Torin tilts his head and holds his hand out as if to say, "After you" to Tolven.

[Gralhruk]

That chanting is likely that winged bastard plotting our death.

It would be best if they interuppted him before he finished whatever he was about. These pit traps were going to be a problem, especially if there were as many as the map indicated. If they had to make a hasty retreat things were going to get ugly. The tiny holes they spied everywhere in the walls were likely connected to the pit trap in some way. Water seemed the obvious liquid the flow out of them, but the mind of this drow knew that there were far worse liquids - or gases, for that matter - that one might dispense.

Allowing himself a small smile at Torin's gesture, Tolven climbs after the floating Collin. Things were going to get worse before they got better. That much seemed a sure bet. Once across, one narrow finger reaches up to stroke Grakus and he can feel the chameleon hum with pleasure. With a thought, he sends the winged creature out ahead to scout.

[Seraphine]

Noticing something odd behind them, Torin turns back to look at the the south wall. [ooc: my pathetic attempt at searching]

if (Nothing is found)
Torin shakes his head and continues back to climb across with everyone else, a bit more cautious than before, and a bit more hungry as well.

[Cadrius]

Varidiir plants his hands on his hips and watches his companions climb across. He sighs and shakes his head; it's so typical for them to not think that some have heads that are permanently on fire. If he hangs from the rope and goes across, it'll be set alight and he'll likely be sent crashing into the trapped floor. He spits at the thought, saliva sizzling on the nearby rock.

He didn't want to have to do this but he pulls a vial from his belongings and gives the gray liquid a wary look. Closing his eyes, he uncorks it and drinks it in one shot, face cringing at the bitter taste. He wonders why it is that potions always have to taste so disgusting and what mage was responsible for it.

At least shots give you something...wait! I wonder if you could mix potions with alcohol? It would make this damn wall-crawling a lot better if some whisky was involved.

His mind delving into the possibilities of an alchemy-alcohol hybrid, Varidiir crawls up the wall, limbs sticking to the rocky surface, and down ont the other side.

[Gnarsh]

Lynores follows his non-burning companions, crossing the trapped area on the rope.

[Seraphine]

[OOC: You might have been able to grab the role and kind of kick off the wall and just walk across, using the rope to hold you against the wall, but hey, at least you might have a handy little patent coming in the future. =] ]

Torin looks up to see fire head crawling the ceiling. Spontaneously with his hunger, Torin wonders if he can roast food above his companion...

[BigRedRod]

Grakus glides down the corridor, ahead of the team as they finish negotiating the first pit. A single word arrives back from Tolven's familiar, tinged with dissapointment,
Another
Following the passage, the team take a turn towards the chamber marked on the map and arrive at a passageway marked with a "T". Tolven would have found this trap instantly even without aid of the tunnel-map.

The trap looks nearly identical, although it seems to have been less thoroughly constructed. The rogue instantly notices that a small ledge of solid ground traces the edge of the tunnel around the weak false-floor. The ledge is small, less than an inch wide in some places. Grakus drifts around in the air above the false floor, eventually settling on the smooth ceiling and looks down on the special forces team.
Both sides of the passage are lined with the odd indentations once again, and a brief inspection reveals that each of these contains an identical metal disk as before

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Looking back at the extended rope, Collin begins to float back to retrieve it. Before he gets halfway to the concealed pit, he stops and thinks better of it. Turning around he floats back to the new obstacle. "Do I need to do the same thing again? If so, I'll need another rope."

Turning to the burning Azer, he says, "Sorry Varidiir, but you'll have to keep moving. I'd get across before your potion expires. And speaking of expiring, I should hope that we keep moving before my own does the same."

After securing another rope, the priest continues to float down the tunnel towards the chanting. He won't even see us coming if he keeps up the chanting. I better put this away though. He stows his light away, giving his eyes a moment to readjust to the darkness. Now be a good fiend and have your braziers lit.

[BigRedRod]

The chanting gets louder as Collin abandons his team to scout ahead while his divine defiance of several natural laws is maintained. There is a swift kink in the tunnel and Collin realises he has reached the third and final trap. This trap was far less successful than it's fellows, exactly what happened is hard to judge. It looked something like the roof of the tunnel was somehow weakened and collapsed onto the false floor beneath. The end result is that rather than having another flase floor and series of small holes around it, there is a heap of rocks which won't take too much effort to climb over. Several of the tubes are still visible, although whatever their purpose it's clearly compromised by the dramatic architectural change.

Even without his own source of light, the priest is not left in darkness, a pale yellow light spills from behind the rocks making movement possible. From time to time the light flickers or is replaced with a burst of scarlet energy

[Cadrius]

I hope we don't expire before our spells do. he thinks, scuttling along the side of the wall and following the others. All he wants is to find the fiend and pound him repeatedly, not for betraying them. No, he rather expected it from a being who refused a name and threatened violence should anyone attempt to give him one. Instead Varidiir has the urge to crack his skull simply on principle. He hates traps and any chance he gets to visit pain upon their makers is a good day in Varidiir's book.

"Who needs all these bloody traps?" he mutters.

[Seraphine]

Torin snickers and follows along, "Traps are for sissies." A grin crosses his face and refuses to leave until his farret friend points it out to him.

[Gnarsh]

Lynores calls ahead to the azer, "Varidiir! Is there enough time left with that potion for you to come back and carry me across? My inborn resistance to fire should protect me from your flames well enough. I don't know why there would be a side-ledge on any pits in here, and odds are it's trapped too."

[Seraphine]

[ooc: Oops, I missunderstood that last one. I thought the trap collapsed already and we could just climb over the rubble.]

Thinking better of his earlier decision, Torin pauses and wonders if he could make the jump. However, that at the moment seems an unwise choice. He looks to the rest of the group. "I'm open to suggestions."

[Seraphine]

Torin suddenly slaps himself in the forehead, and with enough force to cause confusion within a couple of his companions and a snicker from Tolven. He walks over to the smiling drow shaking his head at himself. "Alright hold still now." He closes his eyes and begins his own inchantation. He speaks a few words that could hardly be reconized by anyone who did not practice the arcane arts and reaches into his spell pouch. Upon completeling his spell he blows a dust off his hand and a glow encapulates the dark elf. (Side affects include mild to extreme diareah, nausea, sexual side affects, and occationally turing purple.)

"You're going to have to take off your gloves and boots but the good news is you can now climb over. This should last 30 minutes so take your time and don't trip on anything." He finishes this statement with a wink. After which he moves on to Lynore and then himself.

[ooc: Casting spider climb 3 times.]

[Gralhruk]

"Ah, many thanks my intimidating friend."

Tolven concentrates a moment and then, without fanfare, fades from view. His disembodied voice is low but unmistakable.

"With such excellent locomotion in my power, I think it is time to do some scouting. Bide here a moment and I shall investigate."

Sticking -literally- to the walls, Tolven moves ahead towards the chanting. He takes care to circumvent any of the minute holes in the walls, and keeps a sharp eye out for any traps. A mental word and Grakus is winging silently ahead of him, pausing at intervals so that he remains about 20' ahead of the drow.

<OOC: Use one charge from his Wand of Invisibility, Search +15, Move Silently +9>

[BigRedRod]

Clambering past the second pit and then up and around the third at the point of the tunnel collapse, Tolven invisibly reaches what must serve as the front door of his former-companion's old lair. A length of blue and red patterned cloth hangs from the ceiling and reaches to the floor, a slit up the centre allows Tolven to see beyond into the chamber beyond.

The chanting is much louder now, and Tolven can't help but feel that the speed of the words is increasing, as if the ritual is reaching it's zenith. Through the cloth doorway Tolven sees a fairly small cavern containing a desk and a great many shelves, but little else. Books lie open on the desk, although sadly the stolen tome does not seem to be among them. Tiny spheres of light, like disembodied candle flames or possibly tiny fairies drift from the only other passage connecting to the room. The chanting reaches a high note and Tolven closes his eyes as air rushes towards him, sending the doorway flapping and spilling out the tiny lights, now joined by some larger deep red and orange spheres, into the tunnel beyond. Before long the lights dissapear with a swift explosion of light. The orbs drift straight through Tolven as if he wasn't there, and a swift glance into the room reveals it has been repopulated with the white orbs.

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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@5j bo rs 0 T
*END 2e4gfy
[ooc: red line is just the cloth door, no sign of a trap Tolven can see]

[Gnarsh]

"My thanks, Torin. It's a good thing you're here; I don't particularly relish the thought of Viaridiir's hand slipping and dropping me in the pit, or, worse yet, catching my new clothes on fire."

Lynores removes his boots and quickly crosses over the obstacles to Tolven, then puts his boots back on his feet.

[Seraphine]

After completing the last casting Torin looks up just in time to get hit in the face by a pulsing orb on the way past. On reflex, he clinches his eyes shut. However, when he opens his eyes nothing seems different. He gives himeself a quick check over that nothign is missing and that he can still feel pain when he pinches himself. After his own assurances have been made, he realizes that the chanting sounds rather close. He readies his bow and checks his sword then begins to climb over on the ceiling to get a better look and maybe a good shooting location.

[Cadrius]

"And I don't want you stripping down to catch a ride, either," Varidiir says, rolling his eyes at the fiend's complaints. The azer still clings to the side of the wall and waits for Tolven's return. The sooner the drow finishes with all these incredibly irritating traps, the better.

"And why does he have to keep chanting?" He asks, feeling a bit unnerved.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Let's say we put an end to it," Collin answers to Varidiir's question. "Best get ready, remember the mission, capture or kill him and get the book. If there's something else over there, we may be able to avoid it if the fiend's summoning within a protected barrier."

The thought that Unknown may be summoning more of his kind causes the priest to shiver involuntarily. Snapping his attention back to the task at hand, he whispers a prayer to his lord, "Lord Gul'ren, bless your faithful servant as he extracts revenge in your name. Allow me to bring forth your divine wrath as I smite your foes."

Looking around at the others, he adds one more prayer. "Blessed be by Gul'ren, those comrades who would fight with your devoted servant. May our fury be directed at our foes. May our blades bite deep. May our strikes fell all who oppose us." Charging forward through the curtain, Collin says in a commanding voice, "Let us get this over with."

(OOC - Casts Greater Magic Weapon on his mace and a Bless spell on the group. The GMW spell will last for 9 hours. The Bless spell lasts for 9 minutes.)

[Seraphine]

Torin watches as the priest prepares himself and decides it's better to ready his magical defenses as well. He reaches for his component pouch but catches himself before opening it. Realizing that he's hanging from the ceiling he things then reaches into the pouch upside down and closes the pouch before beginging the spell. A quick frew words and a toss from his hand causes a brief and weak flash of light and sound as air before him is displaced in the shape of a hemisphere. It shimmers and ripples for a moment but then is utterly invisible.

[casting Shield direction is of course toward the chanting]

That ready he knocks an arrow (regular). Just after Collin is done summoning the aid of his god he charges into the room with a battle cry of bitter anger and determination. Torin only has a moment to shake his head at the attack being sprung so hastily but doesn't argue. He follows the warrior priest's lead and readies himeself to release the arrow at any attacker.

[BigRedRod]

Collin leads the charge into the through the curtain and the small chamber behind and arrives a short way into the much larger cavern beyond.

The tiny floating orbs of light illuminate this cavern and are present in a much higher density, illuminating the scene with bursts of orange, yellow and red. The source of the orbs is situated towards the rear of the cavern where the ground suddenly rises two feet above the surrounding rock. Stood inside a chalk circle surrounded by candles with the Grimoire Ira Scientifica hovering in the air before him is the fiend you once served with. His bat-like wings are spread wide and his clawed-hands trace mystical symbols in the air. Before the team have a chance to take in the full impact of what is occuring it stops.

The eyes of the nameless one surge with a yellow light and he casually closes the stolen tome which still hovers before him before opening his arms and smiling a greeting,
"So good to see you all again, and it appears you have already found a replacement. That is good news, I spent so long worrying aobut how you would cope after I left to persue my own project."
Yellow lightning sparks between his claws as he lowers his arms and the room grows gradually darker as no more light orbs are produced and those which were in the room begin to drift away and vanish.
"I didn't quite expect to see you all so soon. Don't be angry Collin, I can see it in your eyes. We never quite saw eye to eye after my little joke about dropping you, although the latest aquisition of the mighty Vodalian Special Forces appears to be rather lacking in certain areas where I excelled."
The half-fiend folds his wings behind him and chuckles,
"Is Commander Sacorn angry? Is his dream falling to pieces around him? If I hadn't had more pressing matters I would have deeply enjoyed to see his face. So then, the puppets have come to kill me? To have their revenge? It's all very familiar isn't it? Just like Xaemar in the desert..."


map
[ooc: brown line marks the "shelf" at the rear of the cavern, the odd symbols are large stalagmite/stalagtite clusters. Standard letters for everyone, now with To being Torrin. The cavern has a very high ceiling, about 50feet at the far end to about nine at the tunnel you entered through]
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END -kvpukm

[Gnarsh]

Lynores steps into the cavern towards the end of Unknown's little tirade. "And, let me guess, you've become more powerful than we could ever imagine? Save your voice, fiend, you'll need it to scream for mercy all through eternity in the Abyss. By the way, if you happen to see my grandmother there, say hello for me," he says, drawing his rapier with a flourish, ready for the fight to come.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"You can make all the jests and jabs you want, Fiend." Collin hisses back at Unknown. "But come now, do you really believe that you can fool us again? We know you. How alone you feel. Not quite fitting in and being so unique as to stand out, which may have also led you down this path. Give up now and we won't be forced to kill you. Despite what you are, you can still die, cease to exist. Although how would you like to be reanimated as my servant?" The priest chuckles as he steps forward bringing his will to bear on the fiend.

"Oh yes, through the eyes my Lord I know you...I know you secretly fear us. Now why don't you act on that fear!" Gripping his holy pendant tightly, Collin releases the held energy of his next spell before the lights go completely out. "Fear me as you would and should! Grovel before me and beg for mercy!"

(OOC - Collin casts Fear at Unknown when he's within range, 30'. If successful, Unknown will become Panicked and flee from Collin. Assuming that the cavern's only exit is behind him, Unknown would then huddle in the corner, unable to do anything. To beat his spell resistance if Unknown has any (I don't remember if half-fiends have SR), Collin's rolling d20+9. The DC save for the fear is Willpower DC18.)

[BigRedRod]

The winged fiend looks down at Collin with interest showing no impact from Collin's spell,
"Oh dear, my friend. It seems another of our noble powers-that-be has abandoned you."
Stretching both of his arms he unfurls his wings,
"If we can't end this without attempted trickery and fighting, then let's get it over with. I'll show you the extent of the power I've gained!"

Initiative
Tolven
Varidiir
Unknown
Torin
Collin
Lynores

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END -92dmsq

[Gralhruk]

Deciding that the situation is unlikely to resolve itself without his input, Tolven drops to the floor and enters the chamber, drawing his bow as he goes. He sticks to the wall on his right, moving east until he reaches a large stalagmite. He almost smiles at the banter between the fiend and the forces, almost wishes he wasn't attempting to remain undetected - otherwise he could chime in with some witty remark of his own. Silently regretting that he can't get close enough to make his daggers an option, he fits an arrow to the string and launches it at Unknown.

<OOC: Stay by eastern wall, move 30' to the first stalagmite there then shoot an arrow at Unknown.>

[Cadrius]

Words. They've come this far, tracked Unknown through the desert, fought demons, been magically teleported, crawled through trapped caverns, all for this? For words? They bandy about threats and insults and Varidiir wonders if it's a mandatory custom of primes. This thought is shattered when he sees Lynores partake in the requisite banter. Perhaps it's his human side coming out. Tolven, at least, remains his typical quiet self. Varidiir blinks, come to think of it he hasn't seen Tolven in a while. He shrugs, it wouldn't be the first time the drow disappeared. With any luck he's doing something useful.

"Bugger this," he says, having grown tired of waiting. Varidiir darts forward, quickly moving behind a nearby rock using it for cover from the fiend. One thick hand fingers the bandolier of shurikens wrapped across his chest. He waits to see how brash Unknown has become.

(OOC: Move straight ahead to the rock and ready an action to unleash shurikens should Unknown come into his line of fire)

[BigRedRod]

Silently moving around the cavern the drow lets an arrow loose from his bow. The spell shielding him from prying eyes instantly fails as the arrows glides through the cold air and impacts directly in the throat of his former ally...

For a momement the world is completely still. The fiend stands, wings spread, about to leap upwards into flight, an arrow protruding out under it's jaw.

...the shaft drops to the ground, although no blood follows the remains of the arrow. Like dried mud cracking and flaking away when touched, the skin of the traitor around his throat crumbles away and rops with the arrow. Behind the shattered skin lies a disturbing sight, a mesh of orange flowing gently over a surface made up entirely of a soft yellow light.

Countless times you have seen the half-fiend struck and thick blood drawn from the wound.

Almost at the same moment the flaming monk darts forward and the fiend flaps his great wings and rises into the air. Seeing his chance, the azer hurls one of the jagged metal shapes toward the nameless one. The shuriken strikes one of the out-stretched wings mid-flap, tearing straight through it. Once again a small area of skin breaks away like a fragile shell revealing the strange lattice work of the unknown is present also in his wings.

Undeterred by either of the attacks, the unknown pauses a dozen or so feet above the chalk-circle, the cavern restricting him from travelling much higher. In one hand he holds a small object which none of the special forces team can easily make out, clenching his fist around the object a stream of arcane syllables flow from his tongue. The floor of the cavern darkens slightly and huge, rubbery, jet-black tentacles burst through the rocky ground and swarm around the party. Varidiir leaps backwards as the first of the tentacles sweeps the chamber, leaving it to narrowly avoid Collin. The priest is equally succesful having two of the tenctacles wrap around him but tearing their grasps from his body. Tolven's reactions fail him and one of the thicker tentacles encircles his waist, hoisting him from the ground. At the rear of the group, Lynores finds himself struggling against a thin tenctacle coiled tightly around each arm pulling him to his knees. The newest addition to the group bobs and weaves as the black-strands grasp at him but slips slightly and quickly finds one of the tentacles coiled around his waist
[ooc: evard's black tentacles, Tolven, Torin and Lynores are all grappled]

Initiative
Tolven [g]
Varidiir
Unknown [flying]
Torin [g]
Collin
Lynores [g]

map
[ooc: big circle effort is the area of effect of the spell as determined by the rippling darkness on the ground]
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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[Gralhruk]

How shortsighted of me.

Tolven hadn't expected the fiend to drop with one arrow, no matter how well placed, but he hadn't expected it to be completely ineffective. At the very least, it should have prevented the spell the damned winged one had slapped them with. Of course, surprise was always a crucial element in combat - it had been the motive for his own attack. Hindsight being so much more accurate than the normal variety he could now see that he should have suspected that in his lair, after obviously completing some spell or other, unknown would have a few surprises himself.

All of these thought passed through the drow's head as the massive tentacle did it's best to crush the life out of him. The thing was obviously stronger than him; pitting his own strength against it was a poor proposition. Far better to extricate himself from a losing battle than to waste energy when the odds were so poor. Testing it's grip, he twists and then pushes, hoping to force it to readjust so that he can slip free.

<OOC: Escape artist check at +11 to escape the grapple. If successful, he'll head further east behind the stalagmite in the corner.>

[Gnarsh]

Lynores is surprised to find his arms suddenly wrapped up by a long black tentacle sprouted from the floor. "Now this is the kind of thing we should have planned for," He mutters to himself while attempting to squirm out of the tentacle's grasp.

(OOC: Untrained Escape Artist +4, if successful move back outside the area of effect and draw longbow)

[Seraphine]

[About my spider climb spell, should we say it was a jump spell instead? cuz otherwise I'm still hanging form the ceiling.]

Torin struggles to avoid from being completely tied down by the mass of writhing black tenticles at his feet. He releases one hand from his bow and draws his spare sword to hack away at thier bases but they seem to be coming back as soon as he cuts them away. [Untrained Escape artist +3]

At the same time Torin has a bad feeling of things to come and knows what must be done. Unfortunetly he can only fight against the horrid mass around his feet. All he can do is scream out what he intended to do himself. "Disrupt his sigil! Don't let him continue to use it!"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

The black pudding tentacles expand and explode from the ground, but with his superior height, Collin manages to avoid the sticky strands. Keeping his wits about him, he sees to his relief that they do not impede his forward progress towards the diabolical fiend. Pressing ahead, Collin closes the distance between him and Unknown, air walking up to the ledge. A fleeting thought passes through his head as he prepares another prayer. It looks as if I'll have to do this myself. How fitting that it comes down to the faithless against the faithful.

"Your skills have improved Fiend," Collin cries out to Unknown. "Now why don't you come out where we can see you? Your old tricks are becoming boring."

Slipping a vial from his bandoleer, he quaffs an ill tasting potion. Instantly the room explodes into a wide colorful pattern. With his eyes sharpened to detect that which is unseen, Collin gazes at the Fiend and then the corners.

(OOC - Uses a potion of see invisibility.)

[BigRedRod]

The mage-hunter shifts his weight and pushes upwards in an attempt to free himself of the tentacle, the powerful grip is far more determined than any rope and coils more firmly around his waist.

His companions lost in the ever-growing forest of ensnaring tentacles, Collin floats free from the affected area and strides confidently up through the air. The fiend slowly flapping his great wings to maintain his height above the book stares at the chaos caused by his spell. The priest quaffs the position and quickly searches for anything hiding under the guise of invisibility in the cavern, however, he the extra perception gains him nothing and Collin fails to notice anything invisible.

With a sharp sudden tug Lynores frees his right hand, ducking down and retreating backwars he pulls against the phenomenal scrength of the remaining tentacle. With a jolt the Tiefling is free and hunched outside the reach of the grasping tentacles. Acting quickly he draws his bow and attempts to find a line of sight to the hovering fiend through the field of writhing tentacles

Using his grace and speed against his captor the drow manages to escape and roll out of the tenctacle's reach, bow still in hand despite the struggle.

Initiative
Tolven
Varidiir
Unknown [flying]
Torin [g]
Collin
Lynores

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END 33muiy

[Cadrius]

"Whoa."

It's an understatement, really. Even being a creature native to the planes where bizarre things happen on a regular basis, having a bunch of thick, muscular tentacles spring from the ground and attempt to grab you is a bit unsettling. The azer spins away from those that he can dodge, and punches those that he can't. Through a measure of both agility and brute force he finds himself free of the spell for the moment. Casting a glance above reveals Colin walking on air toward Unknown. Varidiir hopes he can handle the fiend as the rest of the group has to now deal with the tentacles. Tolven and Lynores look to have freed themselves, but the new member, the mage hunter has not. Unfortuantely, Varidiir doesn't have much of a hope of getting to him and instead looks to make his way out of the forest of writhing trees.

Take out the mage and you take out the spell.

Grabbing several more shurikens, the azer moves through the tentacles, trying to get another clear shot on Unknown.

[BigRedRod]

In a single, rather spectacular, movement the flaming dwarf rolls forward, draws a shuriken and tosses it toward the fragmenting fiend. Despite the style with which he acted however, Varidiir's shot goes both wide and high and sticks in the far wall about half an inch from the ceiling

Watching his form crumble to nothingness the unknown begins to speak, but his voice is corrupted and skewed, sounding like a dozen or so spirits mock his each and every word with their ghostly impersonations,
"You cannot win! Why do battle against impossible odds?"
With a two handed gesture and a single word, five tiny orbs shimmer into existence and glide down towards the Azer and Collin. Three of the missiles converge on the priest but are all drawn in towards his brooch, expldoing harmlessly against it.
[ooc: brooch down to 91]
The remaining two strike Varidiir simultaneously causing the short fellow a few moments of discomfort


Initiative
Tolven
Varidiir
Unknown [flying]
Torin [g]
Collin
Lynores

[Gnarsh]

"Simply because we can, you pathetic excuse for a true demon! And then, of course, there's the platinum that's in it for us. Getting the chance to piss you off provides quite a bonus as well." Lynores yells in response as he lines up his shot and fires a pair of arrows at the fiend.

(OOC:Attack +10/+5 with longbow, 1d8+1 damage)

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Seeing the three orbs flash into nothingness, Collin whispers a silent prayer. He also gives Crusad special but slient thanks for finding the Brooch of Shielding.

"Do you want to talk about odds?" Collin shouts in defiance. "It's you that is the most odd! Besides, we've got the superior numbers!"

Time to even up some of those odds! Summoning the power of his deity, Collin calls into existance the image of his Lord's hammer. The translucent maul appears behind Unknown in mid-swing. Hammer him! Beat him! Revenge!

(OOC - Casts Spiritual Weapon, attack +9, 1d8+2 force damage, bypasses damage reduction, lasts for 8 rds and can attack when first summoned.)

[Seraphine]

[Ok then...]

Torin frantically struggles against the writhing mass around his ankles in a final attempt to free himself.

[BigRedRod]

As the tentacles slowly begin to squeeze the life out of Torrin he summons the last of his strength and prys his way free from the rubbery coiling mass. Dropping to the ground he crouches and weaves through the area towards the traitor

Gul'ren's mace forms in the air by Unknown as Collin prays to his God, with the spell complete the hammer swings and impacts solidly on the flying half-fiend. More of the fiend's shell crumbles, leaving his full right-hand side showing the strange underform with it's pulsing webbing.

The fencer fires his arrows at the unknown. The first being struck out of the air by a flailing tenctacle, the second striking the nameless one in the shoulder blade as he attempts to dodge the missile. A few more cracked flakes join their companions tumbling to the ground as a result of the impact

Initiative
Tolven
Varidiir
Unknown [flying]
Torin
Collin
Lynores

Map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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@6o rs 0 0 2s 40 38 6o *s -1 30 5c rs 0 9y6tc 2c 5c 30 5c *s -1
@58 44 rs 0 0 s 44 -k 3w -3w 1w -38 -2s 1o -3g 58 -s 3o 1w 1o 38 *s
@-1 3s 20 rs 0 9zabk -20 1c w 20 2o 14 3s 0 3s -o *s -1 3s o rs 0
@9zabk 3s o 3s g *s b 4q 23 1p7 b7 *s e 8q 2n rs 0 *s e 9l 3n rs
@0 *s e 8w 4x rs 0 *s e 51 7j rs 0 *s e 3q 6i rs 0 *s e 5d 5g rs
@0 *s e 22 4l rs 0 *s -3 4t 2d rs 0 U *s -3 65 33 rs 0 C *s -3 2y
@70 rs 0 To *s -3 8r 5q rs 0 T *s -3 66 59 rs 0 V *s -3 66 9s rs
@0 L *s h 60 6n 734 5 *s -3 5g 2i rs 0 SW
*END vknvyw

[Gralhruk]

Tolven leans out from behind the column and sights along the arrow, angling upward at Unknown. He pauses for a moment as he studies the lambent yellow orange glow of the "wounds", and the ragged edge where the skin substance had flaked off. The information is noted and filed as the drow ponders what magical effect it might be.

He drops his line slightly, aiming for the infernal one's crotch, and then looses his arrow with a silent prayer to the gods of infertility. As soon as the shaft is clear, he slides closer to the pillar, putting the solid stone partially between him and his foe.

<OOC: Attack unknown with bow +8, spellcraft +9 to identify the spell in place, attempt to get 50% cover from the stalagmite.>

[Seraphine]

Fed up with the events thus far, Torin decides to through in something a little unorthadox. He slowly begins to move toward the sheding unknown, all the while tossing odd words in a tone that seems should be for insults. The words themselves are nothing more than a mix of jibberish and terms describing food, but they're purpose is clear: to confuse and annoy. And to make sure he gets the demon's attention, he also launches off two arrows.

[two normal arrows. bab +2(bow) +4dmg(fvr enemy))

[Cadrius]

Varidiir looks at his shurikens, the sharp pieces of metal proving to be less than effective at piercing Unknown, or rather, whatever now lives inside the fiend. He has the distinct feeling that had he hit the traitorous demon a few weeks earlier, his skin wouldn't have flaked off. In retrospect, Varidiir really shouldn't have been surprised by the betrayal. It's what fiends do.

"Bugger this," he says, glaring at Unknown and Collin as they battle above the ground. Taking a moment to gauge the distance, the azer sets off at a blistering pace, building up speed. As he nears the priest and the demon battling, Varidiir leaps with all his strength in an attempt to grab ahold of Unknown.

((OOC: Don't know how you'll adjudicate this but Varidiir's going for a vertical jump. The DC of it really depends on how high off the ground Unknown is. Technically Varidiir's a medium creature and supposedly can reach a totaly of eight feet without jumping. This, of course, is stupid as he's only 4'5". I'm not sure how you want to handle that. Either way his jump check is +18))

[BigRedRod]

Tolven's arrow glides through the air directly on course with the demonic visage of the traitor, with suprising control and ease he slides a handful of inches in the air and the arrow sails past impacting with the solid stone of the cavern wall. With the shot failed, Tolven hunches forward behind the massive deposit of rock before him.

With speed that never fails to suprise the flaming monk dashes forward, easily bounds onto the upper level of the cavern and then completes his maneouver by leaping into the air, Despite his small stature he easily clears the distance between him and the winged demon and locks his arms around it's legs. As Varidiir struggles to keep hold, the heat of his body burns away at the familiar form, the shell no longer crumbling but shrivelling up. The orange weave of the nameless one's interior pulses as the half-fiend's legs writhe and he leans down to strike the grappler. Before the blow can make contact however, the monk begins to slip, finding nothing but pain where he touches the semi-exposed form of the fiend and no part of the outer form which doesn't burn and flake upon contact.
The Azer drops to the ground, landing rather badly and in more than a small measure of pain. The burning was an entirely new experience and not one he would care to repeat. Opening his eyes he makes out the fiend hovering above the acursed book he stole and the fiend's circle of power around him.

With the leaping monk put in his place the fiend roars in anger as he looks down at his stripped legs. His old form completely absent from the waist down, replaced with the yellow energy and, now-pulsing, orange weave. Holding one palm out towards the hammer hovering next to him, the unknown barks a mystic command. Black tendrils leave his palm and wrap themselves around the spiritual hammer. With a shake of his clawed hand the tendrils fasten and tighten and snap the hammer in two. The head and grip both fade from view and he turns his attention back to the living members of the team,
"That was quite inconvient. I did not want to shed my form so quickly. You'll pay for that you little gem-thieving bastard."
Regaining some of his composure he looks at Collin,
"But your overloud priest here demanded to be first"

The string of nonsense coming from Torin attracts the fiends attention just as the hunter's arrows reach him. Both penetrating his chest, making small holes and then snapping as the burning form beneath destroys the impacting heads. The shafts drop to the ground accompanied by more shreds of skin

Initiative
Tolven
Varidiir
Unknown [flying]
Torin
Collin
Lynores

Map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 30 5c rs 0 0 2c 5c 10 54 s 4w k 4w c 4g k 40 s 40 10 3k 1o
@3c 2k 34 30 2w *s -1 3s 5c rs 0 0 28 5c 3k 54 3c 4o 3k 40 3s 3s
@3s 3c 3c 34 2w 2o 34 20 *s -1 2o 6o rs 0 0 2o 40 28 6o *s -1 38
@6o rs 0 0 2s 40 38 6o *s -1 30 5c rs 0 9y6tc 2c 5c 30 5c *s -1
@58 44 rs 0 0 s 44 -k 3w -3w 1w -38 -2s 1o -3g 58 -s 3o 1w 1o 38 *s
@-1 3s 20 rs 0 9zabk -20 1c w 20 2o 14 3s 0 3s -o *s -1 3s o rs 0
@9zabk 3s o 3s g *s b 4q 25 1p7 b7 *s e 8q 2n rs 0 *s e 9l 3n rs
@0 *s e 8w 4x rs 0 *s e 51 7j rs 0 *s e 3q 6i rs 0 *s e 5d 5g rs
@0 *s e 22 4l rs 0 *s -3 4x 2f rs 0 U *s -3 65 33 rs 0 C *s -3 2u
@56 rs 0 To *s -3 8r 5q rs 0 T *s -3 4c 2i rs 0 V *s -3 66 9s rs
@0 L *s h 60 6n 734 5 *s -3 5g 2i rs 0 SW
*END a6leq8

[Gnarsh]

Lynores, remembering the alchemical items he had created prior to leaving for the mission, drops his bow and runs into the field of tentacles, pulling out one of the tanglefoot bags in the process. "Let's see how you like being grounded, batboy."

(OOC: Double move across the Evard's Black Tentacles area, draw a tanglefoot bag)

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

The mission, get the book and bring Unknown back if possible, dead or alive. The book...

With the book hovering in the air without any sign of it being held, Collin decides that even if they can't defeat Unknown in his current condition, they can at least get the book and possibly use it against him, or complete part of their mission. Sprinting through the air, the priest reaches out with his gloved hand and cradles the mystical tome under his arm. Thinking that it'll be safer to store it away if he were a few yards away from the fiend, Collin leaps back with his newly claimed prize.

"The book shall be mine, Fiend!" He cackles as he makes his retreat.

[Seraphine]

Torrin moves forward and continues his assault of arrows, but now that he has the fiends attention instead of hurtling randomness he tosses insults.

I wonder if any of this is going to do any good or are we just helping it "shed." Though he did mention it an inconvienece, I'd still rather not deal with a new and improved fiend. A chill runs down his back and tries to crawl back again but he refused to let it.

"Why don't you tell me your name? Hate to have to let you die nameless!"

[ooc: More shooting + 5' step toward unknown.]

[BigRedRod]

The cleric glides through the air grabbing the tome as he passes and pushes it into his pack. The book feels oddly warm although Collin fails to experience any ill-effects from taking what appears to be the nameless one's source of power.

Lynores dashes through the field of tentacles, as he enters the spell's area more thick rubbery tentacles burst from the ground. Announcing his plan to all, including unknown, he draws one the alchemical tangelfoot bags.


Initiative
Tolven
Varidiir
Unknown [flying]
Torin
Collin
Lynores

Map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 30 5c rs 0 0 2c 5c 10 54 s 4w k 4w c 4g k 40 s 40 10 3k 1o
@3c 2k 34 30 2w *s -1 3s 5c rs 0 0 28 5c 3k 54 3c 4o 3k 40 3s 3s
@3s 3c 3c 34 2w 2o 34 20 *s -1 2o 6o rs 0 0 2o 40 28 6o *s -1 38
@6o rs 0 0 2s 40 38 6o *s -1 30 5c rs 0 9y6tc 2c 5c 30 5c *s -1
@58 44 rs 0 0 s 44 -k 3w -3w 1w -38 -2s 1o -3g 58 -s 3o 1w 1o 38 *s
@-1 3s 20 rs 0 9zabk -20 1c w 20 2o 14 3s 0 3s -o *s -1 3s o rs 0
@9zabk 3s o 3s g *s b 4q 25 1p7 b7 *s e 8q 2n rs 0 *s e 9l 3n rs
@0 *s e 8w 4x rs 0 *s e 51 7j rs 0 *s e 3q 6i rs 0 *s e 5d 5g rs
@0 *s e 22 4l rs 0 *s -3 4x 2f rs 0 U *s -3 3m 3n rs 0 C *s -3 2u
@56 rs 0 To *s -3 8r 5q rs 0 T *s -3 4c 2i rs 0 V *s -3 68 5u rs
@0 L *s h 60 6n 734 5 *s -3 5g 2i rs 0 SW
*END -s54t4c

[Gralhruk]

Ignoring the theatrics of the participants, who seem rather more interested in witty banter than wholesale slaughter, Tolven takes a moment to appreciate Varidiir's extraordinary leap. The results are quite interesting, though the drow wishes that Unknown would show some sign of physical discomfort. Deciding to test a theory, Tolven draws a wand from his side and levels it at the airborn fiend, speaking a command word in a sibilant voice and then ducking once more behind his rocky shield.

<OOC: Draw wand of magic missiles and shoot the fiend, while continuing to hold his bow in the other hand.>

[Cadrius]

Varidiir burns and yet for the first time, he actually feels pain from it. It wasn't the scorch of some flame but rather the very nature of Unknown's inner body. There's something about the gossamer interior that burned the azer at its touch. He feels a small bit of comfort at being able to pull and tear the demon's outer shell.

He doesn't want it removed yet, why?

His eyes shoot to the book, but Collin is one step quicker, snatching it up with his gauntleted hands. Varidiir shrugs, he has little else to do now. Pulling another shuriken from his bandoleer, he takes a step back and hurls it upward, attempting to hit Unknown in the chest.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"I am the hand of God! Feel pain and know fear!" Invoking the power and wrath of his god, Collin calls for divine aid. His hand charged with the power of Gul'ren, the priest reaches his hand out to touch Unknown.

(OOC - Collin's casting Inflict Serious Wounds by using his spontaneous casting, Create Food and Water spell. The touch spell will inflict 3d8+8 points of damage. He's +8 to hit Unknown's touch AC. Collin will cast defensively, Concentration skill of +17 with the DC 18. This means he's successful even on a 1!)

[BigRedRod]

The missile takes a leisurely path through the air and eventually impacts squarely on the flying demon. Colliding with the underform of the fiend results in a brief swelling of the orange mesh before it returns to it's pulsing.

Varidiir's shuriken scrapes away another tiny portion of the traitor's shell, the tiny object itself vanishes into the fiend's energy-form.

The nameless one begins to chant, mystic runes briefly form in the air around the half-fiend as he stares directly toward the floating priest...

With the book safely put away, Collin drifts back towards the demon. The nameless one dodges, but Collin's outstretched palm finds his wing instead, pushing against the tatters of flesh still clinging to the thin plane of energy, it becomes clear that the fiend is far from invulnerable. The mesh swells and fades for a moment before returning much finer and an intense red colour. The yellow energy inside in the wing begins to seep outwards toward Collin, as the lines of the wing mesh randomly break and join together.

The spell of the traitor now lost to it's roars and screams Collin drifts backwards as the wave of destruction flows down the wing and towards the rest of the fiend's new form. The yellow light flares outwards and the earth begins to move...

For a moment that seems like an eternity, the team find themselves blinded, underground and the middle of an earthquake. Unseen rocks drop from above and then everything is replaced with blackness. Blackness and the sound of the sea rolling slowly up and down the beach.


-=Chapter End=-

[BigRedRod]

Tolven
5321

Torin
5129

Collin
5243

Varidiir
5199

Lynores
5110