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dnd300
“Your wounds …”“Forget them,” Ivan retorted.“Get me to the one that killed me brother!”“But Ivan,” Cadderly continued to protest.He pointed at the protruding rib.Ivan’s eyes did widen when he noticed the ghastly wound, but he only shrugged, reached down to grasp the bone, and pulled it free, casually tossing it aside as though he hadn’t even noticed the several inches of bloodstains on it.Ivan’s attitude was similarly uncaring when he tried to put his helmet back on, only to find that the embedded bones blocked him from seating it correctly on his head.He plucked a few chips from his forehead, then, with a grunt, forced the helmet into place.Cadderly could only assume that the cursing mist had increased the dwarf’s rage to a point where Ivan simply did not acknowledge pain.He knew that dwarves were a tough lot, Ivan more than most, but this was beyond belief.“Ye said ye’d take me to him!” Ivan roared, and his words rang like a threat in Cadderly’s ears.“Ye said ye’d find the way!” In a move of concession, Ivan reached up and tore off Cadderly’s cloak and used it to quickly tie off his wound.Cadderly had to be satisfied with that.He knew that the best he could do for everybody, Ivan included, was to find and close the smoking bottle as quickly as he could.Only then would the enraged dwarf allow Cadderly or anyone else to tend to his injuries.But Cadderly was not so certain Ivan would make it that far.They soon came back to the original corridors where they had encountered the undead monsters.All was quiet, deathly still, giving Cadderly the opportunity to carefully reconstruct his first passage through.He thought he was making some progress, leading Ivan down several adjoining passages, when he noticed some movement far down one hall, at the very edge of his narrow light beam.Ivan noticed it too, and he set off at once, his grief for his dead brother transferred again into uncontrollable battle lust.Cadderly fumbled with his bandoleer and tried futilely to keep up with the dwarf, pleading with Ivan to let that enemy go.It was a single skeleton, wandering aimlessly at first, but then coming straight in at the charging dwarf.Cadderly came to a very important decision at that moment.He held his light beam in one hand and his loaded crossbow in the other, lining both up between the horns of the dwarf’s helmet at the skeletal face beyond.Cadderly had never intended his custom-designed crossbow to be used as a weapon, especially not while firing the exploding darts.He had designed the bow for opening locked doors, or blasting away troublesome tree branches that scraped against his window, or a variety of other nonviolent purposes.Also, he had to admit, he had designed the crossbow and the bolts in part for the simple challenge of designing them.But Cadderly had vowed to himself, as much an excuse as anything else, never to use the darts or the bow as a weapon, never to unleash the concentrated violence of the explosive missiles against a living target.The arguments in this instance were many, of course.Ivan could ill afford another fight, even against a single skeleton, and the skeleton, after all, was not really a living creature.Still, Cadderly’s guilt hovered over him as he took aim.He knew he was breaking the spirit of his vow.He fired.The bolt arced over Ivan’s head and crashed into the charging skeleton’s face.The initial impact wasn’t so great, but then the dart collapsed, setting off the oil of impact.When the dust cleared a moment later, the skeleton’s head and neck were gone.The headless bones stood a moment longer then dropped with a rattle.Ivan, just a few strides away, stopped abruptly and stared in amazement, his jaw hanging open and his dark eyes wide.He turned slowly back to Cadderly, who only shrugged apologetically and looked away.“It had to be done,” Cadderly remarked, more to himself than to Ivan.“And ye did it well!” Ivan replied, coming back down the passage.
“Your wounds …”“Forget them,” Ivan retorted.“Get me to the one that killed me brother!”“But Ivan,” Cadderly continued to protest.He pointed at the protruding rib.Ivan’s eyes did widen when he noticed the ghastly wound, but he only shrugged, reached down to grasp the bone, and pulled it free, casually tossing it aside as though he hadn’t even noticed the several inches of bloodstains on it.Ivan’s attitude was similarly uncaring when he tried to put his helmet back on, only to find that the embedded bones blocked him from seating it correctly on his head.He plucked a few chips from his forehead, then, with a grunt, forced the helmet into place.Cadderly could only assume that the cursing mist had increased the dwarf’s rage to a point where Ivan simply did not acknowledge pain.He knew that dwarves were a tough lot, Ivan more than most, but this was beyond belief.“Ye said ye’d take me to him!” Ivan roared, and his words rang like a threat in Cadderly’s ears.“Ye said ye’d find the way!” In a move of concession, Ivan reached up and tore off Cadderly’s cloak and used it to quickly tie off his wound.Cadderly had to be satisfied with that.He knew that the best he could do for everybody, Ivan included, was to find and close the smoking bottle as quickly as he could.Only then would the enraged dwarf allow Cadderly or anyone else to tend to his injuries.But Cadderly was not so certain Ivan would make it that far.They soon came back to the original corridors where they had encountered the undead monsters.All was quiet, deathly still, giving Cadderly the opportunity to carefully reconstruct his first passage through.He thought he was making some progress, leading Ivan down several adjoining passages, when he noticed some movement far down one hall, at the very edge of his narrow light beam.Ivan noticed it too, and he set off at once, his grief for his dead brother transferred again into uncontrollable battle lust.Cadderly fumbled with his bandoleer and tried futilely to keep up with the dwarf, pleading with Ivan to let that enemy go.It was a single skeleton, wandering aimlessly at first, but then coming straight in at the charging dwarf.Cadderly came to a very important decision at that moment.He held his light beam in one hand and his loaded crossbow in the other, lining both up between the horns of the dwarf’s helmet at the skeletal face beyond.Cadderly had never intended his custom-designed crossbow to be used as a weapon, especially not while firing the exploding darts.He had designed the bow for opening locked doors, or blasting away troublesome tree branches that scraped against his window, or a variety of other nonviolent purposes.Also, he had to admit, he had designed the crossbow and the bolts in part for the simple challenge of designing them.But Cadderly had vowed to himself, as much an excuse as anything else, never to use the darts or the bow as a weapon, never to unleash the concentrated violence of the explosive missiles against a living target.The arguments in this instance were many, of course.Ivan could ill afford another fight, even against a single skeleton, and the skeleton, after all, was not really a living creature.Still, Cadderly’s guilt hovered over him as he took aim.He knew he was breaking the spirit of his vow.He fired.The bolt arced over Ivan’s head and crashed into the charging skeleton’s face.The initial impact wasn’t so great, but then the dart collapsed, setting off the oil of impact.When the dust cleared a moment later, the skeleton’s head and neck were gone.The headless bones stood a moment longer then dropped with a rattle.Ivan, just a few strides away, stopped abruptly and stared in amazement, his jaw hanging open and his dark eyes wide.He turned slowly back to Cadderly, who only shrugged apologetically and looked away.“It had to be done,” Cadderly remarked, more to himself than to Ivan.“And ye did it well!” Ivan replied, coming back down the passage.
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dnd301
He clapped Cadderly on the back, though Cadderly didn’t feel the least bit heroic.“Let us go on,” Cadderly said quietly, slipping the crossbow back into its sheath.They crossed under another low archway, Cadderly beginning to believe that they were again on the right path, then they came to a fork in the dusty passage.Two tunnels ran out from the one, parallel and very near together.Cadderly thought for a moment then started down the right side.He went only a few steps, though, before he recognized his location more clearly.He backtracked, ignoring Ivan’s grumbling, and moved at a determined pace down the left passage.This corridor went on for just a short distance then angled farther to the left and opened into a wider passage.Standing sarcophagi filled the alcoves, confirmation to Cadderly that he had chosen the right path.A few steps in and beyond a slight bend, he knew beyond doubt.Far in front of them, at the end of the passage, loomed a door, cracked open and with light shining through.“That the place?” Ivan demanded, though he had already guessed the answer.He started off before Cadderly nodded in reply.Again Cadderly tried to slow the dwarf’s charge, desiring a more cautious approach.He was just a couple of steps behind Ivan when the last sarcophagus swung open and a mummy stepped out to block the way.Too enraged to care, Ivan continued on undaunted, but Cadderly no longer followed.The young scholar was frozen with fear, stricken by the sheer evilness of the powerful undead presence.The skeletons had been terrifying, but they seemed only minor inconveniences next to that monster.“Irrational,” Cadderly tried to tell himself.It was acceptable to be afraid, but ridiculous to let fear paralyze him in so urgent a situation.“Outta me way!” Ivan roared, bearing in.He chopped viciously with his axe, scoring a hit, but unlike the battle against the skeletons, the weapon met stiff resistance.The mummy’s hick wraps deflected much of the blow’s force, and pieces of the linen came unraveled, snarling the axe-head and preventing Ivan from following through.The hit hardly hindered the mummy.It clubbed with its arm, catching Ivan on the shoulder and sending him spinning into the nearest alcove.He crashed heavily and nearly swooned but stubbornly, unsteadily, forced himself back to his feet.The mummy was waiting for him.A second hit knocked the dwarf down to his back.That would have been the end of Ivan Bouldershoulder had it not been for Cadderly.His first attack was almost inadvertent, for the mummy, in going after Ivan, crossed the direct, narrow beam of Cadderly’s light tube.
He clapped Cadderly on the back, though Cadderly didn’t feel the least bit heroic.“Let us go on,” Cadderly said quietly, slipping the crossbow back into its sheath.They crossed under another low archway, Cadderly beginning to believe that they were again on the right path, then they came to a fork in the dusty passage.Two tunnels ran out from the one, parallel and very near together.Cadderly thought for a moment then started down the right side.He went only a few steps, though, before he recognized his location more clearly.He backtracked, ignoring Ivan’s grumbling, and moved at a determined pace down the left passage.This corridor went on for just a short distance then angled farther to the left and opened into a wider passage.Standing sarcophagi filled the alcoves, confirmation to Cadderly that he had chosen the right path.A few steps in and beyond a slight bend, he knew beyond doubt.Far in front of them, at the end of the passage, loomed a door, cracked open and with light shining through.“That the place?” Ivan demanded, though he had already guessed the answer.He started off before Cadderly nodded in reply.Again Cadderly tried to slow the dwarf’s charge, desiring a more cautious approach.He was just a couple of steps behind Ivan when the last sarcophagus swung open and a mummy stepped out to block the way.Too enraged to care, Ivan continued on undaunted, but Cadderly no longer followed.The young scholar was frozen with fear, stricken by the sheer evilness of the powerful undead presence.The skeletons had been terrifying, but they seemed only minor inconveniences next to that monster.“Irrational,” Cadderly tried to tell himself.It was acceptable to be afraid, but ridiculous to let fear paralyze him in so urgent a situation.“Outta me way!” Ivan roared, bearing in.He chopped viciously with his axe, scoring a hit, but unlike the battle against the skeletons, the weapon met stiff resistance.The mummy’s hick wraps deflected much of the blow’s force, and pieces of the linen came unraveled, snarling the axe-head and preventing Ivan from following through.The hit hardly hindered the mummy.It clubbed with its arm, catching Ivan on the shoulder and sending him spinning into the nearest alcove.He crashed heavily and nearly swooned but stubbornly, unsteadily, forced himself back to his feet.The mummy was waiting for him.A second hit knocked the dwarf down to his back.That would have been the end of Ivan Bouldershoulder had it not been for Cadderly.His first attack was almost inadvertent, for the mummy, in going after Ivan, crossed the direct, narrow beam of Cadderly’s light tube.
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dnd302
A creature of the night, of a dark and lightless world, Khalif was neither accustomed to, nor tolerant of light of any kind.Seeing the mummy recoil and lift its scabrous arm to block the beam restored a bit of composure to Cadderly.He kept the light focused on the monster, forcing it back from Ivan, while he loaded another dart with his free hand.Cadderly held no reservations about using his crossbow on the monster; the mummy was simply too hideous for his conscience to support.Still shielding its eyes, the mummy advanced on Cadderly, slapping at the beam of light with every sliding step.The first dart buried itself deeply into the mummy’s chest before exploding, and the blast sent the monster back a couple of steps and left scorch marks both front and back on the creature’s linen wrappings.If it had suffered any serious damage, though, the mummy didn’t show it, for it came on again.Cadderly scrambled to reload the crossbow.His design had been good, fortunately, and the crank was not difficult to execute.A second dart joined the first, again driving the monster backward.The mummy came on again, and again after Cadderly had shot it a third time, and each time its stubborn advance brought it a step or two closer to the frantic young man.The fourth shot proved disastrous to Cadderly, for the dart’s initial momentum drove it right through the mummy without ever igniting the magical oil.The mummy hardly slowed and Cadderly nearly held the crossbow right against its filthy wrappings when he fired his fifth shot.The fifth dart had more effect, but again it only slowed, and did not stop, the monster.Cadderly had no time to load another dart.“Coming!” slurred Ivan as he crawled from the alcove.Cadderly doubted that the dwarf could help him, even if Ivan could reach the monster in time, which he obviously couldn’t.The young scholar knew, too, that neither of his conventional weapons, spindle-disks or walking stick, could hurt the mummy.He had just one weapon to use.He stuck the light tube out in front of him, slowing the mummy further, causing it to shield its eyes and half turn away from him, then he dropped his crossbow and reached with his free hand for the waterskin hanging at his side.He grabbed it by the extended nozzle, tucked it tight under his arm, and used his thumb to pop off its gooey cap.Cadderly squeezed with his arm, slowly and steadily sending a stream of the blessed water into his attacker’s face.The holy water sizzled as it struck the undead monster, and for the first time in the battle, the mummy revealed its agony.It let out an unearthly, spine-chilling wail that filled Cadderly with fear and made even Ivan hesitate.It was the proverbial bark with no bite, for while the mummy continued to advance, it purposely shied away from the man with the light beam and the stinging water.Soon it had passed Cadderly, but it continued down the passage, roaring with pain and frustration, clubbing with its powerful arms against the walls, the sarcophagi, and anything else that got in its way.Ivan came rushing past Cadderly, intent on resuming the battle.“The man who killed your brother is behind the door!” Cadderly cried as quickly as he could, desperate to stop the dwarf.He couldn’t know the truth of his claim, of course, but at that critical moment, he would have said anything to turn Ivan around.Predictably, Ivan did change course.He let out a growl and charged back past Cadderly, forgetting all about the fleeing mummy, his unblinking eyes glued instead to the door at the end of the passage.Cadderly saw disaster coming.He recalled the newly constructed wall in the wine cellar and the blasts that had followed Pikel’s battering-ram charge.He had to believe that the door might also be magically warded, and he saw that at least it was heavy, and iron-bound.
A creature of the night, of a dark and lightless world, Khalif was neither accustomed to, nor tolerant of light of any kind.Seeing the mummy recoil and lift its scabrous arm to block the beam restored a bit of composure to Cadderly.He kept the light focused on the monster, forcing it back from Ivan, while he loaded another dart with his free hand.Cadderly held no reservations about using his crossbow on the monster; the mummy was simply too hideous for his conscience to support.Still shielding its eyes, the mummy advanced on Cadderly, slapping at the beam of light with every sliding step.The first dart buried itself deeply into the mummy’s chest before exploding, and the blast sent the monster back a couple of steps and left scorch marks both front and back on the creature’s linen wrappings.If it had suffered any serious damage, though, the mummy didn’t show it, for it came on again.Cadderly scrambled to reload the crossbow.His design had been good, fortunately, and the crank was not difficult to execute.A second dart joined the first, again driving the monster backward.The mummy came on again, and again after Cadderly had shot it a third time, and each time its stubborn advance brought it a step or two closer to the frantic young man.The fourth shot proved disastrous to Cadderly, for the dart’s initial momentum drove it right through the mummy without ever igniting the magical oil.The mummy hardly slowed and Cadderly nearly held the crossbow right against its filthy wrappings when he fired his fifth shot.The fifth dart had more effect, but again it only slowed, and did not stop, the monster.Cadderly had no time to load another dart.“Coming!” slurred Ivan as he crawled from the alcove.Cadderly doubted that the dwarf could help him, even if Ivan could reach the monster in time, which he obviously couldn’t.The young scholar knew, too, that neither of his conventional weapons, spindle-disks or walking stick, could hurt the mummy.He had just one weapon to use.He stuck the light tube out in front of him, slowing the mummy further, causing it to shield its eyes and half turn away from him, then he dropped his crossbow and reached with his free hand for the waterskin hanging at his side.He grabbed it by the extended nozzle, tucked it tight under his arm, and used his thumb to pop off its gooey cap.Cadderly squeezed with his arm, slowly and steadily sending a stream of the blessed water into his attacker’s face.The holy water sizzled as it struck the undead monster, and for the first time in the battle, the mummy revealed its agony.It let out an unearthly, spine-chilling wail that filled Cadderly with fear and made even Ivan hesitate.It was the proverbial bark with no bite, for while the mummy continued to advance, it purposely shied away from the man with the light beam and the stinging water.Soon it had passed Cadderly, but it continued down the passage, roaring with pain and frustration, clubbing with its powerful arms against the walls, the sarcophagi, and anything else that got in its way.Ivan came rushing past Cadderly, intent on resuming the battle.“The man who killed your brother is behind the door!” Cadderly cried as quickly as he could, desperate to stop the dwarf.He couldn’t know the truth of his claim, of course, but at that critical moment, he would have said anything to turn Ivan around.Predictably, Ivan did change course.He let out a growl and charged back past Cadderly, forgetting all about the fleeing mummy, his unblinking eyes glued instead to the door at the end of the passage.Cadderly saw disaster coming.He recalled the newly constructed wall in the wine cellar and the blasts that had followed Pikel’s battering-ram charge.He had to believe that the door might also be magically warded, and he saw that at least it was heavy, and iron-bound.
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dnd303
If Ivan didn’t get right through, but was held in the area of exploding glyphs …Cadderly dived to the ground, pulling a dart and grabbing for his crossbow.In a single motion, he cocked it, fitted the bolt, and spun, using his light beam to show him the target.The dart passed Ivan just a stride from the door.It didn’t hit the lock directly but exploded with enough force to weaken the jam.Surprised by the sudden blast, but unable to stop even if he chose to, Ivan barreled in.TWENTY-ONEA WELL-PLACED BLOWNo!” she heard the druid say at her back, but it was a distant call, as if Newander’s voice was no more than a memory of some other time and some other place.All that mattered to Danica was the wall, made of stonework, unlike the natural dirt tunnel that had led them in.The wall invited her, enticed her to emulate her long-dead hero.The distant voice spoke again, but in clicks and chatters that Danica could not understand.A furry tail fell over Danica’s eyes, breaking her concentration on the stone.She moved one hand merely by reflex to push aside the distraction.Following the druid’s instructions, Percival promptly bit her.Danica dipped her shoulder and came across with an instinctive chop that would have killed the squirrel.She recognized Percival before she struck, though, and that led her again out of the red mist and back to reality.“Th-the wall,” she stammered.“I meant to …”“It is not your fault,” Newander said to her.“The curse affected you again.”Danica slumped back against the stone, weary and ashamed.She had put every effort into resisting the intrusive mist, had seen it for what it was and planted deeply in her own thinking the logical conclusion that any unwelcomed impulses must be avoided.Yet there she was, near the heart of danger, abandoning any hope of success for the sake of her curse-enhanced desires.“Do not accept the guilt,” Newander said to her.“You are braving the curse better than any of the priests above us.You have come this far against it, and that alone is more than most others can say.”“The dwarves walk with Cadderly,” Danica reminded him.“Don’t hold yourself against that measure,” Newander warned.“You are no dwarf.The bearded folk have a natural resistance to magic that no human can match.Theirs is not a question of self-discipline, Lady Danica, but of physical differences.”Danica realized that the druid spoke the truth, but the knowledge that Pikel and Ivan had an advantage over her in resisting the curse did little to diminish her sense of guilt.For all of the druid’s talk, Danica considered the intrusive mist a mental challenge, a test of discipline.“What of Newander?” she asked suddenly, more sarcastically than she had intended.“Does the blood of the bearded folk run in your veins?You are no dwarf.Why, then, are you not affected?”The druid looked away; it was his turn to feel the weight of guilt.
If Ivan didn’t get right through, but was held in the area of exploding glyphs …Cadderly dived to the ground, pulling a dart and grabbing for his crossbow.In a single motion, he cocked it, fitted the bolt, and spun, using his light beam to show him the target.The dart passed Ivan just a stride from the door.It didn’t hit the lock directly but exploded with enough force to weaken the jam.Surprised by the sudden blast, but unable to stop even if he chose to, Ivan barreled in.TWENTY-ONEA WELL-PLACED BLOWNo!” she heard the druid say at her back, but it was a distant call, as if Newander’s voice was no more than a memory of some other time and some other place.All that mattered to Danica was the wall, made of stonework, unlike the natural dirt tunnel that had led them in.The wall invited her, enticed her to emulate her long-dead hero.The distant voice spoke again, but in clicks and chatters that Danica could not understand.A furry tail fell over Danica’s eyes, breaking her concentration on the stone.She moved one hand merely by reflex to push aside the distraction.Following the druid’s instructions, Percival promptly bit her.Danica dipped her shoulder and came across with an instinctive chop that would have killed the squirrel.She recognized Percival before she struck, though, and that led her again out of the red mist and back to reality.“Th-the wall,” she stammered.“I meant to …”“It is not your fault,” Newander said to her.“The curse affected you again.”Danica slumped back against the stone, weary and ashamed.She had put every effort into resisting the intrusive mist, had seen it for what it was and planted deeply in her own thinking the logical conclusion that any unwelcomed impulses must be avoided.Yet there she was, near the heart of danger, abandoning any hope of success for the sake of her curse-enhanced desires.“Do not accept the guilt,” Newander said to her.“You are braving the curse better than any of the priests above us.You have come this far against it, and that alone is more than most others can say.”“The dwarves walk with Cadderly,” Danica reminded him.“Don’t hold yourself against that measure,” Newander warned.“You are no dwarf.The bearded folk have a natural resistance to magic that no human can match.Theirs is not a question of self-discipline, Lady Danica, but of physical differences.”Danica realized that the druid spoke the truth, but the knowledge that Pikel and Ivan had an advantage over her in resisting the curse did little to diminish her sense of guilt.For all of the druid’s talk, Danica considered the intrusive mist a mental challenge, a test of discipline.“What of Newander?” she asked suddenly, more sarcastically than she had intended.“Does the blood of the bearded folk run in your veins?You are no dwarf.Why, then, are you not affected?”The druid looked away; it was his turn to feel the weight of guilt.
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dnd304
“I don’t know,” he admitted, “but you must believe that I feel the curse keenly with my every step.Cadderly guessed that the mist pushes a person to what is in his heart.The gluttons eat themselves to death.The suffering priests cut each other apart in religious frenzy.My own druid brothers revert to animal form, losing themselves in altered states of being.But why, then, am I not running with the animals?”Danica recognized that the druid’s last question was a source of sincere anguish for him.They had discussed the subject once before, but Newander had offered little explanation for himself, focusing his responses on why Cadderly might have escaped the curse.“My guess is that the curse has found no hold on my heart, that my own desires are not known to me,” the druid went on.“Have I failed at my calling?” Tears rolled down Newander’s face and he appeared on the verge of a breakdown, a clear sign to Danica that he was indeed being affected by the red mist.“Have I no calling?” Newander wailed.He crumbled to the floor, head in hands, his shoulders shuddering with heavy sobs.“You are mistaken,” Danica said with enough force to command the druid’s attention.“If you have failed in your calling, or if you have no calling, then why do you retain the magical spells that are a gift of your god, Silvanus?You brought the vines in my window, and the moss to life against the ghouls.”Newander composed himself, intrigued by Danica’s words.He found the strength to stand and not look away from her.“Perhaps it is the truth in your heart that has allowed you to resist the curse,” Danica reasoned.“When did you first feel it acting upon you?”Newander thought back a couple of days, to when he had returned to the library to find Arcite and Cleo already in the throes of their shapechange.“I felt it soon after I returned,” he explained.“I had been out in the mountains, watching over an eagle aerie.” Newander recalled that time clearly, remembered his own insight concerning the su-monsters.“I knew that something was out of sorts as soon as I came back through the library’s doors.I went to find my druid brothers, but alas, they were deep into their animal forms by then, and I could not reach them.”“There is your answer,” Danica said after a moment of thought.“You are a priest of the natural order, and this curse is certainly a perversion of that order.You said that you can sense the presence of undead—so, I believe, did you sense the presence of the curse.”How had I known that the ghouls were coming?
“I don’t know,” he admitted, “but you must believe that I feel the curse keenly with my every step.Cadderly guessed that the mist pushes a person to what is in his heart.The gluttons eat themselves to death.The suffering priests cut each other apart in religious frenzy.My own druid brothers revert to animal form, losing themselves in altered states of being.But why, then, am I not running with the animals?”Danica recognized that the druid’s last question was a source of sincere anguish for him.They had discussed the subject once before, but Newander had offered little explanation for himself, focusing his responses on why Cadderly might have escaped the curse.“My guess is that the curse has found no hold on my heart, that my own desires are not known to me,” the druid went on.“Have I failed at my calling?” Tears rolled down Newander’s face and he appeared on the verge of a breakdown, a clear sign to Danica that he was indeed being affected by the red mist.“Have I no calling?” Newander wailed.He crumbled to the floor, head in hands, his shoulders shuddering with heavy sobs.“You are mistaken,” Danica said with enough force to command the druid’s attention.“If you have failed in your calling, or if you have no calling, then why do you retain the magical spells that are a gift of your god, Silvanus?You brought the vines in my window, and the moss to life against the ghouls.”Newander composed himself, intrigued by Danica’s words.He found the strength to stand and not look away from her.“Perhaps it is the truth in your heart that has allowed you to resist the curse,” Danica reasoned.“When did you first feel it acting upon you?”Newander thought back a couple of days, to when he had returned to the library to find Arcite and Cleo already in the throes of their shapechange.“I felt it soon after I returned,” he explained.“I had been out in the mountains, watching over an eagle aerie.” Newander recalled that time clearly, remembered his own insight concerning the su-monsters.“I knew that something was out of sorts as soon as I came back through the library’s doors.I went to find my druid brothers, but alas, they were deep into their animal forms by then, and I could not reach them.”“There is your answer,” Danica said after a moment of thought.“You are a priest of the natural order, and this curse is certainly a perversion of that order.You said that you can sense the presence of undead—so, I believe, did you sense the presence of the curse.”How had I known that the ghouls were coming?
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dnd305
Newander wondered.There were spells to detect the presence of undead, but he had not enacted any and still knew that they were there, just as he had known that the su-monsters were sentient and evil, and not just predatory animals.The implications of his insight nearly overwhelmed the druid.“You give me more credit than I deserve,” he said somberly to Danica.“You are a priest of the natural order,” Danica said again.“I don’t think you’re the only one to have resisted the curse, but you were not, are not, alone.You walk with your faith, and it is that sincere calling that has given you the strength to resist.Arcite and Cleo had no warning.The curse was upon them before they knew anything was wrong, but their failure forewarned you of the danger, and with that warning, you have been able to keep true to your calling.”Newander shook his head, not convinced, not daring to believe that he possessed such inner strength.He had no rebuttals against Danica’s reasoning, though, and he would not deny anything where Silvanus, the Oak Father, was concerned.He had given his heart to Silvanus long ago, and there his heart remained, despite any curiosity Newander might hold for the ways of progress and civilization.Was it possible that he was so true a disciple of the Oak Father?Was it possible that what he had perceived as failure, in not transforming into animal form, as Arcite and Cleo had done, might actually reflect strength?“We lose time in asking questions we cannot answer,” he said at length, his voice more steady.“Whatever the cause, both you and I found the way clear.”Danica looked back at the stone wall with concern.“For now at least,” she added.“Let us be off again, before my will wanes.”They crossed under several archways, Danica holding the torch far out in front of her to burn the unrelenting cobwebs from their path.Neither of them had much experience with travel underground, or with the common designs of catacombs, and their course was a wandering one; they chose tunnels more or less at random.Danica was thoughtful enough to scratch directional marks at the more confusing turns, in case they had to retrace their steps, but still she feared that she and the druid would become lost in the surprisingly intricate complex.They saw some signs of previous passage—torn webbing hanging in loose strands, an upset crate in one corner—but whether that damage had been caused by Cadderly, by other monsters such as the ghouls, or simply by some animal that had made its home in the catacombs, neither could say.Their torch burned low as they entered one long passage.Several side corridors ran off it, mostly along the righthand wall, and Danica and Newander agreed that they would stay the course and not continue to wander in circles.They passed by the first few passages, Danica entering just a few feet with the torch to get a quick glimpse of what lay down each, but stayed in the main tunnel and meant to until they reached its end.Finally they came to a passage they could not ignore.Danica went in, again for a quick perusal.“They have been here!” she cried out, the realization drawing her farther down the tunnel.The sights there confirmed Danica’s suspicions.A battle had been fought; dozens of piles of bones lay strewn about the floor and several skulls, forcibly removed from their skeletal bodies, greeted them with sightless eye sockets.
Newander wondered.There were spells to detect the presence of undead, but he had not enacted any and still knew that they were there, just as he had known that the su-monsters were sentient and evil, and not just predatory animals.The implications of his insight nearly overwhelmed the druid.“You give me more credit than I deserve,” he said somberly to Danica.“You are a priest of the natural order,” Danica said again.“I don’t think you’re the only one to have resisted the curse, but you were not, are not, alone.You walk with your faith, and it is that sincere calling that has given you the strength to resist.Arcite and Cleo had no warning.The curse was upon them before they knew anything was wrong, but their failure forewarned you of the danger, and with that warning, you have been able to keep true to your calling.”Newander shook his head, not convinced, not daring to believe that he possessed such inner strength.He had no rebuttals against Danica’s reasoning, though, and he would not deny anything where Silvanus, the Oak Father, was concerned.He had given his heart to Silvanus long ago, and there his heart remained, despite any curiosity Newander might hold for the ways of progress and civilization.Was it possible that he was so true a disciple of the Oak Father?Was it possible that what he had perceived as failure, in not transforming into animal form, as Arcite and Cleo had done, might actually reflect strength?“We lose time in asking questions we cannot answer,” he said at length, his voice more steady.“Whatever the cause, both you and I found the way clear.”Danica looked back at the stone wall with concern.“For now at least,” she added.“Let us be off again, before my will wanes.”They crossed under several archways, Danica holding the torch far out in front of her to burn the unrelenting cobwebs from their path.Neither of them had much experience with travel underground, or with the common designs of catacombs, and their course was a wandering one; they chose tunnels more or less at random.Danica was thoughtful enough to scratch directional marks at the more confusing turns, in case they had to retrace their steps, but still she feared that she and the druid would become lost in the surprisingly intricate complex.They saw some signs of previous passage—torn webbing hanging in loose strands, an upset crate in one corner—but whether that damage had been caused by Cadderly, by other monsters such as the ghouls, or simply by some animal that had made its home in the catacombs, neither could say.Their torch burned low as they entered one long passage.Several side corridors ran off it, mostly along the righthand wall, and Danica and Newander agreed that they would stay the course and not continue to wander in circles.They passed by the first few passages, Danica entering just a few feet with the torch to get a quick glimpse of what lay down each, but stayed in the main tunnel and meant to until they reached its end.Finally they came to a passage they could not ignore.Danica went in, again for a quick perusal.“They have been here!” she cried out, the realization drawing her farther down the tunnel.The sights there confirmed Danica’s suspicions.A battle had been fought; dozens of piles of bones lay strewn about the floor and several skulls, forcibly removed from their skeletal bodies, greeted them with sightless eye sockets.
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dnd306
Two lines of piled crates formed a defensive run farther in, a place where Danica soon reasoned that Cadderly and the dwarves had made their stand.“The bones agree with my feelings that undead cretures were about,” Newander said, “but we cannot be certain that it was our friends who fought them here.”The confirmation came even as he spoke, as Danica moved her torch slowly around for a wider view of the battle-torn area.“Pikel!” the woman cried, running to the fallen dwarf.Pikel lay cold and still just as Ivan had left him, his burly arms crossed over his chest and his tree-trunk club lying at his side.Danica fell to her knees to examine the dwarf but had no doubt that he was dead.She shook her head as she studied his wounds, for none of them seemed serious enough to fell one of Pikel’s toughness.Newander understood her confusion.He knelt beside her and uttered a few words as he waved his hand slowly over the body.“There is a poison in this one,” the druid announced grimly.“A wicked brew indeed, gone straight to his heart.”Danica cupped her hands under Pikel’s head and gently lifted his face to hers.He had been a dear friend, possibly the most likable person Danica ever had known.It occurred to her, holding him, that he had not been dead for very long.His lips had gone blue, but there was no swelling at all and warmth remained in his body.Danica’s eyes widened and she turned on Newander.“After we fought the ghouls, you told me you had a spell to counter any poisons I might have been exposed to,” she said.“And so I do,” Newander replied, understanding her intent, “but the poison has done its work on this one.My spell cannot undo the dwarf’s death.”“Use the spell,” Danica insisted.She moved quickly, propping Pikel under the neck with one arm and tilting his head backward.“But it will not—”“Use it, Newander!” Danica snapped at him.The druid backed off a step, fearing that the mist had again taken hold of his companion.“Trust me, I beg,” Danica continued, softening her tone, for she understood the druid’s sudden caution.Newander didn’t understand what Danica might have in mind, but after all they had been through, he did trust her.He paused a moment to consider the spell then took an oak leaf from his pocket and crumbled it on top of the dwarf, uttering the proper chant.Danica opened Pikel’s cloak and unbuckled the breastplates of his heavy armor.She looked to Newander for confirmation that his spell was complete.“If there is any poison left in this one, it has been neutralized,” the druid assured her.It was Danica’s turn.She closed her eyes and thought of Grandmaster Penpahg D’Ahn’s most prized scroll, the notes of physical suspension.Penpahg D’Ahn had stopped his breathing, even his heart, for several hours.One day Danica meant to do the same.She was not yet ready for such a demanding trial, she knew, but there were aspects of Penpahg D’Ahn’s writings, particularly those involved with coming out of physical suspension, that she knew would be of help to her.Danica thought of the steps required to restart the suspended heart.In the writings, they were internal, of course, but their principles might be duplicated by an outside force.Danica laid Pikel back down flat, unbuttoned his vest, and pulled his nightshirt up high.She could hardly see the details of his chest through the virtual sweater of hair, but she persisted, feeling his ribs and hoping that a dwarf’s anatomy was not so different from a human’s.She had found the spot—she thought.
Two lines of piled crates formed a defensive run farther in, a place where Danica soon reasoned that Cadderly and the dwarves had made their stand.“The bones agree with my feelings that undead cretures were about,” Newander said, “but we cannot be certain that it was our friends who fought them here.”The confirmation came even as he spoke, as Danica moved her torch slowly around for a wider view of the battle-torn area.“Pikel!” the woman cried, running to the fallen dwarf.Pikel lay cold and still just as Ivan had left him, his burly arms crossed over his chest and his tree-trunk club lying at his side.Danica fell to her knees to examine the dwarf but had no doubt that he was dead.She shook her head as she studied his wounds, for none of them seemed serious enough to fell one of Pikel’s toughness.Newander understood her confusion.He knelt beside her and uttered a few words as he waved his hand slowly over the body.“There is a poison in this one,” the druid announced grimly.“A wicked brew indeed, gone straight to his heart.”Danica cupped her hands under Pikel’s head and gently lifted his face to hers.He had been a dear friend, possibly the most likable person Danica ever had known.It occurred to her, holding him, that he had not been dead for very long.His lips had gone blue, but there was no swelling at all and warmth remained in his body.Danica’s eyes widened and she turned on Newander.“After we fought the ghouls, you told me you had a spell to counter any poisons I might have been exposed to,” she said.“And so I do,” Newander replied, understanding her intent, “but the poison has done its work on this one.My spell cannot undo the dwarf’s death.”“Use the spell,” Danica insisted.She moved quickly, propping Pikel under the neck with one arm and tilting his head backward.“But it will not—”“Use it, Newander!” Danica snapped at him.The druid backed off a step, fearing that the mist had again taken hold of his companion.“Trust me, I beg,” Danica continued, softening her tone, for she understood the druid’s sudden caution.Newander didn’t understand what Danica might have in mind, but after all they had been through, he did trust her.He paused a moment to consider the spell then took an oak leaf from his pocket and crumbled it on top of the dwarf, uttering the proper chant.Danica opened Pikel’s cloak and unbuckled the breastplates of his heavy armor.She looked to Newander for confirmation that his spell was complete.“If there is any poison left in this one, it has been neutralized,” the druid assured her.It was Danica’s turn.She closed her eyes and thought of Grandmaster Penpahg D’Ahn’s most prized scroll, the notes of physical suspension.Penpahg D’Ahn had stopped his breathing, even his heart, for several hours.One day Danica meant to do the same.She was not yet ready for such a demanding trial, she knew, but there were aspects of Penpahg D’Ahn’s writings, particularly those involved with coming out of physical suspension, that she knew would be of help to her.Danica thought of the steps required to restart the suspended heart.In the writings, they were internal, of course, but their principles might be duplicated by an outside force.Danica laid Pikel back down flat, unbuttoned his vest, and pulled his nightshirt up high.She could hardly see the details of his chest through the virtual sweater of hair, but she persisted, feeling his ribs and hoping that a dwarf’s anatomy was not so different from a human’s.She had found the spot—she thought.
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dnd307
She looked back to Newander for support, then, to the druid’s obvious surprise, turned back suddenly and rapped her free hand into the hollow of the dwarf’s breast.She waited just a moment then rapped again.Danica’s intensity multiplied; all her heart went into her work on Pikel, and that only encouraged the cursing mist to creep back in.“Lady Danica!” Newander cried, grabbing the frantic woman’s shoulder.“You should show more respect to the dead!”Danica whipped her arm around and back, hooking the druid behind the knees.A sudden jerk sent Newander to the floor, then Danica resumed her work, furiously pounding away.She heard a rib crack but wound up for yet another blow.Newander was back at her, grabbing her more forcefully and tearing her from the corpse.They wrestled for a moment, Danica easily gaining an advantage.She put Newander flat on his back and scrambled atop him, her fist coming up dangerously over the druid’s face.“Oo oi!”The call froze both Danica and Newander.“What have you done?” Newander gasped.Danica, as surprised as the druid, shook her head and slowly turned.There sat Pikel, looking sore and confused but very much alive.He smiled when he gazed upon Danica.The woman rushed off Newander and tackled the dwarf, wrapping him in a tight hug.Newander came over, too, patting both of them heartily on the shoulders.“A miracle,” the druid muttered.Danica knew better, knew that reviving Pikel had involved some very logical and well-documented principles in the teachings of Grandmaster Penpahg D’Ahn.Nonetheless, Danica, too amazed by what she had done and too relieved to see Pikel again drawing breath, did not find the resolve to answer.“This is a fortunate meeting,” Danica reasoned after the hugging had ended.“Oo oi!” Pikel was quick to agree.“More than for you,” Danica started to explain.Newander cast her a curious look.“This is our first proof that the tunnel we entered connects to the area that Cadderly went into,” said Danica.“Until we found Pikel, we were lost.”“Now we know,” added Newander, “and we know, too, that we have crossed Cadderly’s path.Perhaps now we shall find a clearer trail to follow.” He bent low with the torch, studying the floor for some signs, but came up a moment later shaking his head.“It is a tiny path if it is one at all,” he lamented.A smile widened on Danica’s face.“Tiny for us, perhaps,” she said.“But maybe clear enough for Percival.”Pikel sat confused, but Newander’s smile surpassed Danica’s.The druid uttered a few sounds to Percival, asking the squirrel to lead them to Cadderly.Percival hopped about for a few moments, scratching at the ground and searching for some pattern, either in the scuff marks or the scent.He caught the trail and set off down the passage, Newander right behind.Danica helped Pikel to his feet.
She looked back to Newander for support, then, to the druid’s obvious surprise, turned back suddenly and rapped her free hand into the hollow of the dwarf’s breast.She waited just a moment then rapped again.Danica’s intensity multiplied; all her heart went into her work on Pikel, and that only encouraged the cursing mist to creep back in.“Lady Danica!” Newander cried, grabbing the frantic woman’s shoulder.“You should show more respect to the dead!”Danica whipped her arm around and back, hooking the druid behind the knees.A sudden jerk sent Newander to the floor, then Danica resumed her work, furiously pounding away.She heard a rib crack but wound up for yet another blow.Newander was back at her, grabbing her more forcefully and tearing her from the corpse.They wrestled for a moment, Danica easily gaining an advantage.She put Newander flat on his back and scrambled atop him, her fist coming up dangerously over the druid’s face.“Oo oi!”The call froze both Danica and Newander.“What have you done?” Newander gasped.Danica, as surprised as the druid, shook her head and slowly turned.There sat Pikel, looking sore and confused but very much alive.He smiled when he gazed upon Danica.The woman rushed off Newander and tackled the dwarf, wrapping him in a tight hug.Newander came over, too, patting both of them heartily on the shoulders.“A miracle,” the druid muttered.Danica knew better, knew that reviving Pikel had involved some very logical and well-documented principles in the teachings of Grandmaster Penpahg D’Ahn.Nonetheless, Danica, too amazed by what she had done and too relieved to see Pikel again drawing breath, did not find the resolve to answer.“This is a fortunate meeting,” Danica reasoned after the hugging had ended.“Oo oi!” Pikel was quick to agree.“More than for you,” Danica started to explain.Newander cast her a curious look.“This is our first proof that the tunnel we entered connects to the area that Cadderly went into,” said Danica.“Until we found Pikel, we were lost.”“Now we know,” added Newander, “and we know, too, that we have crossed Cadderly’s path.Perhaps now we shall find a clearer trail to follow.” He bent low with the torch, studying the floor for some signs, but came up a moment later shaking his head.“It is a tiny path if it is one at all,” he lamented.A smile widened on Danica’s face.“Tiny for us, perhaps,” she said.“But maybe clear enough for Percival.”Pikel sat confused, but Newander’s smile surpassed Danica’s.The druid uttered a few sounds to Percival, asking the squirrel to lead them to Cadderly.Percival hopped about for a few moments, scratching at the ground and searching for some pattern, either in the scuff marks or the scent.He caught the trail and set off down the passage, Newander right behind.Danica helped Pikel to his feet.
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dnd308
He was still unsteady, and still thoroughly confused, but he called upon the two most prominent dwarf traits, toughness and stubbornness, and made his way beside the young woman.Sleep had been such a pleasant thing, but somewhere deep in his thoughts Druzil realized that he was dangerously vulnerable lying in a crack in the wall of a deserted corridor.The imp pulled himself out of the cubby and shapechanged back to his more customary, batwinged form.Somewhere in his slumber, he had lost the concentration necessary for invisibility and could not sort through the fog that remained in his mind enough to recover it.That sleepy fog was heavy, but the imp kept one thought clear: He must get back to Barjin, back to the safety of his magical gate connection to Castle Trinity.He knew that someone recently had exited the passage, and having no desire to meet any enemies, he took a roundabout, meandering course.He stopped and held still a short while later when the crazed mummy came storming by, smashing anything and everything in its path.Druzil realized that something had gone terribly wrong, recognized that the mummy, scorched and blasted in many places, had gone out of control.The monster was gone then, slamming down a side corridor, growling and bashing things with its heavy arms with every step.Druzil’s wings flapped slowly as he half-walked and half-flew back toward the altar room.Yes, Barjin will help me, and if not Barjin then surely Aballister.With that thought in mind, the imp sent out a weak, sleepy message to his master back at Castle Trinity.TWENTY-TWOFACE TO FACEIvan hit the loose-swinging door with a terrific impact, jolting it free of one of its hinges.Cadderly’s fears were proved true when several fiery explosions went off in rapid succession as Ivan crossed the threshold.If the door had stopped, or even delayed his charge, he would have been roasted.As it was, Cadderly was not certain if the dwarf had survived.Ivan skidded into the room on his face, wisps of smoke rising from several points on his body.Cadderly rushed in right behind to get to his friend; he could only hope that no glyphs remained.The young scholar didn’t quite make it to Ivan, though.As soon as he entered the room, squinting in the brightness of the several torches and blazing brazier, he saw that he and Ivan were not alone.“You have done well to come so far,” Barjin said calmly, standing halfway across the room, beside the altar that held the ever-smoking bottle.Torches lined the wall to either side of the priest, but the brighter light came from a brazier along the wall to Cadderly’s right, which Cadderly correctly guessed was an interplanar gate.“I applaud your resilience,” Barjin continued, his tone teasing, “futile though it will prove.”Every memory came rushing back to Cadderly in clear order and focus when he saw Barjin.The first thought that crossed his mind was that he would go back up and have a few nasty words with Kierkan Rufo, the man who had, he believed, kicked him down the stairway from the wine cellar in the first place.His resolve to scold Rufo couldn’t take firm hold, though, not when Cadderly considered the dangers before him.His eyes did not linger on the priest, but rather on the man standing next to Barjin.“Mullivy?” he asked, though he knew by Mullivy’s posture and the grotesque bend of his wrecked arm that the creature was not the groundskeeper he once had known.The dead man did not reply.“A friend of yours?” Barjin teased, draping an arm over his zombie.“Now he is my friend, too.I could have him kill you quite easily,” Barjin went on.“But, you see, I believe I shall reserve that pleasure for myself.”He removed the obsidian-headed mace from his belt, its sculpted visage that of a pretty young girl.Next, Barjin pulled on the conical hood hanging in back of his clerical robes.
He was still unsteady, and still thoroughly confused, but he called upon the two most prominent dwarf traits, toughness and stubbornness, and made his way beside the young woman.Sleep had been such a pleasant thing, but somewhere deep in his thoughts Druzil realized that he was dangerously vulnerable lying in a crack in the wall of a deserted corridor.The imp pulled himself out of the cubby and shapechanged back to his more customary, batwinged form.Somewhere in his slumber, he had lost the concentration necessary for invisibility and could not sort through the fog that remained in his mind enough to recover it.That sleepy fog was heavy, but the imp kept one thought clear: He must get back to Barjin, back to the safety of his magical gate connection to Castle Trinity.He knew that someone recently had exited the passage, and having no desire to meet any enemies, he took a roundabout, meandering course.He stopped and held still a short while later when the crazed mummy came storming by, smashing anything and everything in its path.Druzil realized that something had gone terribly wrong, recognized that the mummy, scorched and blasted in many places, had gone out of control.The monster was gone then, slamming down a side corridor, growling and bashing things with its heavy arms with every step.Druzil’s wings flapped slowly as he half-walked and half-flew back toward the altar room.Yes, Barjin will help me, and if not Barjin then surely Aballister.With that thought in mind, the imp sent out a weak, sleepy message to his master back at Castle Trinity.TWENTY-TWOFACE TO FACEIvan hit the loose-swinging door with a terrific impact, jolting it free of one of its hinges.Cadderly’s fears were proved true when several fiery explosions went off in rapid succession as Ivan crossed the threshold.If the door had stopped, or even delayed his charge, he would have been roasted.As it was, Cadderly was not certain if the dwarf had survived.Ivan skidded into the room on his face, wisps of smoke rising from several points on his body.Cadderly rushed in right behind to get to his friend; he could only hope that no glyphs remained.The young scholar didn’t quite make it to Ivan, though.As soon as he entered the room, squinting in the brightness of the several torches and blazing brazier, he saw that he and Ivan were not alone.“You have done well to come so far,” Barjin said calmly, standing halfway across the room, beside the altar that held the ever-smoking bottle.Torches lined the wall to either side of the priest, but the brighter light came from a brazier along the wall to Cadderly’s right, which Cadderly correctly guessed was an interplanar gate.“I applaud your resilience,” Barjin continued, his tone teasing, “futile though it will prove.”Every memory came rushing back to Cadderly in clear order and focus when he saw Barjin.The first thought that crossed his mind was that he would go back up and have a few nasty words with Kierkan Rufo, the man who had, he believed, kicked him down the stairway from the wine cellar in the first place.His resolve to scold Rufo couldn’t take firm hold, though, not when Cadderly considered the dangers before him.His eyes did not linger on the priest, but rather on the man standing next to Barjin.“Mullivy?” he asked, though he knew by Mullivy’s posture and the grotesque bend of his wrecked arm that the creature was not the groundskeeper he once had known.The dead man did not reply.“A friend of yours?” Barjin teased, draping an arm over his zombie.“Now he is my friend, too.I could have him kill you quite easily,” Barjin went on.“But, you see, I believe I shall reserve that pleasure for myself.”He removed the obsidian-headed mace from his belt, its sculpted visage that of a pretty young girl.Next, Barjin pulled on the conical hood hanging in back of his clerical robes.
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dnd309
The cowl fit over his head as a helmet might, with holes cut for Barjin’s eyes.Cadderly had heard about enchanted, protecting vestments and he knew that his nemesis was armored.“For all your valiant efforts, young priest, you remain a minuscule thorn in my side,” Barjin remarked.He took a step toward Cadderly but stopped when Ivan hopped back to his feet.The dwarf shook his head vigorously and looked around, as if seeing the room for the first time.He glanced at Cadderly then focused on Barjin.“Tell me, lad,” Ivan asked Cadderly, swinging his double-bladed axe up to a ready position on his shoulder, “is he the one who killed me brother?”Aballister wiped a cloth over his sweaty brow.He couldn’t bear to continue peering through his magical mirror, but he had not the strength to turn his eyes away.He had felt Barjin’s urgency when first he sent his thoughts to the distant altar room, unable to bear his inability to contact his imp.Aballister worried for Druzil and for the cleric, though his fears for and of Barjin were double-sided indeed.For all of his ambiguity, though, for all of his fears of Barjin and the power gains his rival would enjoy, Aballister honestly believed he did not want to see Tuanta Quiro Miancay, the Most Fatal Horror, fail.Then the enemies had revealed themselves—himself, for Aballister hardly took note of the stumbling dwarf.It was the young scholar who held the wizard’s thoughts, the tall and straight lad, twenty years old perhaps, with the familiar, inquisitive eyes.Aballister sensed Barjin’s mounting confidence and knew that the evil priest was back in control, that Barjin and Tuanta Quiro Miancay would not be defeated.Somehow that notion seemed even more disturbing to the wizard.He stared hard and long at the young scholar, a boy really, who had come in bravely and foolishly to face his doom.Cadderly nodded at Ivan.The dwarf’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared back at the priest.“Ye shouldn’t have done that,” Ivan growled in a low tone that promised death.He held his axe high and began a steady advance.“Ye shouldn’t have—”Waves of mental energy stopped Ivan in midsentence and midstep.Barjin’s spell broke the dwarf’s thought patterns, holding him firmly in place.Ivan struggled with all his mental strength and all the resistance a dwarf could muster, but Barjin was no minor spellcaster and they were in his own altar room, where his clerical magic was at its most potent.Ivan managed a few indecipherable sounds then stopped talking and moving all together.“Ivan?” Cadderly asked, his voice shaky as he suspected his companion’s fate.“Do keep talking,” Barjin taunted.“The dwarf can hear your every word, though I assure you that he’ll not respond.”Barjin’s ensuing laughter sent shivers through Cadderly’s bones.They had come so far and through so much.Pikel had died to get them there, and Ivan had taken a terrible beating.And only to fail?
The cowl fit over his head as a helmet might, with holes cut for Barjin’s eyes.Cadderly had heard about enchanted, protecting vestments and he knew that his nemesis was armored.“For all your valiant efforts, young priest, you remain a minuscule thorn in my side,” Barjin remarked.He took a step toward Cadderly but stopped when Ivan hopped back to his feet.The dwarf shook his head vigorously and looked around, as if seeing the room for the first time.He glanced at Cadderly then focused on Barjin.“Tell me, lad,” Ivan asked Cadderly, swinging his double-bladed axe up to a ready position on his shoulder, “is he the one who killed me brother?”Aballister wiped a cloth over his sweaty brow.He couldn’t bear to continue peering through his magical mirror, but he had not the strength to turn his eyes away.He had felt Barjin’s urgency when first he sent his thoughts to the distant altar room, unable to bear his inability to contact his imp.Aballister worried for Druzil and for the cleric, though his fears for and of Barjin were double-sided indeed.For all of his ambiguity, though, for all of his fears of Barjin and the power gains his rival would enjoy, Aballister honestly believed he did not want to see Tuanta Quiro Miancay, the Most Fatal Horror, fail.Then the enemies had revealed themselves—himself, for Aballister hardly took note of the stumbling dwarf.It was the young scholar who held the wizard’s thoughts, the tall and straight lad, twenty years old perhaps, with the familiar, inquisitive eyes.Aballister sensed Barjin’s mounting confidence and knew that the evil priest was back in control, that Barjin and Tuanta Quiro Miancay would not be defeated.Somehow that notion seemed even more disturbing to the wizard.He stared hard and long at the young scholar, a boy really, who had come in bravely and foolishly to face his doom.Cadderly nodded at Ivan.The dwarf’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared back at the priest.“Ye shouldn’t have done that,” Ivan growled in a low tone that promised death.He held his axe high and began a steady advance.“Ye shouldn’t have—”Waves of mental energy stopped Ivan in midsentence and midstep.Barjin’s spell broke the dwarf’s thought patterns, holding him firmly in place.Ivan struggled with all his mental strength and all the resistance a dwarf could muster, but Barjin was no minor spellcaster and they were in his own altar room, where his clerical magic was at its most potent.Ivan managed a few indecipherable sounds then stopped talking and moving all together.“Ivan?” Cadderly asked, his voice shaky as he suspected his companion’s fate.“Do keep talking,” Barjin taunted.“The dwarf can hear your every word, though I assure you that he’ll not respond.”Barjin’s ensuing laughter sent shivers through Cadderly’s bones.They had come so far and through so much.Pikel had died to get them there, and Ivan had taken a terrible beating.And only to fail?
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dnd310
Looking at the priest, with gruesome Mullivy standing obediently at his side, Cadderly knew he was overmatched.“You battled through my outer defenses, and for that you deserve my applause,” Barjin continued, “but if you believed my true power would be revealed to you out in the empty and meaningless corridors, then know your folly!Look upon me, foolish young priest—” he waved a hand to the ever-smoking bottle “—and look upon the agent of Talona that you yourself brought to life.Tuanta Quiro Miancay, the Most Fatal Horror!You should feel blessed, young priest, for your pitiful library is the first to feel the awesome power of the chaos that will dominate here for centuries to come!”At that awful moment, the threat did not sound so hollow in Cadderly’s ears.Talona—he knew the name: the Lady of Poison.“Did you expect to find the bottle unguarded?” Barjin laughed.“Did you think to stroll in here after defeating a few minor monsters and simply close the flask that you yourself—” again the priest emphasized those painful words—“opened?”Cadderly hardly heard the banter.His attention had gone to the bottle and the steady stream of pink mist that issued from it.He thought of loading his crossbow and putting an explosive dart into the bottle.Where would this Talonite be then?Cadderly wondered.But he feared that to destroy the bottle would only release the insidious potion, or whatever it was, in full.His attention was stolen from the bottle, and he realized that the choice, if ever he had one, had passed.The evil priest strode casually toward him, his arm uplifted and holding a curious black mace, its head the image of a pretty young girl, an innocent face so very out of place atop a weapon, a face that somehow reminded Cadderly of Danica.Aballister did not pause to consider his actions.His thoughts focused on the dwarf, standing rigid a few steps ahead of the young man.The wizard summoned all of his powers, sent a spell into the magic mirror and across the miles, trying to use the scrying device as a gate for his focused magical energies.The mirror’s own dweomer, not designed for such uses, resisted the attempt.It could be used to see distant places, to converse with viewed creatures, even to transport Aballister to those places viewed, but Aballister tried to carry that ability farther, to send not only his thoughts or physical being but his magical energy flowing to the rigid dwarf.It would have been a difficult enough task, even for a wizard as powerful as Aballister, if the attempt had been made on a human, but Ivan, though fully in the throes of Barjin’s paralyzing spell, fought back against the wizard’s intrusions with a dwarf’s typical stubbornness.Aballister gritted his teeth and focused his concentration.Veins stood out on his forehead.He thought the toll of the attempt would destroy him, but Barjin was close to the young man—too close!—the awful mace held high.Aballister put his lips right up against the mirror and whispered, hoping that the dwarf alone would hear, “Let me in, you fool!”Barjin came on, smiling wickedly, victoriously.Cadderly gave him every reason for confidence, offering no outward sign of resistance.The young scholar did have his ram’s head walking stick in one hand, but he hadn’t even lifted it yet.In truth, Cadderly had decided on another defense, the only one he believed could slow the imposing priest.His free hand clenched and unclenched at his side, tightening the muscles, straightening a single finger for the coming strike.He had seen, and keenly felt, Danica do it a dozen times.Barjin was only a step away, moving cautiously for fear that Cadderly would take a swipe at him with the walking stick.Cadderly kept its butt end firmly to the ground.
Looking at the priest, with gruesome Mullivy standing obediently at his side, Cadderly knew he was overmatched.“You battled through my outer defenses, and for that you deserve my applause,” Barjin continued, “but if you believed my true power would be revealed to you out in the empty and meaningless corridors, then know your folly!Look upon me, foolish young priest—” he waved a hand to the ever-smoking bottle “—and look upon the agent of Talona that you yourself brought to life.Tuanta Quiro Miancay, the Most Fatal Horror!You should feel blessed, young priest, for your pitiful library is the first to feel the awesome power of the chaos that will dominate here for centuries to come!”At that awful moment, the threat did not sound so hollow in Cadderly’s ears.Talona—he knew the name: the Lady of Poison.“Did you expect to find the bottle unguarded?” Barjin laughed.“Did you think to stroll in here after defeating a few minor monsters and simply close the flask that you yourself—” again the priest emphasized those painful words—“opened?”Cadderly hardly heard the banter.His attention had gone to the bottle and the steady stream of pink mist that issued from it.He thought of loading his crossbow and putting an explosive dart into the bottle.Where would this Talonite be then?Cadderly wondered.But he feared that to destroy the bottle would only release the insidious potion, or whatever it was, in full.His attention was stolen from the bottle, and he realized that the choice, if ever he had one, had passed.The evil priest strode casually toward him, his arm uplifted and holding a curious black mace, its head the image of a pretty young girl, an innocent face so very out of place atop a weapon, a face that somehow reminded Cadderly of Danica.Aballister did not pause to consider his actions.His thoughts focused on the dwarf, standing rigid a few steps ahead of the young man.The wizard summoned all of his powers, sent a spell into the magic mirror and across the miles, trying to use the scrying device as a gate for his focused magical energies.The mirror’s own dweomer, not designed for such uses, resisted the attempt.It could be used to see distant places, to converse with viewed creatures, even to transport Aballister to those places viewed, but Aballister tried to carry that ability farther, to send not only his thoughts or physical being but his magical energy flowing to the rigid dwarf.It would have been a difficult enough task, even for a wizard as powerful as Aballister, if the attempt had been made on a human, but Ivan, though fully in the throes of Barjin’s paralyzing spell, fought back against the wizard’s intrusions with a dwarf’s typical stubbornness.Aballister gritted his teeth and focused his concentration.Veins stood out on his forehead.He thought the toll of the attempt would destroy him, but Barjin was close to the young man—too close!—the awful mace held high.Aballister put his lips right up against the mirror and whispered, hoping that the dwarf alone would hear, “Let me in, you fool!”Barjin came on, smiling wickedly, victoriously.Cadderly gave him every reason for confidence, offering no outward sign of resistance.The young scholar did have his ram’s head walking stick in one hand, but he hadn’t even lifted it yet.In truth, Cadderly had decided on another defense, the only one he believed could slow the imposing priest.His free hand clenched and unclenched at his side, tightening the muscles, straightening a single finger for the coming strike.He had seen, and keenly felt, Danica do it a dozen times.Barjin was only a step away, moving cautiously for fear that Cadderly would take a swipe at him with the walking stick.Cadderly kept its butt end firmly to the ground.
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dnd311
Barjin maneuvered to the side, away from the weapon, and swung his mace in a teasing cut.Cadderly easily stepped back, though his concentration nearly faltered when he saw the mace’s head transform into the leering, open-mouthed visage of some unearthly monster, fanged and hungry.He kept his wits enough to retaliate, though, and with Barjin expecting him to strike with the walking stick, his hand got through the cleric’s defenses.Cadderly drove his finger into Barjin’s shoulder.He knew that he had hit the precise spot, just as Danica had so often done to him.A look of confusion crossed the evil priest’s face, and Cadderly nearly squealed in glee.“Withering Touch!” he proclaimed.While Barjin was indeed confused, his arm, and the cruel mace at the end of it, did not fall limply to his side.Cadderly was confused as well, and he barely reacted, at the very last instant, as Barjin’s mace whipped in with more determination.Cadderly turned and dived away, but the weapon clipped his shoulder, the evilly contorted face biting a deep gash.Cadderly had intended to roll back to his feet a short distance away, but the hit put him off balance and he crashed heavily instead into one of the room’s many bookcases.The wound itself was not too severe, but the frozen waves of agony rolling through the young scholar’s body most certainly were.Cadderly shuddered and trembled, hardly able to comprehend, hardly able to focus through the dizzy blur.He knew that he was doomed, knew that he could never recover in time to parry or dodge the priest’s next attack.“—killed me brother!” he heard Ivan roar, right where the dwarf had left off, then he heard Barjin yelp in surprise.Ivan’s axe pounded into the priest’s back, a blow that would have felled any man, but Barjin was protected.His magical vestments absorbed the brunt of the hit; the priest didn’t even lose his breath.He wheeled about, swiping with his mace in response.Skilled and seasoned, Ivan Bouldershoulder was ready.Barjin’s blow cut harmlessly short, and Ivan stepped in behind it, hooked one head of his weapon under the priest’s shoulder, and heaved with all his strength, sending the Talonite tumbling head over heels back toward the altar in the center of the room.Ivan dropped his weapon’s head to the ground and clasped his legs around its handle so that he could spit into his hands before continuing.The priest had a wicked weapon and nearly invulnerable armor, but the fiery dwarf had no doubt as to how the fight would end.“You shouldn’t have killed me brother,” Ivan muttered one more time before he grabbed his axe and moved in to finish the work.Barjin had other ideas.He had no time to ponder how the dwarf might have broken free from his binding spell, and it didn’t really matter anyway.Barjin understood the fury in this formidable foe, a curse-enhanced rage that more than evened the odds, but Barjin didn’t play with even odds.He scrambled over to the wall behind Mullivy.“Kill the dwarf!” he instructed his zombie, and he pulled a burning torch from its sconce and touched it to Mullivy’s shoulder.The zombie’s oil-soaked clothing ignited immediately, but Barjin’s protective spell did not fail.While the flames consumed the oil and Mullivy’s clothes, the zombie’s body was quite unharmed.Ivan’s startled response as the flaming zombie bore down on him would have made Pikel proud: “Oo oi!”Cadderly started to rise, but the continuing, debilitating, chilling bite of his wound sent him spiraling back to the floor.He tried to shake away the pain, tried to find some focus.He saw Ivan swiping wildly but sorely missing his mark as the dwarf steadily backed away from the fiery zombie.Mullivy’s advance showed no concern for the dwarf’s meager attacks.Cadderly heard the priest laughing, somewhere back near the altar.The priest would get Ivan, even if the flaming zombie did not, Cadderly knew.Then the priest would get him, and then his “Most Fatal Horror,” that hideous agent of an evil goddess, would win over the Edificant Library fully and destroy everything the young scholar valued.“No!” Cadderly managed to cry, multiplying his concentration tenfold.The devilish mace had done its work well, even in a glancing blow on Cadderly’s shoulder.
Barjin maneuvered to the side, away from the weapon, and swung his mace in a teasing cut.Cadderly easily stepped back, though his concentration nearly faltered when he saw the mace’s head transform into the leering, open-mouthed visage of some unearthly monster, fanged and hungry.He kept his wits enough to retaliate, though, and with Barjin expecting him to strike with the walking stick, his hand got through the cleric’s defenses.Cadderly drove his finger into Barjin’s shoulder.He knew that he had hit the precise spot, just as Danica had so often done to him.A look of confusion crossed the evil priest’s face, and Cadderly nearly squealed in glee.“Withering Touch!” he proclaimed.While Barjin was indeed confused, his arm, and the cruel mace at the end of it, did not fall limply to his side.Cadderly was confused as well, and he barely reacted, at the very last instant, as Barjin’s mace whipped in with more determination.Cadderly turned and dived away, but the weapon clipped his shoulder, the evilly contorted face biting a deep gash.Cadderly had intended to roll back to his feet a short distance away, but the hit put him off balance and he crashed heavily instead into one of the room’s many bookcases.The wound itself was not too severe, but the frozen waves of agony rolling through the young scholar’s body most certainly were.Cadderly shuddered and trembled, hardly able to comprehend, hardly able to focus through the dizzy blur.He knew that he was doomed, knew that he could never recover in time to parry or dodge the priest’s next attack.“—killed me brother!” he heard Ivan roar, right where the dwarf had left off, then he heard Barjin yelp in surprise.Ivan’s axe pounded into the priest’s back, a blow that would have felled any man, but Barjin was protected.His magical vestments absorbed the brunt of the hit; the priest didn’t even lose his breath.He wheeled about, swiping with his mace in response.Skilled and seasoned, Ivan Bouldershoulder was ready.Barjin’s blow cut harmlessly short, and Ivan stepped in behind it, hooked one head of his weapon under the priest’s shoulder, and heaved with all his strength, sending the Talonite tumbling head over heels back toward the altar in the center of the room.Ivan dropped his weapon’s head to the ground and clasped his legs around its handle so that he could spit into his hands before continuing.The priest had a wicked weapon and nearly invulnerable armor, but the fiery dwarf had no doubt as to how the fight would end.“You shouldn’t have killed me brother,” Ivan muttered one more time before he grabbed his axe and moved in to finish the work.Barjin had other ideas.He had no time to ponder how the dwarf might have broken free from his binding spell, and it didn’t really matter anyway.Barjin understood the fury in this formidable foe, a curse-enhanced rage that more than evened the odds, but Barjin didn’t play with even odds.He scrambled over to the wall behind Mullivy.“Kill the dwarf!” he instructed his zombie, and he pulled a burning torch from its sconce and touched it to Mullivy’s shoulder.The zombie’s oil-soaked clothing ignited immediately, but Barjin’s protective spell did not fail.While the flames consumed the oil and Mullivy’s clothes, the zombie’s body was quite unharmed.Ivan’s startled response as the flaming zombie bore down on him would have made Pikel proud: “Oo oi!”Cadderly started to rise, but the continuing, debilitating, chilling bite of his wound sent him spiraling back to the floor.He tried to shake away the pain, tried to find some focus.He saw Ivan swiping wildly but sorely missing his mark as the dwarf steadily backed away from the fiery zombie.Mullivy’s advance showed no concern for the dwarf’s meager attacks.Cadderly heard the priest laughing, somewhere back near the altar.The priest would get Ivan, even if the flaming zombie did not, Cadderly knew.Then the priest would get him, and then his “Most Fatal Horror,” that hideous agent of an evil goddess, would win over the Edificant Library fully and destroy everything the young scholar valued.“No!” Cadderly managed to cry, multiplying his concentration tenfold.The devilish mace had done its work well, even in a glancing blow on Cadderly’s shoulder.
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dnd312
The mace had a life of its own, an inner and foul energy spawned somewhere in the lowest pits of the Nine Hells.Cadderly continued to battle against its stunning touch, tried to realign his physical control with his mental determination, but his body didn’t heed to his commands; there remained a long road to travel.Nothing rose to hinder the three companions’ progress, and Percival appeared quite adept at following Cadderly’s trail.They came through several passageways, always slowing to peer into the nearest alcoves and ensure that no monsters waited to spring out.Pikel grew steadier with each passing step but seemed distracted, introspective.Danica could appreciate his somber mood; he had just passed through death and returned.What tales might the enlightened dwarf tell?Danica wondered.When she questioned him about the experience, though, he said only, “Oo,” and would not elaborate.At many places, they could confirm that Percival was leading them correctly.Three-way alcoves, thick with webbing on one side, had been burned clear on the other.Soon the party came to a fork in the tunnel.Hardly hesitating, Percival scampered off down the right hand side.Sounds of battle, not far off, echoed in their ears.The squirrel stopped and chattered excitedly, but his squeaks and chirps were lost in the sudden commotion.Pikel, Danica, and Newander heard the fighting, and none of them stopped to listen to the squirrel’s banter.The noise came from farther down the tunnel; that was all they needed to know.Off they charged, the dwarf no longer introspective, but head down and running to his brother’s aid, and Danica and the druid no less determined to help their friends.When they came to the altar room wall, they heard Ivan growling about some “flaming hunk of walking kindling,” and understood their error.While the words were clear, the path certainly was not.No doors lined that section of the passage, just a blank wall.Percival came up chattering and scolding.“We have come the wrong way, so says the squirrel!” Newander told them.“The path tracks back to the left.”Danica nodded.“Run, then!” she cried.She and Newander started away, but both stopped to regard Pikel, who didn’t follow.The agitated dwarf hopped up and down, stubby legs pumping rapidly, his whole body building into a tremendous tremble.“Me brudder!” Pikel cried, and he lowered both his head and his tree trunk and burst forward into the brick wall.TWENTY-THREEIN THE DRUID’S HEARTThe wall was made only of brick and mortar and was no match for the rage of Pikel Bouldershoulder.The dwarf battered through into the altar room, sending up a cloud of dust and a shower of bricks.Pikel stood in the new doorway for a moment, his eyes darting about to take in the scene.Several bricks came straight down, bouncing off his pot helmet with dull clangs, but Pikel seemed not to notice.He was looking for Ivan, his “brudder,” and it would take a lot more than a few chunks of stone, however heavy, to deter him.Then he saw Ivan, far to his left, near the room’s original door and backing away from a flaming humanoid creature.Repelled by the intense heat, Ivan’s defensive chops were falling short, and fast approaching a corner, Ivan would soon be out of running room.“Oo oi!” Pikel cried, and he bounded off, pot-covered head and tree trunk leading the way.Danica started in right behind him, but Newander stopped her.She turned and saw a look of revelation on the druid’s face, an expression that quickly changed to one of sincere joy.“You spoke the truth, dear lady,” Newander said.“It was not ambivalence, but a sense of order that kept me free of the cursing mist.Now I know how I was spared, why I was spared, and in truth, it was a power far beyond my own will.”Danica paused to consider the profound changes that had come over the man.No longer did Newander stoop in despair.
The mace had a life of its own, an inner and foul energy spawned somewhere in the lowest pits of the Nine Hells.Cadderly continued to battle against its stunning touch, tried to realign his physical control with his mental determination, but his body didn’t heed to his commands; there remained a long road to travel.Nothing rose to hinder the three companions’ progress, and Percival appeared quite adept at following Cadderly’s trail.They came through several passageways, always slowing to peer into the nearest alcoves and ensure that no monsters waited to spring out.Pikel grew steadier with each passing step but seemed distracted, introspective.Danica could appreciate his somber mood; he had just passed through death and returned.What tales might the enlightened dwarf tell?Danica wondered.When she questioned him about the experience, though, he said only, “Oo,” and would not elaborate.At many places, they could confirm that Percival was leading them correctly.Three-way alcoves, thick with webbing on one side, had been burned clear on the other.Soon the party came to a fork in the tunnel.Hardly hesitating, Percival scampered off down the right hand side.Sounds of battle, not far off, echoed in their ears.The squirrel stopped and chattered excitedly, but his squeaks and chirps were lost in the sudden commotion.Pikel, Danica, and Newander heard the fighting, and none of them stopped to listen to the squirrel’s banter.The noise came from farther down the tunnel; that was all they needed to know.Off they charged, the dwarf no longer introspective, but head down and running to his brother’s aid, and Danica and the druid no less determined to help their friends.When they came to the altar room wall, they heard Ivan growling about some “flaming hunk of walking kindling,” and understood their error.While the words were clear, the path certainly was not.No doors lined that section of the passage, just a blank wall.Percival came up chattering and scolding.“We have come the wrong way, so says the squirrel!” Newander told them.“The path tracks back to the left.”Danica nodded.“Run, then!” she cried.She and Newander started away, but both stopped to regard Pikel, who didn’t follow.The agitated dwarf hopped up and down, stubby legs pumping rapidly, his whole body building into a tremendous tremble.“Me brudder!” Pikel cried, and he lowered both his head and his tree trunk and burst forward into the brick wall.TWENTY-THREEIN THE DRUID’S HEARTThe wall was made only of brick and mortar and was no match for the rage of Pikel Bouldershoulder.The dwarf battered through into the altar room, sending up a cloud of dust and a shower of bricks.Pikel stood in the new doorway for a moment, his eyes darting about to take in the scene.Several bricks came straight down, bouncing off his pot helmet with dull clangs, but Pikel seemed not to notice.He was looking for Ivan, his “brudder,” and it would take a lot more than a few chunks of stone, however heavy, to deter him.Then he saw Ivan, far to his left, near the room’s original door and backing away from a flaming humanoid creature.Repelled by the intense heat, Ivan’s defensive chops were falling short, and fast approaching a corner, Ivan would soon be out of running room.“Oo oi!” Pikel cried, and he bounded off, pot-covered head and tree trunk leading the way.Danica started in right behind him, but Newander stopped her.She turned and saw a look of revelation on the druid’s face, an expression that quickly changed to one of sincere joy.“You spoke the truth, dear lady,” Newander said.“It was not ambivalence, but a sense of order that kept me free of the cursing mist.Now I know how I was spared, why I was spared, and in truth, it was a power far beyond my own will.”Danica paused to consider the profound changes that had come over the man.No longer did Newander stoop in despair.
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dnd313
His back was straight and his visage proud.“I hear the call of Silvanus himself!” the druid declared.“His own voice, I tell you.”Truly intrigued, Danica would have liked to stay and hear Newander’s explanation, but the situation wouldn’t allow it.She nodded quickly and pulled away from the druid’s grasp, taking only the blink of an eye it took her to come through the wall and survey the room to determine her course.Her heart told her to go to Cadderly, still dazed and struggling by the door, but her warrior instincts told her that the best she could do for her beloved, and for all her friends, was to stop the imposing priest who stood near the altar.She took two running strides at the priest, dived into a roll just in case he had some spell or dart aimed her way, then came back to her feet and pounded in.She moved too quickly for the priest to block, and got her fist through his defenses, slamming him solidly on the chest.Danica bounced back, stunned, her hand sore, as if she had struck an iron wall.The priest hadn’t even moved.Danica kept her wits enough to dodge the priest’s first attack, and to take note of the contorting, biting movement of the enchanted mace’s sculpted head.She circled to the priest’s right, away from the altar, wondering if perhaps her daggers would have more effect.By all appearances, the priest wasn’t wearing any armor, but Danica trusted her sore hand more than her eyes.She knew that magic could deceive, and she understood already that her tactics against the priest would have to be akin to those she might use against an armored knight.He waved the mace again, attacks designed to keep Danica at bay and to test her reflexes.She realized that again the priest had underestimated her quickness.She stepped in right behind the swing and snapped off two jabs at her opponent’s weapon arm.There, too, the magical vestments repelled the blow.Her understanding of the extent of the priest’s armor growing, Danica realized that she would find few openings for strikes.The priest was covered head to toe, and the kind of power Danica expected she would need to get through the enchanted vestments, a blow that required long concentration, would leave her vulnerable to a preemptive hit.She took a different path then, one designed to get that awful mace away from her adversary.Danica came in low, feigning a strike at the man’s groin.The priest whipped the enchanted mace straight down at the stooping woman, just as Danica had expected.She brought her forearm up to block the blow.Her next move would have been to reach under with her free hand, grabbing the priest’s wrist.Pulling with that hand and pushing with her locked forearm would then tear the mace from his grasp.But while Danica had correctly anticipated his overhand strike, she had not foreseen the reaction of his vile, apparently sentient, weapon.The mace twisted, its jaws snapping futilely at the out-of-reach blocking forearm.The ugly visage opened its mouth wide and hissed, loosing a cone of frost over Danica.Danica began her dodge at the instant the chill emanated from the mouth, but the cone encompassed too wide an area for her to get fully out of harm’s way.Chilling ice descended on her, so cold that it burned at her skin and so evil, the chill of death, that it found its way deeper, into Danica’s heart and bones.Her lungs ached with her next gasp and it was all she could do to break away from the encounter and stagger back toward the broken wall.Newander watched it all through a dull haze.
His back was straight and his visage proud.“I hear the call of Silvanus himself!” the druid declared.“His own voice, I tell you.”Truly intrigued, Danica would have liked to stay and hear Newander’s explanation, but the situation wouldn’t allow it.She nodded quickly and pulled away from the druid’s grasp, taking only the blink of an eye it took her to come through the wall and survey the room to determine her course.Her heart told her to go to Cadderly, still dazed and struggling by the door, but her warrior instincts told her that the best she could do for her beloved, and for all her friends, was to stop the imposing priest who stood near the altar.She took two running strides at the priest, dived into a roll just in case he had some spell or dart aimed her way, then came back to her feet and pounded in.She moved too quickly for the priest to block, and got her fist through his defenses, slamming him solidly on the chest.Danica bounced back, stunned, her hand sore, as if she had struck an iron wall.The priest hadn’t even moved.Danica kept her wits enough to dodge the priest’s first attack, and to take note of the contorting, biting movement of the enchanted mace’s sculpted head.She circled to the priest’s right, away from the altar, wondering if perhaps her daggers would have more effect.By all appearances, the priest wasn’t wearing any armor, but Danica trusted her sore hand more than her eyes.She knew that magic could deceive, and she understood already that her tactics against the priest would have to be akin to those she might use against an armored knight.He waved the mace again, attacks designed to keep Danica at bay and to test her reflexes.She realized that again the priest had underestimated her quickness.She stepped in right behind the swing and snapped off two jabs at her opponent’s weapon arm.There, too, the magical vestments repelled the blow.Her understanding of the extent of the priest’s armor growing, Danica realized that she would find few openings for strikes.The priest was covered head to toe, and the kind of power Danica expected she would need to get through the enchanted vestments, a blow that required long concentration, would leave her vulnerable to a preemptive hit.She took a different path then, one designed to get that awful mace away from her adversary.Danica came in low, feigning a strike at the man’s groin.The priest whipped the enchanted mace straight down at the stooping woman, just as Danica had expected.She brought her forearm up to block the blow.Her next move would have been to reach under with her free hand, grabbing the priest’s wrist.Pulling with that hand and pushing with her locked forearm would then tear the mace from his grasp.But while Danica had correctly anticipated his overhand strike, she had not foreseen the reaction of his vile, apparently sentient, weapon.The mace twisted, its jaws snapping futilely at the out-of-reach blocking forearm.The ugly visage opened its mouth wide and hissed, loosing a cone of frost over Danica.Danica began her dodge at the instant the chill emanated from the mouth, but the cone encompassed too wide an area for her to get fully out of harm’s way.Chilling ice descended on her, so cold that it burned at her skin and so evil, the chill of death, that it found its way deeper, into Danica’s heart and bones.Her lungs ached with her next gasp and it was all she could do to break away from the encounter and stagger back toward the broken wall.Newander watched it all through a dull haze.
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dnd314
He wisely registered the important facts—the priest’s vestment armor and the mace, in particular—but the druid’s thoughts were turned primarily inward, heeding, he believed, the personal summons of Silvanus, the Oak Father.The sight of that room, of the cursing bottle, had put many things into perspective for Newander.Gone were his fears that he, unlike his transformed companions, was somehow not true to his calling.Gone was his fear that he had only avoided the brunt of the curse because of some inner ambivalence.His gaze locked upon the priest, the one who had raised the dead, the bringer of perversion, and he heard the commands of nature’s god.He remembered the su-monsters and how clearly he had sensed the approach of ghouls, and Newander knew his purpose.Druids were dedicated to preserving the natural order, the natural harmony, and his faith demanded that the priest be stopped, then and there.Newander let his thoughts slip to the woodland, to the home of druidic power.He felt the beginning twinges in his body—the first time he had ever achieved so high a level of druidic concentration.Though a bit afraid, he encouraged the power to fully engulf him, focusing his own energies to push it along.There was a sensation of distant pain as his bones cracked and reconfigured, a tickle as hair sprouted across his body.As had Cleo and Arcite, Newander let himself go to his urging, let his body follow his thoughts.Unlike his companions, though, Newander resisted the urge to relinquish his mind to the instincts of the animal.His focus did not change with his body.He saw the priest’s eyes widen as he pawed toward the altar, past the recoiling Danica.Ivan saw Pikel’s storming approach, but the flaming zombie never turned to witness the attack.At the last moment, Ivan dodged to the side and Pikel slammed in, his tree trunk connecting squarely on Mullivy’s rump.His stubby legs pumping wildly, Pikel brutally drove the zombie into the wall.Still Pikel’s legs did not stop thrashing; he ignored the intense heat and kept the zombie pinned.Mullivy swung his good arm around wildly, but his back was to the attacker and he could not reach beyond Pikel’s pinning club.He wriggled and squirmed, trying to get out the side of the pin.Every time he made some progress, though, Ivan rushed over and smacked him hard with the axe.That went on for several moments, then luck turned against the dwarves.Mullivy started out the side; Ivan waded in and hit him.The powerful blow drove deep into Mullivy’s arm, but sent a gout of flame flying back in Ivan’s direction, instantly igniting the dwarf’s beard.Ivan dived away, slapping at the flames, and Pikel, distracted by his brother’s sudden distress, unconsciously loosened his hold.Mullivy slipped free of his captor and advanced on the rolling Ivan.Pikel overbalanced and stumbled forward into the wall.He came back up in an instant, but again he saw Ivan in dire need and again the sight sent him on a ferocious charge.Pikel held his club perpendicularly in front of him, one hand on either end.
He wisely registered the important facts—the priest’s vestment armor and the mace, in particular—but the druid’s thoughts were turned primarily inward, heeding, he believed, the personal summons of Silvanus, the Oak Father.The sight of that room, of the cursing bottle, had put many things into perspective for Newander.Gone were his fears that he, unlike his transformed companions, was somehow not true to his calling.Gone was his fear that he had only avoided the brunt of the curse because of some inner ambivalence.His gaze locked upon the priest, the one who had raised the dead, the bringer of perversion, and he heard the commands of nature’s god.He remembered the su-monsters and how clearly he had sensed the approach of ghouls, and Newander knew his purpose.Druids were dedicated to preserving the natural order, the natural harmony, and his faith demanded that the priest be stopped, then and there.Newander let his thoughts slip to the woodland, to the home of druidic power.He felt the beginning twinges in his body—the first time he had ever achieved so high a level of druidic concentration.Though a bit afraid, he encouraged the power to fully engulf him, focusing his own energies to push it along.There was a sensation of distant pain as his bones cracked and reconfigured, a tickle as hair sprouted across his body.As had Cleo and Arcite, Newander let himself go to his urging, let his body follow his thoughts.Unlike his companions, though, Newander resisted the urge to relinquish his mind to the instincts of the animal.His focus did not change with his body.He saw the priest’s eyes widen as he pawed toward the altar, past the recoiling Danica.Ivan saw Pikel’s storming approach, but the flaming zombie never turned to witness the attack.At the last moment, Ivan dodged to the side and Pikel slammed in, his tree trunk connecting squarely on Mullivy’s rump.His stubby legs pumping wildly, Pikel brutally drove the zombie into the wall.Still Pikel’s legs did not stop thrashing; he ignored the intense heat and kept the zombie pinned.Mullivy swung his good arm around wildly, but his back was to the attacker and he could not reach beyond Pikel’s pinning club.He wriggled and squirmed, trying to get out the side of the pin.Every time he made some progress, though, Ivan rushed over and smacked him hard with the axe.That went on for several moments, then luck turned against the dwarves.Mullivy started out the side; Ivan waded in and hit him.The powerful blow drove deep into Mullivy’s arm, but sent a gout of flame flying back in Ivan’s direction, instantly igniting the dwarf’s beard.Ivan dived away, slapping at the flames, and Pikel, distracted by his brother’s sudden distress, unconsciously loosened his hold.Mullivy slipped free of his captor and advanced on the rolling Ivan.Pikel overbalanced and stumbled forward into the wall.He came back up in an instant, but again he saw Ivan in dire need and again the sight sent him on a ferocious charge.Pikel held his club perpendicularly in front of him, one hand on either end.
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dnd315
Mullivy was just reaching down at Ivan when Pikel hit him.Again the dwarf drove on, pushing the zombie before him.They passed the open door—Pikel thought he saw a batwinged form hovering outside—and barreled headlong into an empty bookcase.The ancient wooden shelves fell apart under their weight, and dwarf, zombie, and kindling crashed down in a fiery heap.Long and pointy teeth bared, the giant wolverine that Newander had become charged the priest.The druid had a surprise in mind, an attack that the priest’s cloth vestments, however strengthened, might not be able to withstand.Just before he reached the mark, Newander spun over suddenly and loosed a cloud of vile musk.The disgusting spray rolled over the man, stinging his eyes, permeating his clothing, and nearly overwhelming him.He fell back as quickly as he could, trying to escape the cloud, gagging and gasping.Newander’s pursuit was furious.He hooked his claws around the backstepping priest’s knees and bore him to the ground.The priest kicked and scrambled, but the wolverine was too quick and strong to be easily dislodged.Newander bit into his thigh, tearing and gnawing.Still the magical vestments repelled the attacks, but they seemed less invulnerable.The stinking musk clung to them as would acid, already wearing at their integrity.Barjin twisted and screamed.He couldn’t see through the burn in his eyes; he couldn’t think straight against the suddenness of the attack.He felt the gnawing bites grow sharper and knew that he was in trouble.Very soon, the wolverine would be through his vestments and those wicked teeth would be tearing at his exposed thigh.The Screaming Maiden reached out empathically to Barjin, calmed him and let him see through its eyes.He stopped struggling and followed the mace’s lead.The transformed druid burrowed in, but the Screaming Maiden bit back.Barjin hit the wolverine perhaps a dozen times; each strike put more blood and more fur into the hungry mace’s gaping mouth.The burrowing stopped, but Barjin kept pounding.“Ow!Ow!Ow!
Mullivy was just reaching down at Ivan when Pikel hit him.Again the dwarf drove on, pushing the zombie before him.They passed the open door—Pikel thought he saw a batwinged form hovering outside—and barreled headlong into an empty bookcase.The ancient wooden shelves fell apart under their weight, and dwarf, zombie, and kindling crashed down in a fiery heap.Long and pointy teeth bared, the giant wolverine that Newander had become charged the priest.The druid had a surprise in mind, an attack that the priest’s cloth vestments, however strengthened, might not be able to withstand.Just before he reached the mark, Newander spun over suddenly and loosed a cloud of vile musk.The disgusting spray rolled over the man, stinging his eyes, permeating his clothing, and nearly overwhelming him.He fell back as quickly as he could, trying to escape the cloud, gagging and gasping.Newander’s pursuit was furious.He hooked his claws around the backstepping priest’s knees and bore him to the ground.The priest kicked and scrambled, but the wolverine was too quick and strong to be easily dislodged.Newander bit into his thigh, tearing and gnawing.Still the magical vestments repelled the attacks, but they seemed less invulnerable.The stinking musk clung to them as would acid, already wearing at their integrity.Barjin twisted and screamed.He couldn’t see through the burn in his eyes; he couldn’t think straight against the suddenness of the attack.He felt the gnawing bites grow sharper and knew that he was in trouble.Very soon, the wolverine would be through his vestments and those wicked teeth would be tearing at his exposed thigh.The Screaming Maiden reached out empathically to Barjin, calmed him and let him see through its eyes.He stopped struggling and followed the mace’s lead.The transformed druid burrowed in, but the Screaming Maiden bit back.Barjin hit the wolverine perhaps a dozen times; each strike put more blood and more fur into the hungry mace’s gaping mouth.The burrowing stopped, but Barjin kept pounding.“Ow!Ow!Ow!
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dnd316
Ow!Ow!” Pikel grunted, rolling out of the burning pile.His clothes had caught in several places; his beard no longer appeared green, but the thick-skinned dwarf had taken no real damage in his tumble with the flaming zombie, and he rolled on the floor, suffocating the last stubborn embers.Ivan started toward his brother but changed direction suddenly, seeing that Mullivy, too, had begun to rise.Ivan had seen enough of that one.He crept over, using the crackle of the fire to cover his footsteps, and took up a position just to the side of the rising zombie.Mullivy was no longer burning.Barjin’s protection spell kept the flames from his rotting flesh, and all the oil and clothing, the fuel for his fires, had been consumed.He came up and inadvertently focused on Pikel, taking no notice of the dwarf winding up just behind his shoulder.Ivan quickly put a finger across each side of his double-bladed axe, testing to see which edge was the sharper.He shrugged then—both seemed equally capable—and whipped the blade across at his own eye level.It sliced just above the zombie’s shoulder, as Ivan had planned, and hit the creature squarely on the side of the neck.More than the weakened flesh of a zombie’s thin neck would be needed to slow the blow of an enraged Ivan Bouldershoulder.Ivan smiled with grim satisfaction as the zombie tumbled to the side, its head spinning through the air far from its body.“Oo!” remarked an appreciative and admiring Pikel.“Had it coming,” Ivan snorted back, sharing a smile with the brother he had thought dead.Their mirth was short-lived.Mullivy’s corpse stood up between them, deaf and blind but flailing wildly with both arms.One connected on the side of Pikel’s head, knocking off his pot helmet.“Oo!” Pikel squeaked again, and he slipped one step to the side and smacked the headless zombie with his club.He leaned and glanced at Ivan and both brothers understood the proper tactics.They worked in unison, two dwarves who knew each other’s moves as well as his own.They surrounded the zombie, one on either side, and moved synchronously in circles.Ivan prodded Mullivy’s shoulder then jumped back.The zombie shifted and waved his arms futilely at the empty air.Pikel, behind the monster, waded in with a heavy blow.Mullivy spun to get at the newest attacker, and Ivan came in behind, launching an overhead chop into the zombie’s shoulder with enough force to take off one arm.It went on for a long while, though both dwarves would actually have preferred to have the fun last a bit longer.Finally, though, Mullivy’s dismembered corpse fell to the floor and no longer tried to rise.Still dazed and disoriented, Cadderly witnessed the horrors at the altar from across the room.He knew that Newander was probably dead, and he knew, too, that the Talonite priest would advance next toward Danica.He saw his love, climbing up from the floor, trembling violently from the chilling frost and gasping and squinting on the edges of Newander’s musk cloud.Blood stained one of Barjin’s legs, and he limped as he struggled away from the wolverine’s stubborn clutch, but the priest’s expression showed only rage, and he waved his mace with sure and easy swings.“Newander!” Cadderly called hopelessly, desperately, wanting someone to intervene and stop the madness.He knew that the druid, his head and back a bloody pulp, would never answer.Danica moved next, drawing her crystalline daggers and launching them in rapid succession.
Ow!Ow!” Pikel grunted, rolling out of the burning pile.His clothes had caught in several places; his beard no longer appeared green, but the thick-skinned dwarf had taken no real damage in his tumble with the flaming zombie, and he rolled on the floor, suffocating the last stubborn embers.Ivan started toward his brother but changed direction suddenly, seeing that Mullivy, too, had begun to rise.Ivan had seen enough of that one.He crept over, using the crackle of the fire to cover his footsteps, and took up a position just to the side of the rising zombie.Mullivy was no longer burning.Barjin’s protection spell kept the flames from his rotting flesh, and all the oil and clothing, the fuel for his fires, had been consumed.He came up and inadvertently focused on Pikel, taking no notice of the dwarf winding up just behind his shoulder.Ivan quickly put a finger across each side of his double-bladed axe, testing to see which edge was the sharper.He shrugged then—both seemed equally capable—and whipped the blade across at his own eye level.It sliced just above the zombie’s shoulder, as Ivan had planned, and hit the creature squarely on the side of the neck.More than the weakened flesh of a zombie’s thin neck would be needed to slow the blow of an enraged Ivan Bouldershoulder.Ivan smiled with grim satisfaction as the zombie tumbled to the side, its head spinning through the air far from its body.“Oo!” remarked an appreciative and admiring Pikel.“Had it coming,” Ivan snorted back, sharing a smile with the brother he had thought dead.Their mirth was short-lived.Mullivy’s corpse stood up between them, deaf and blind but flailing wildly with both arms.One connected on the side of Pikel’s head, knocking off his pot helmet.“Oo!” Pikel squeaked again, and he slipped one step to the side and smacked the headless zombie with his club.He leaned and glanced at Ivan and both brothers understood the proper tactics.They worked in unison, two dwarves who knew each other’s moves as well as his own.They surrounded the zombie, one on either side, and moved synchronously in circles.Ivan prodded Mullivy’s shoulder then jumped back.The zombie shifted and waved his arms futilely at the empty air.Pikel, behind the monster, waded in with a heavy blow.Mullivy spun to get at the newest attacker, and Ivan came in behind, launching an overhead chop into the zombie’s shoulder with enough force to take off one arm.It went on for a long while, though both dwarves would actually have preferred to have the fun last a bit longer.Finally, though, Mullivy’s dismembered corpse fell to the floor and no longer tried to rise.Still dazed and disoriented, Cadderly witnessed the horrors at the altar from across the room.He knew that Newander was probably dead, and he knew, too, that the Talonite priest would advance next toward Danica.He saw his love, climbing up from the floor, trembling violently from the chilling frost and gasping and squinting on the edges of Newander’s musk cloud.Blood stained one of Barjin’s legs, and he limped as he struggled away from the wolverine’s stubborn clutch, but the priest’s expression showed only rage, and he waved his mace with sure and easy swings.“Newander!” Cadderly called hopelessly, desperately, wanting someone to intervene and stop the madness.He knew that the druid, his head and back a bloody pulp, would never answer.Danica moved next, drawing her crystalline daggers and launching them in rapid succession.
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dnd317
The first hit the priest in the shoulder, drawing just a tiny line of blood.The second had even less success.It managed to cut through the priest’s conical cap, but the angle of the hat deflected it above Barjin’s head, where it hung weirdly but harmlessly.Barjin rubbed his eyes, stepped over the druid, and bore down on Danica.She fell into a low, defensive posture as though she would spring into him, but then dived straight backward.Cadderly understood Danica’s reaction; she feared another blast from that awful mace.And even as Cadderly watched, the priest brought the weapon in line.Cadderly watched Danica move back beside the altar, steadily backstepping from the advancing priest.All of Cadderly’s pain, so overwhelming just a moment ago, suddenly seemed insignificant next to Danica’s troubles.He shook the dizziness away, denied the weakness in his limbs, and forced himself to his knees, drawing his crossbow and fitting another dart.He nearly swooned from the permeating cold and bit his lip right through in fighting against it, understanding the price of failure.He leveled the crossbow Barjin’s way, had the priest in line, and knew that even the magically hardened vestments would not stop the enchanted dart.He hesitated.A voice screamed in protest inside Cadderly’s head, a distant echo of the vow he had made when he had first decided to construct the bow and darts.“Not as a weapon!” he growled under his breath, but as the bow began to slip toward the floor, Cadderly looked back at Danica, growled in defiance, and tightened his grip.Struggling with his conscience through every inch, he stubbornly brought the crossbow up level again.Cadderly nearly cried out a moment later, believing his hesitation might have cost Danica dearly.Barjin launched a series of mighty blows at the young woman, who somehow managed to stagger out of the biting mace’s grasp.Cadderly saw an out.“Feel the cold,” he heard Barjin snarl, distantly, as though he viewed it all through a crystal ball.The priest held the cruel mace out in front of him, its mouth opened wide.Danica, agile despite her wounds, leaped to the side.“No!” Cadderly cried, and his dart found its way right between the evil weapon’s fangs.There was a sharp crack, and Barjin barely managed to keep his grip on the jolted mace.For an interminable moment, nothing at all seemed to happen, but Cadderly could tell from the priest’s shocked expression that something was indeed going on within Barjin’s prized weapon.Without warning, the top of the Screaming Maiden’s head blew off.Barjin still held the broken weapon by the handle; he seemed as if he could not let go.Multicolored sparks flared as the magical energy burst forth unbridled, showering the entire center region of the room.“Oo!” Pikel and Ivan squealed together.The sparks caught on Barjin’s vestments, burning little holes.The priest screamed in agony as a spark slipped through the cap’s view hole and sizzled into his eye.Danica fell away, diving and rolling, and shielding her own eyes with a raised arm.The spark shower went on unabated.Blue sparks erupted right into Barjin’s head, catching the side of his conical hood as he desperately lurched.Red sparks flew out in a sudden circular explosion, spinning and rising then falling over Danica, Barjin, and the altar.A small fireball popped straight up from the broken mace, exploding into the ceiling.
The first hit the priest in the shoulder, drawing just a tiny line of blood.The second had even less success.It managed to cut through the priest’s conical cap, but the angle of the hat deflected it above Barjin’s head, where it hung weirdly but harmlessly.Barjin rubbed his eyes, stepped over the druid, and bore down on Danica.She fell into a low, defensive posture as though she would spring into him, but then dived straight backward.Cadderly understood Danica’s reaction; she feared another blast from that awful mace.And even as Cadderly watched, the priest brought the weapon in line.Cadderly watched Danica move back beside the altar, steadily backstepping from the advancing priest.All of Cadderly’s pain, so overwhelming just a moment ago, suddenly seemed insignificant next to Danica’s troubles.He shook the dizziness away, denied the weakness in his limbs, and forced himself to his knees, drawing his crossbow and fitting another dart.He nearly swooned from the permeating cold and bit his lip right through in fighting against it, understanding the price of failure.He leveled the crossbow Barjin’s way, had the priest in line, and knew that even the magically hardened vestments would not stop the enchanted dart.He hesitated.A voice screamed in protest inside Cadderly’s head, a distant echo of the vow he had made when he had first decided to construct the bow and darts.“Not as a weapon!” he growled under his breath, but as the bow began to slip toward the floor, Cadderly looked back at Danica, growled in defiance, and tightened his grip.Struggling with his conscience through every inch, he stubbornly brought the crossbow up level again.Cadderly nearly cried out a moment later, believing his hesitation might have cost Danica dearly.Barjin launched a series of mighty blows at the young woman, who somehow managed to stagger out of the biting mace’s grasp.Cadderly saw an out.“Feel the cold,” he heard Barjin snarl, distantly, as though he viewed it all through a crystal ball.The priest held the cruel mace out in front of him, its mouth opened wide.Danica, agile despite her wounds, leaped to the side.“No!” Cadderly cried, and his dart found its way right between the evil weapon’s fangs.There was a sharp crack, and Barjin barely managed to keep his grip on the jolted mace.For an interminable moment, nothing at all seemed to happen, but Cadderly could tell from the priest’s shocked expression that something was indeed going on within Barjin’s prized weapon.Without warning, the top of the Screaming Maiden’s head blew off.Barjin still held the broken weapon by the handle; he seemed as if he could not let go.Multicolored sparks flared as the magical energy burst forth unbridled, showering the entire center region of the room.“Oo!” Pikel and Ivan squealed together.The sparks caught on Barjin’s vestments, burning little holes.The priest screamed in agony as a spark slipped through the cap’s view hole and sizzled into his eye.Danica fell away, diving and rolling, and shielding her own eyes with a raised arm.The spark shower went on unabated.Blue sparks erupted right into Barjin’s head, catching the side of his conical hood as he desperately lurched.Red sparks flew out in a sudden circular explosion, spinning and rising then falling over Danica, Barjin, and the altar.A small fireball popped straight up from the broken mace, exploding into the ceiling.
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dnd318
Lighted specks of dust descended, only to be devoured by the continuing shower.Across the room, Cadderly squinted and wondered if he had inadvertently set something into motion that would destroy them all.Then it ended.The handle of the Screaming Maiden dropped to the floor and sputtered to a smoldering death.Off came Barjin’s conical hood then off, too, came the fast-burning vestments.They fell apart, destroyed by both the wolverine musk and the sparks.Barjin clawed at them, frantically trying to get the hot embers away from his skin.He cursed and spat at his own foolishness for putting the spell of fire protection on his zombie instead of on himself.The priest’s eyes darted wildly.Cadderly was still kneeling.To his side, the triumphant dwarves stood over the gruesome remains of the zombie.Then Barjin’s gaze settled on Danica, apparently unarmed and unarmored, who seemed the easiest target.Wiping the musk and sparks from her face, she wasn’t even looking at him.Barjin had made many mistakes in his life, but none were more complete than his assumption that Danica would be an easy catch.He reached out for her, meaning to hook her around the neck with his strong arm and bring her in, choking, against his chest.His arm had almost reached her shoulder when Danica reacted.She spun and used her momentum to drive her finger hard against Barjin’s shoulder.“I already tried that!” Cadderly warned, but then he fell silent, and Barjin’s arm fell dead.The priest looked down in amazement at his numbed right arm.He started to strike out with his left, but Danica was simply too quick for him.She caught his punch in midswing, hooked her fingers over his hand, and jerked his thumb back so forcefully that, with a crack of bones that sounded as loud as one of Pikel’s tree trunk hits, Barjin’s thumbnail touched his wrist.Danica wasn’t finished.With a slight twist, she cupped her fingers around Barjin’s, curling her fingertips over the top of the priest’s hand.Looking Barjin straight in the eye, Danica squeezed, her grip forcing Barjin’s top knuckles back in on themselves and sending waves of excruciating pain rolling up his arm.He tried to resist, mentally telling his arm to pull away, but Danica’s assault blocked out his determined call; the unrelenting pain prevented him from taking any action against her, or any action at all.Even if his other arm had not been “killed,” he could not have responded.He gurgled indecipherably; all the world became a blur.Danica sneered and pulled down on the trapped hand, driving Barjin to his knees.She tightened her free hand into a ball and lined up Barjin’s face.“Danica …” breathed a horrified Cadderly.“Here, now, don’t we get a piece of him?” came a gruff call from the side.“He’s the one who killed me brother.”Pikel turned incredulously on Ivan.“Oh?”“Well, he tried to kill me brother,” Ivan corrected, grinning from ear to ear.Danica uncurled her fist.Her anger was lost in sadness and concern as she looked at Cadderly.
Lighted specks of dust descended, only to be devoured by the continuing shower.Across the room, Cadderly squinted and wondered if he had inadvertently set something into motion that would destroy them all.Then it ended.The handle of the Screaming Maiden dropped to the floor and sputtered to a smoldering death.Off came Barjin’s conical hood then off, too, came the fast-burning vestments.They fell apart, destroyed by both the wolverine musk and the sparks.Barjin clawed at them, frantically trying to get the hot embers away from his skin.He cursed and spat at his own foolishness for putting the spell of fire protection on his zombie instead of on himself.The priest’s eyes darted wildly.Cadderly was still kneeling.To his side, the triumphant dwarves stood over the gruesome remains of the zombie.Then Barjin’s gaze settled on Danica, apparently unarmed and unarmored, who seemed the easiest target.Wiping the musk and sparks from her face, she wasn’t even looking at him.Barjin had made many mistakes in his life, but none were more complete than his assumption that Danica would be an easy catch.He reached out for her, meaning to hook her around the neck with his strong arm and bring her in, choking, against his chest.His arm had almost reached her shoulder when Danica reacted.She spun and used her momentum to drive her finger hard against Barjin’s shoulder.“I already tried that!” Cadderly warned, but then he fell silent, and Barjin’s arm fell dead.The priest looked down in amazement at his numbed right arm.He started to strike out with his left, but Danica was simply too quick for him.She caught his punch in midswing, hooked her fingers over his hand, and jerked his thumb back so forcefully that, with a crack of bones that sounded as loud as one of Pikel’s tree trunk hits, Barjin’s thumbnail touched his wrist.Danica wasn’t finished.With a slight twist, she cupped her fingers around Barjin’s, curling her fingertips over the top of the priest’s hand.Looking Barjin straight in the eye, Danica squeezed, her grip forcing Barjin’s top knuckles back in on themselves and sending waves of excruciating pain rolling up his arm.He tried to resist, mentally telling his arm to pull away, but Danica’s assault blocked out his determined call; the unrelenting pain prevented him from taking any action against her, or any action at all.Even if his other arm had not been “killed,” he could not have responded.He gurgled indecipherably; all the world became a blur.Danica sneered and pulled down on the trapped hand, driving Barjin to his knees.She tightened her free hand into a ball and lined up Barjin’s face.“Danica …” breathed a horrified Cadderly.“Here, now, don’t we get a piece of him?” came a gruff call from the side.“He’s the one who killed me brother.”Pikel turned incredulously on Ivan.“Oh?”“Well, he tried to kill me brother,” Ivan corrected, grinning from ear to ear.Danica uncurled her fist.Her anger was lost in sadness and concern as she looked at Cadderly.
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dnd319
The pitiful image stopped her cold.Cadderly was still kneeling, staring at Danica, his hands outstretched in a silent plea and his gray eyes unconsciously judging her.Danica twisted Barjin’s arm around, cupped her other arm under his shoulder, and sent him rolling toward the dwarves.Ivan scooped him up roughly and half-rolled and half-bounced him to Pikel, crying, “Ye killed me brother!”“Me brudder!” Pikel echoed, spinning the dizzy priest around and launching him back at Ivan.Ivan caught him and sent him bounding back.Cadderly realized that the dwarf’s game could easily get out of hand.Both were injured and angry, and with the cursing bottle spewing smoke so very close, their pain and rage could bring them to new heights of violence.“Do not kill him!” Cadderly screamed at them.Pikel looked at him incredulously and Ivan caught Barjin, slammed the priest to the ground, and held him by the hair.“Not kill him?” Ivan asked.“What’re ye thinking to do with this one?”“Do not kill him!” Cadderly demanded again.He suspected that he’d need more than the protests of his own conscience to convince the agitated dwarves, so he played a pragmatic game.“We need to question him, to learn if he has allies and where they might be.”“Yeah!” roared Ivan.“What about it?” He jerked Barjin’s head back so violently that Cadderly thought the dwarf had broken the man’s neck.“Not now, Ivan,” Cadderly explained.“Later, in the library, where we will find maps and writings to aid us in our interrogation.”“Ye’re a lucky one, ye are,” Ivan said, putting his considerable nose right against Barjin’s, pushing the priest’s smaller proboscis flat against his cheek.“I’d get ye talking, don’t ye doubt!”Indeed Barjin didn’t doubt Ivan’s words, but he hardly felt lucky, especially when Ivan hoisted him back up and bounced him over to Pikel once again.Cadderly walked over and draped his arm across Danica’s shoulders.She stood quietly, looking down at the druid who had sacrificed everything for their cause.Newander’s bones continued to crackle, as his body tried to revert to its natural form in death.He got about halfway there.His calm and wise face once more became recognizable, and most of the wolverine hair disappeared, but then the transition stopped.Death had stolen the magical energy.“He was a good friend,” Cadderly whispered, but he thought his words insufficient.Words could not carry the sense of grief that he felt, both for the druid and for the many others who had perished under the curse—the curse that he had loosed.That thought inevitably led Cadderly’s gaze to the altar and the bottle, still pouring smoke, oblivious to the defeat of its guiding priest.“It is for me to do,” Cadderly surmised, hoping he was right.He took the stopper from the altar and gingerly reached out, his mind rushing through a hundred different scenarios of what would happen if he were unable to close the bottle.He was not.He placed the stopper over the bottle and patted it down, ending the smoky stream.Cadderly felt a bump on his shoulder and thought that Danica had put her head on him for support.He turned to acknowledge her apparent relief, but she limply fell past him, face down to the floor.Back by the door, the others went down, too.Barjin tumbled heavily over Ivan, and for a moment, not a thing moved.Only Barjin got back up, snarling and cursing.“You,” he said accusingly at Cadderly.The priest grabbed Ivan’s axe in his one working arm and headed Cadderly’s way.TWENTY-FOURTHE MOST FATAL HORRORThe shock brought Druzil abruptly from his sleepy state.The bottle had been closed!
The pitiful image stopped her cold.Cadderly was still kneeling, staring at Danica, his hands outstretched in a silent plea and his gray eyes unconsciously judging her.Danica twisted Barjin’s arm around, cupped her other arm under his shoulder, and sent him rolling toward the dwarves.Ivan scooped him up roughly and half-rolled and half-bounced him to Pikel, crying, “Ye killed me brother!”“Me brudder!” Pikel echoed, spinning the dizzy priest around and launching him back at Ivan.Ivan caught him and sent him bounding back.Cadderly realized that the dwarf’s game could easily get out of hand.Both were injured and angry, and with the cursing bottle spewing smoke so very close, their pain and rage could bring them to new heights of violence.“Do not kill him!” Cadderly screamed at them.Pikel looked at him incredulously and Ivan caught Barjin, slammed the priest to the ground, and held him by the hair.“Not kill him?” Ivan asked.“What’re ye thinking to do with this one?”“Do not kill him!” Cadderly demanded again.He suspected that he’d need more than the protests of his own conscience to convince the agitated dwarves, so he played a pragmatic game.“We need to question him, to learn if he has allies and where they might be.”“Yeah!” roared Ivan.“What about it?” He jerked Barjin’s head back so violently that Cadderly thought the dwarf had broken the man’s neck.“Not now, Ivan,” Cadderly explained.“Later, in the library, where we will find maps and writings to aid us in our interrogation.”“Ye’re a lucky one, ye are,” Ivan said, putting his considerable nose right against Barjin’s, pushing the priest’s smaller proboscis flat against his cheek.“I’d get ye talking, don’t ye doubt!”Indeed Barjin didn’t doubt Ivan’s words, but he hardly felt lucky, especially when Ivan hoisted him back up and bounced him over to Pikel once again.Cadderly walked over and draped his arm across Danica’s shoulders.She stood quietly, looking down at the druid who had sacrificed everything for their cause.Newander’s bones continued to crackle, as his body tried to revert to its natural form in death.He got about halfway there.His calm and wise face once more became recognizable, and most of the wolverine hair disappeared, but then the transition stopped.Death had stolen the magical energy.“He was a good friend,” Cadderly whispered, but he thought his words insufficient.Words could not carry the sense of grief that he felt, both for the druid and for the many others who had perished under the curse—the curse that he had loosed.That thought inevitably led Cadderly’s gaze to the altar and the bottle, still pouring smoke, oblivious to the defeat of its guiding priest.“It is for me to do,” Cadderly surmised, hoping he was right.He took the stopper from the altar and gingerly reached out, his mind rushing through a hundred different scenarios of what would happen if he were unable to close the bottle.He was not.He placed the stopper over the bottle and patted it down, ending the smoky stream.Cadderly felt a bump on his shoulder and thought that Danica had put her head on him for support.He turned to acknowledge her apparent relief, but she limply fell past him, face down to the floor.Back by the door, the others went down, too.Barjin tumbled heavily over Ivan, and for a moment, not a thing moved.Only Barjin got back up, snarling and cursing.“You,” he said accusingly at Cadderly.The priest grabbed Ivan’s axe in his one working arm and headed Cadderly’s way.TWENTY-FOURTHE MOST FATAL HORRORThe shock brought Druzil abruptly from his sleepy state.The bottle had been closed!
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dnd320
The chaos curse, which Druzil had waited decades to witness, had been defeated!The imp could still detect the misty magic in the air, but already it was beginning to diminish.Druzil reached out with his thoughts toward Barjin but found telepathic communication to the priest blocked by a wall of rage.He didn’t really want to go into the altar room; he had seen the formidable dwarves tear apart Barjin’s zombie and feared another dart from the young priest.When Druzil glanced around at the empty corridors, he realized that he had no other way to go.He reached down to the small pouch hanging on the base of one wing and pulled it free, clutching it in his taloned hands.He crept up to the door.Beyond Mullivy’s chopped up remains lay the two unconscious dwarves, and farther in, by the altar, a young woman.Druzil’s surprise at the unexpected scene lasted only as long as it took the imp to consider what had transpired.The sudden shock of the chaos curse’s end, the termination of the magic that had permeated their thoughts so fully, had overcome them.Druzil saw Barjin advance on the young priest—and the imp knew that the young man had been the catalyst, the one who had opened the bottle.Apparently, he also had been the one to close it.The Talonite priest seemed not so powerful in Druzil’s eyes anymore.Barjin’s vestments and weapon were gone, one arm hung limply at his side, and most importantly, he had allowed the bottle to be closed.There it rested, powerless, atop the altar.Druzil had an impulse to go and get it, to whisk it away through the fire gate back to Castle Trinity.The imp quickly dismissed that notion.Not only would he have to get within striking distance of the young man who earlier had brought him down, but if he took the bottle and Barjin somehow survived the day, the priest’s continuing mission at the library would be futile.And the priest would not be happy.No, Druzil decided, right now the bottle was not worth the many risks.If Barjin survived, perhaps the priest would find another catalyst to rejuvenate the curse.Druzil could get back if that came to pass.The imp opened the small pouch he held and looked away from the impending battle, to the brazier that, fortunately, still burned.Cadderly started to reach for another dart but realized that the priest would get to him before he could load it.Even if he did get his crossbow readied, Cadderly doubted that he could find the courage to use it against a living man.Barjin sensed his ambivalence.“You should have let the dwarves kill me,” he snickered.“No!” Cadderly replied firmly.He dropped his crossbow and slipped one finger into his pocket, into the loop of his spindle-disks.“Did you really believe that I would provide information, that keeping me alive would prove beneficial?” Barjin asked.Cadderly shook his head.Barjin had missed the point.Cadderly had only made that claim to convince Ivan and Pikel not to kill him.
The chaos curse, which Druzil had waited decades to witness, had been defeated!The imp could still detect the misty magic in the air, but already it was beginning to diminish.Druzil reached out with his thoughts toward Barjin but found telepathic communication to the priest blocked by a wall of rage.He didn’t really want to go into the altar room; he had seen the formidable dwarves tear apart Barjin’s zombie and feared another dart from the young priest.When Druzil glanced around at the empty corridors, he realized that he had no other way to go.He reached down to the small pouch hanging on the base of one wing and pulled it free, clutching it in his taloned hands.He crept up to the door.Beyond Mullivy’s chopped up remains lay the two unconscious dwarves, and farther in, by the altar, a young woman.Druzil’s surprise at the unexpected scene lasted only as long as it took the imp to consider what had transpired.The sudden shock of the chaos curse’s end, the termination of the magic that had permeated their thoughts so fully, had overcome them.Druzil saw Barjin advance on the young priest—and the imp knew that the young man had been the catalyst, the one who had opened the bottle.Apparently, he also had been the one to close it.The Talonite priest seemed not so powerful in Druzil’s eyes anymore.Barjin’s vestments and weapon were gone, one arm hung limply at his side, and most importantly, he had allowed the bottle to be closed.There it rested, powerless, atop the altar.Druzil had an impulse to go and get it, to whisk it away through the fire gate back to Castle Trinity.The imp quickly dismissed that notion.Not only would he have to get within striking distance of the young man who earlier had brought him down, but if he took the bottle and Barjin somehow survived the day, the priest’s continuing mission at the library would be futile.And the priest would not be happy.No, Druzil decided, right now the bottle was not worth the many risks.If Barjin survived, perhaps the priest would find another catalyst to rejuvenate the curse.Druzil could get back if that came to pass.The imp opened the small pouch he held and looked away from the impending battle, to the brazier that, fortunately, still burned.Cadderly started to reach for another dart but realized that the priest would get to him before he could load it.Even if he did get his crossbow readied, Cadderly doubted that he could find the courage to use it against a living man.Barjin sensed his ambivalence.“You should have let the dwarves kill me,” he snickered.“No!” Cadderly replied firmly.He dropped his crossbow and slipped one finger into his pocket, into the loop of his spindle-disks.“Did you really believe that I would provide information, that keeping me alive would prove beneficial?” Barjin asked.Cadderly shook his head.Barjin had missed the point.Cadderly had only made that claim to convince Ivan and Pikel not to kill him.
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dnd321
His true motives in keeping Barjin alive had nothing to do with information, but with his own desire not to kill a man he did not have to kill.“We had no reason to kill you,” he said.“The fight was already won.”“So you believed,” snarled Barjin.He skipped across the remaining distance to Cadderly and whipped Ivan’s axe across as viciously as his wounded hand would allow.Anticipating the attack, Cadderly easily dodged aside.He pulled his hand from his pocket and sent his spindle-disks flying out at Barjin.They connected with a thud on Barjin’s chest, but the mighty priest was more startled than injured.He looked at Cadderly—or more pointedly, at Cadderly’s coiled weapon hand—for a moment, and laughed aloud.Cadderly nearly threw himself at the mocking priest, but he realized that was exactly what his opponent wanted him to do.His only chance was to defend himself, the same way he had defeated Kierkan Rufo back in his room.He grinned widely against the continuing laughter and tried to appear as confident as possible.But Barjin was not Kierkan Rufo.The Talonite had seen countless battles, had defeated seasoned warriors in single combat, and had directed armies marching across the Vaasan plains.The veteran’s confident smile revealed that he had surmised the limitations of Cadderly’s strange weapon, and he knew as well as Cadderly that he would have to make a huge mistake if the young priest was to have any chance.“You should not have returned to this place,” Barjin said.“You should have left the Edificant Library and given up what was already lost.”Cadderly paused to consider the unexpected words, and the even more unexpected, almost resigned tone.“I erred,” he replied, “when first I came down here.I returned only to correct the wrong.” He glanced over at the bottle to emphasize his point.“And now I have done that.”“Have you?” Barjin teased.“Your friends are down, young fool.All those in the library are down, I would guess.When you closed the bottle, you weakened your allies more than your enemies.”Cadderly could not deny the priest’s taunt, but he still believed that he had done the right thing in closing the bottle.He would find a way to revive his friends, and all the others.Perhaps they were only sleeping.“Do you truly believe that, once loosed, Tuanta Quiro Miancay, the Most Fatal Horror, could be defeated simply by placing the stopper back in the flask?” Barjin smiled widely.“Look,” he said, pointing over at the altar.“Even now the agent of my goddess Talona battles its way back through your pitiful barrier, back into the air it has claimed as Talona’s domain.”Cadderly should have seen the trick coming, but his own insecurity concerning the unknown bottle and curse caused him to glance to the side again.
His true motives in keeping Barjin alive had nothing to do with information, but with his own desire not to kill a man he did not have to kill.“We had no reason to kill you,” he said.“The fight was already won.”“So you believed,” snarled Barjin.He skipped across the remaining distance to Cadderly and whipped Ivan’s axe across as viciously as his wounded hand would allow.Anticipating the attack, Cadderly easily dodged aside.He pulled his hand from his pocket and sent his spindle-disks flying out at Barjin.They connected with a thud on Barjin’s chest, but the mighty priest was more startled than injured.He looked at Cadderly—or more pointedly, at Cadderly’s coiled weapon hand—for a moment, and laughed aloud.Cadderly nearly threw himself at the mocking priest, but he realized that was exactly what his opponent wanted him to do.His only chance was to defend himself, the same way he had defeated Kierkan Rufo back in his room.He grinned widely against the continuing laughter and tried to appear as confident as possible.But Barjin was not Kierkan Rufo.The Talonite had seen countless battles, had defeated seasoned warriors in single combat, and had directed armies marching across the Vaasan plains.The veteran’s confident smile revealed that he had surmised the limitations of Cadderly’s strange weapon, and he knew as well as Cadderly that he would have to make a huge mistake if the young priest was to have any chance.“You should not have returned to this place,” Barjin said.“You should have left the Edificant Library and given up what was already lost.”Cadderly paused to consider the unexpected words, and the even more unexpected, almost resigned tone.“I erred,” he replied, “when first I came down here.I returned only to correct the wrong.” He glanced over at the bottle to emphasize his point.“And now I have done that.”“Have you?” Barjin teased.“Your friends are down, young fool.All those in the library are down, I would guess.When you closed the bottle, you weakened your allies more than your enemies.”Cadderly could not deny the priest’s taunt, but he still believed that he had done the right thing in closing the bottle.He would find a way to revive his friends, and all the others.Perhaps they were only sleeping.“Do you truly believe that, once loosed, Tuanta Quiro Miancay, the Most Fatal Horror, could be defeated simply by placing the stopper back in the flask?” Barjin smiled widely.“Look,” he said, pointing over at the altar.“Even now the agent of my goddess Talona battles its way back through your pitiful barrier, back into the air it has claimed as Talona’s domain.”Cadderly should have seen the trick coming, but his own insecurity concerning the unknown bottle and curse caused him to glance to the side again.
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dnd322
Still, he was not caught completely off his guard when Barjin waded straight in, growling and swinging.Cadderly ducked under one cut then rolled to the side as Barjin reversed his swing and came with a wicked overhead chop.Cadderly tried to scramble back to his feet, but Barjin was too quick.Before he could rise, he was rolling again, back the other way, to avoid another dipping slice.Cadderly knew that he couldn’t keep that up for long, nor could he launch any effective counters from the floor.Barjin, relentless with the taste of victory on his drooling lips, kept the two-headed axe under control and readied yet another strike.The issue seemed decided.It became an eerie, almost slow-motion sequence for Cadderly as he watched Barjin maneuvering into position.Is this the moment of my death?Cadderly thought.What then of Danica, and Ivan and Pikel?The flap of wings sounded by the door.Cadderly, too engrossed with his own dilemma, hardly took note, but Barjin did glance around.Seeing his opening, Cadderly rolled away as fast as he could.Barjin easily could have caught up to him, but the priest seemed more concerned with the unexpected appearance of his missing imp.“Druzil!Where have you been?” Barjin demanded.Stripped of his vestments and weapon, ragged and beaten, the priest’s words carried little authority.Druzil didn’t even answer.He floated across to the brazier, pausing only to scoop up Barjin’s necromancer’s stone.“Put it back!” Barjin roared.“You play a dangerous game, imp.”Druzil considered the stone, then the priest, then moved to the brazier.His gaze again drifted back to the closed bottle, but if he was considering a try for it, he quickly thought better of it.The enraged Barjin, if not the young priest, surely would strike him down if he got within reach.“I will protect it,” Druzil offered, holding up the stone.“And the bottle?”“You will run and hide!” Barjin retorted.“You think me beaten?”Druzil shrugged, his wings nearly burying his head with the action.“Stay and watch, cowardly imp,” Barjin proclaimed.“Watch as I regain my victory and finish off this pitiful library.”Druzil hesitated for a long moment, considering the offer.“I prefer a safer haven,” he announced.“I will return when things are under your control.”“Leave the stone!” Barjin commanded.Druzil’s smile revealed much.
Still, he was not caught completely off his guard when Barjin waded straight in, growling and swinging.Cadderly ducked under one cut then rolled to the side as Barjin reversed his swing and came with a wicked overhead chop.Cadderly tried to scramble back to his feet, but Barjin was too quick.Before he could rise, he was rolling again, back the other way, to avoid another dipping slice.Cadderly knew that he couldn’t keep that up for long, nor could he launch any effective counters from the floor.Barjin, relentless with the taste of victory on his drooling lips, kept the two-headed axe under control and readied yet another strike.The issue seemed decided.It became an eerie, almost slow-motion sequence for Cadderly as he watched Barjin maneuvering into position.Is this the moment of my death?Cadderly thought.What then of Danica, and Ivan and Pikel?The flap of wings sounded by the door.Cadderly, too engrossed with his own dilemma, hardly took note, but Barjin did glance around.Seeing his opening, Cadderly rolled away as fast as he could.Barjin easily could have caught up to him, but the priest seemed more concerned with the unexpected appearance of his missing imp.“Druzil!Where have you been?” Barjin demanded.Stripped of his vestments and weapon, ragged and beaten, the priest’s words carried little authority.Druzil didn’t even answer.He floated across to the brazier, pausing only to scoop up Barjin’s necromancer’s stone.“Put it back!” Barjin roared.“You play a dangerous game, imp.”Druzil considered the stone, then the priest, then moved to the brazier.His gaze again drifted back to the closed bottle, but if he was considering a try for it, he quickly thought better of it.The enraged Barjin, if not the young priest, surely would strike him down if he got within reach.“I will protect it,” Druzil offered, holding up the stone.“And the bottle?”“You will run and hide!” Barjin retorted.“You think me beaten?”Druzil shrugged, his wings nearly burying his head with the action.“Stay and watch, cowardly imp,” Barjin proclaimed.“Watch as I regain my victory and finish off this pitiful library.”Druzil hesitated for a long moment, considering the offer.“I prefer a safer haven,” he announced.“I will return when things are under your control.”“Leave the stone!” Barjin commanded.Druzil’s smile revealed much.
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dnd323
The imp clutched the powerful necromancer’s stone all the tighter and dropped his powder into the burning brazier.The magical fire flashed and burned with a bluish hue, and Druzil casually stepped through the reopened gate.“Coward!” Barjin cried.“I will win this day.I will loose Tuanta Quiro Miancay again, and you, cowardly imp, will no longer be treated as an ally!”His threats were lost in the crackle of the brazier’s flames.Barjin spun back on Cadderly, who stood around on the other side of the altar, opposite the priest.“You can still save yourself and your friends,” Barjin purred, suddenly friendly.“Join me.Open the bottle once more.The power you will realize …”Cadderly saw through the lie and cut the priest short, though Barjin’s sudden charm was effective enough to be shocking.“You need me to open it because you cannot, because it must be opened by one who is not allied with your god,” he reasoned.Barjin’s coercive smile did not diminish.“How can I agree, then?” Cadderly asked him.“To do so would be to join with you, but would that not ally me with your designs and with your god?Would that not break the conditions?” Cadderly thought himself quite clever, thought that his logic had cornered the priest, as Barjin mulled the words over.When Barjin looked back at him, his eyes shining fiercely, Cadderly knew that he had thought wrong.“Not if you open the bottle for a better reason,” Barjin said, turning to view Danica and the dwarves, “to save the woman perhaps.” Barjin took a step away.All fear flew from Cadderly at that moment.He jumped out from behind the altar, meaning to intercept Barjin, determined to stop the priest at any cost.He stopped suddenly, eyes widening in horror.Another being had entered the room, one that Cadderly had seen before.Barjin’s reaction was just the opposite of Cadderly’s.He swung the axe high above his head victoriously, feeling that his base of power was returning, that his fortunes had turned back for the better.“I had thought you destroyed,” he said to the scorched mummy.Khalif, the less than complete spirit, savaged and removed from all sense of sanity, did not respond.“What are you doing?” the priest demanded as the mummy stalked in.Barjin swiped with the axe, hoping to keep the monster at bay, but the mummy simply slapped the weapon from his hand.“Halt!” Barjin cried.“You must obey me!”Khalif had other ideas.Before Barjin could say anything else, a heavy arm slammed into the side of his head and sent him tumbling to the wall by the brazier.Barjin knew his doom.The mummy was out of control, crazed with pain and rage.It hated all life, hated Barjin for bringing it back from its rest.
The imp clutched the powerful necromancer’s stone all the tighter and dropped his powder into the burning brazier.The magical fire flashed and burned with a bluish hue, and Druzil casually stepped through the reopened gate.“Coward!” Barjin cried.“I will win this day.I will loose Tuanta Quiro Miancay again, and you, cowardly imp, will no longer be treated as an ally!”His threats were lost in the crackle of the brazier’s flames.Barjin spun back on Cadderly, who stood around on the other side of the altar, opposite the priest.“You can still save yourself and your friends,” Barjin purred, suddenly friendly.“Join me.Open the bottle once more.The power you will realize …”Cadderly saw through the lie and cut the priest short, though Barjin’s sudden charm was effective enough to be shocking.“You need me to open it because you cannot, because it must be opened by one who is not allied with your god,” he reasoned.Barjin’s coercive smile did not diminish.“How can I agree, then?” Cadderly asked him.“To do so would be to join with you, but would that not ally me with your designs and with your god?Would that not break the conditions?” Cadderly thought himself quite clever, thought that his logic had cornered the priest, as Barjin mulled the words over.When Barjin looked back at him, his eyes shining fiercely, Cadderly knew that he had thought wrong.“Not if you open the bottle for a better reason,” Barjin said, turning to view Danica and the dwarves, “to save the woman perhaps.” Barjin took a step away.All fear flew from Cadderly at that moment.He jumped out from behind the altar, meaning to intercept Barjin, determined to stop the priest at any cost.He stopped suddenly, eyes widening in horror.Another being had entered the room, one that Cadderly had seen before.Barjin’s reaction was just the opposite of Cadderly’s.He swung the axe high above his head victoriously, feeling that his base of power was returning, that his fortunes had turned back for the better.“I had thought you destroyed,” he said to the scorched mummy.Khalif, the less than complete spirit, savaged and removed from all sense of sanity, did not respond.“What are you doing?” the priest demanded as the mummy stalked in.Barjin swiped with the axe, hoping to keep the monster at bay, but the mummy simply slapped the weapon from his hand.“Halt!” Barjin cried.“You must obey me!”Khalif had other ideas.Before Barjin could say anything else, a heavy arm slammed into the side of his head and sent him tumbling to the wall by the brazier.Barjin knew his doom.The mummy was out of control, crazed with pain and rage.It hated all life, hated Barjin for bringing it back from its rest.
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dnd324
With all that had happened, both to Barjin and to the mummy, the priest’s domination was no more.Barjin looked desperately to the table where he had left the necromancer’s stone, the one item that might aid him against his undead foe.Then he remembered, and he cursed Druzil’s abrupt departure.He propped himself up against the wall and looked about desperately.To his right loomed the burning brazier, the gate reopened but not an escape route for a being of the Prime Material Plane.To Barjin’s left, though, was Pikel’s impromptu doorway, an exit to the tunnels beyond the room.He tried to rise, but a throbbing pain in his head dropped him back to his knees.Undaunted, Barjin began to crawl.Before he could get to the hole, though, the mummy cut him off and slammed him again into the wall.Barjin had no defense against the ensuing onslaught.He raised his one functioning arm, but the mummy’s heavy blows snapped it aside.Cadderly stood beside the altar, consciously telling himself to take some action.Fear gripped him, but he at last overcame it by conjuring an image of the mummy’s next move after finishing off Barjin.Danica was the next closest target.He took his crossbow in hand and loaded it, seeking some way to get the monster off the priest.Cadderly had no love for the man, and he held no hope that helping Barjin might bring some mutually beneficial compromise, but despite the fact that Barjin was his enemy, he couldn’t let the human be killed by this undead monster.Another problem presented itself as Cadderly leveled his bow for a shot.The imp’s passage had reopened the interplanar gate, and some lower planar denizen had found its way in.A hideous face appeared in the flames, obscure but huge, and growing more tangible with each passing heartbeat.Cadderly instinctively lined his crossbow up with this newest intruder, but then swung it back at the mummy, realizing that it was his most pressing problem.Another scorch mark appeared on the mummy’s rotted linen; another jolt shook the monster, but the scabrous thing didn’t turn from Barjin.The priest managed once to stand up, only to be immediately pounded back to the floor.A huge black wing tip came out the side of the brazier fire.Cadderly nearly lost his breath; the creature forming in the flames was monstrous, much larger than the imp.Cadderly loaded and fired again at the mummy.Another hit, and, with Barjin offering no resistance the mummy wheeled about.Cadderly felt that paralyzing fear welling in him again, but he didn’t let it slow his practiced movements.He had used more than half his darts and had no idea if he had enough remaining to finally defeat the undead thing, had no idea if his attacks were even causing any real damage to the monster.Again, he refused to let his fears slow him.Another dart whistled out at the mummy.The dart did not explode, but dived through a hole created by a previous dart and cut right through the tattered linen bindings.At first Cadderly was more concerned with getting another dart fitted; he knew that his miss would allow the monster to close, but then he heard Barjin grunt.The dart thudded into the chest of the seated priest.The next interminable heartbeat ended with the noise that Cadderly had come to dread.The dart had enough remaining momentum to collapse and explode.The mummy took a step out, giving Cadderly a view of the priest.
With all that had happened, both to Barjin and to the mummy, the priest’s domination was no more.Barjin looked desperately to the table where he had left the necromancer’s stone, the one item that might aid him against his undead foe.Then he remembered, and he cursed Druzil’s abrupt departure.He propped himself up against the wall and looked about desperately.To his right loomed the burning brazier, the gate reopened but not an escape route for a being of the Prime Material Plane.To Barjin’s left, though, was Pikel’s impromptu doorway, an exit to the tunnels beyond the room.He tried to rise, but a throbbing pain in his head dropped him back to his knees.Undaunted, Barjin began to crawl.Before he could get to the hole, though, the mummy cut him off and slammed him again into the wall.Barjin had no defense against the ensuing onslaught.He raised his one functioning arm, but the mummy’s heavy blows snapped it aside.Cadderly stood beside the altar, consciously telling himself to take some action.Fear gripped him, but he at last overcame it by conjuring an image of the mummy’s next move after finishing off Barjin.Danica was the next closest target.He took his crossbow in hand and loaded it, seeking some way to get the monster off the priest.Cadderly had no love for the man, and he held no hope that helping Barjin might bring some mutually beneficial compromise, but despite the fact that Barjin was his enemy, he couldn’t let the human be killed by this undead monster.Another problem presented itself as Cadderly leveled his bow for a shot.The imp’s passage had reopened the interplanar gate, and some lower planar denizen had found its way in.A hideous face appeared in the flames, obscure but huge, and growing more tangible with each passing heartbeat.Cadderly instinctively lined his crossbow up with this newest intruder, but then swung it back at the mummy, realizing that it was his most pressing problem.Another scorch mark appeared on the mummy’s rotted linen; another jolt shook the monster, but the scabrous thing didn’t turn from Barjin.The priest managed once to stand up, only to be immediately pounded back to the floor.A huge black wing tip came out the side of the brazier fire.Cadderly nearly lost his breath; the creature forming in the flames was monstrous, much larger than the imp.Cadderly loaded and fired again at the mummy.Another hit, and, with Barjin offering no resistance the mummy wheeled about.Cadderly felt that paralyzing fear welling in him again, but he didn’t let it slow his practiced movements.He had used more than half his darts and had no idea if he had enough remaining to finally defeat the undead thing, had no idea if his attacks were even causing any real damage to the monster.Again, he refused to let his fears slow him.Another dart whistled out at the mummy.The dart did not explode, but dived through a hole created by a previous dart and cut right through the tattered linen bindings.At first Cadderly was more concerned with getting another dart fitted; he knew that his miss would allow the monster to close, but then he heard Barjin grunt.The dart thudded into the chest of the seated priest.The next interminable heartbeat ended with the noise that Cadderly had come to dread.The dart had enough remaining momentum to collapse and explode.The mummy took a step out, giving Cadderly a view of the priest.
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dnd325
Barjin lay nearly flat.Only his head and shoulders remained propped against the wall.He gasped and clutched the hole in his chest, his eyes unblinking, though he seemed not to see anything, not to be aware of anything beyond his own demise.He gasped again, a gout of blood bursting from his mouth, and he lay still.Cadderly didn’t even think of his movements.His mind seemed to disengage from his body, to give way to his own instincts for survival and his own boiling rage at what he had done.He took up his waterskin under his free arm, popped off the cap, and drove the mummy back toward the wall with a steady stream of blessed water.The liquid hissed as it struck the evilly enchanted linen, etching blackened scars.The mummy issued a loud, outraged roar and tried to cover up, but it had no way to block the small but painful stream.In the brazier, the hideous face was clear, leering hungrily at Cadderly.Cadderly thought to defeat both foes with a single attack.He angled his waterskin, seeking to drive the mummy into the flames, perhaps to topple the brazier and close the gate.The mummy did indeed recoil from the spray, but if it feared the blessed water, it feared the open flames even more.Try as he might, Cadderly could not force it too near the burning gate.He apparently was doing some damage, but Cadderly could not afford a stalemate.He was running out of water; then what might he use to finish off the mummy?And if that monster came through the gate …Helplessly, Cadderly fumbled to keep up the stream and to load another dart.He lifted his crossbow toward the mummy, trying to find a vital area beyond its blocking arms.What spot, he wondered helplessly, might be the most vulnerable?The eyes?The heart?The waterskin was empty.The mummy stood straight.“Last shot,” Cadderly muttered.He started to pull on the trigger, then, as he had with Barjin earlier in the fight, he noticed another possibility.Pikel’s charge through the wall had caused tremendous structural damage.The hole in the brickwork was fully four feet wide and half that again high, nearly reaching the beamed ceiling.One crossbeam, directly above the hole, balanced precariously on a cracked support.
Barjin lay nearly flat.Only his head and shoulders remained propped against the wall.He gasped and clutched the hole in his chest, his eyes unblinking, though he seemed not to see anything, not to be aware of anything beyond his own demise.He gasped again, a gout of blood bursting from his mouth, and he lay still.Cadderly didn’t even think of his movements.His mind seemed to disengage from his body, to give way to his own instincts for survival and his own boiling rage at what he had done.He took up his waterskin under his free arm, popped off the cap, and drove the mummy back toward the wall with a steady stream of blessed water.The liquid hissed as it struck the evilly enchanted linen, etching blackened scars.The mummy issued a loud, outraged roar and tried to cover up, but it had no way to block the small but painful stream.In the brazier, the hideous face was clear, leering hungrily at Cadderly.Cadderly thought to defeat both foes with a single attack.He angled his waterskin, seeking to drive the mummy into the flames, perhaps to topple the brazier and close the gate.The mummy did indeed recoil from the spray, but if it feared the blessed water, it feared the open flames even more.Try as he might, Cadderly could not force it too near the burning gate.He apparently was doing some damage, but Cadderly could not afford a stalemate.He was running out of water; then what might he use to finish off the mummy?And if that monster came through the gate …Helplessly, Cadderly fumbled to keep up the stream and to load another dart.He lifted his crossbow toward the mummy, trying to find a vital area beyond its blocking arms.What spot, he wondered helplessly, might be the most vulnerable?The eyes?The heart?The waterskin was empty.The mummy stood straight.“Last shot,” Cadderly muttered.He started to pull on the trigger, then, as he had with Barjin earlier in the fight, he noticed another possibility.Pikel’s charge through the wall had caused tremendous structural damage.The hole in the brickwork was fully four feet wide and half that again high, nearly reaching the beamed ceiling.One crossbeam, directly above the hole, balanced precariously on a cracked support.
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dnd326
Cadderly moved his arm in that direction and fired.The dart smacked into the wood at the joint between crossbeam and support, exploding into a small fireball, sending splinters everywhere.The crossbeam slipped, but still attached at its other end, it swung down like a pendulum.The mummy took only one short step from the wall before the beam slammed into it, driving it sidelong.It pitched into the brazier, taking the fiery tripod and bowl right over with it.The hideous image of the otherworldly denizen disappeared in a huge fireball.Flames engulfed the mummy, eagerly devouring its layered cloth wrappings.It managed to stagger to its feet—Cadderly wondered with horror if it might survive even that—but then it crumpled and was consumed.Without the enchanted brazier, the gate was closed, and gone, too, was Barjin’s greatest undead monster.The flames flared a couple of times then burned low, leaving the room smoky in the dimness of low-burning torches.Cadderly understood that victory was within his grasp, but he hardly felt in the mood for rejoicing.Newander lay dead at his feet, others had died upstairs, and perhaps most disconcerting of all to the young scholar, no longer an innocent, he had killed a man.Barjin remained propped against the wall, his lifeless eyes staring out at Cadderly, holding the defenseless young priest in an accusing gaze.Cadderly’s arm drooped to his side and the crossbow fell to the floor.TWENTY-FIVEOUT OF THE MISTCadderly so desperately wanted to close those eyes!He willed himself to go over to the dead priest and turn his head away, get that accusing stare off him, but it was an impotent command and Cadderly knew it.He hadn’t the strength to go anywhere near Barjin.He moved a few short steps to the side, to get to Danica, but looked back and imagined that the dead priest’s eyes followed him still.Cadderly wondered if they would forever.He slammed his fist on the floor, trying to shake free of the guilt, to accept the priest’s stare as a necessary price that he must pay.Events had dictated his actions, he reminded himself, and he told himself to foster no regrets.He jumped when a small form suddenly darted in through the opening beside the priest then managed a weak smile as Percival climbed up him and sat atop his shoulder, chittering and complaining as always.Cadderly patted the squirrel between the ears with a single finger—he needed to do that—then went to his friends.Danica seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but Cadderly couldn’t wake her.He found both dwarves in similar states, their thunderous snores complimenting each other in strange, rock-grating harmony.Pikel’s snores, in particular, sounded contented.Cadderly grew worried.He had believed the battle won finally—but why couldn’t he wake his friends?How long would they sleep?Cadderly had heard of curses that caused slumber for a thousand years, or until certain conditions had been met, however long that might take.Perhaps the battle wasn’t yet won.He went back to the altar and examined the bottle.It seemed harmless enough to the eye, so Cadderly decided to look deeper.He moved his thoughts through a series of relaxation exercises that slipped him into a semimeditative trance.
Cadderly moved his arm in that direction and fired.The dart smacked into the wood at the joint between crossbeam and support, exploding into a small fireball, sending splinters everywhere.The crossbeam slipped, but still attached at its other end, it swung down like a pendulum.The mummy took only one short step from the wall before the beam slammed into it, driving it sidelong.It pitched into the brazier, taking the fiery tripod and bowl right over with it.The hideous image of the otherworldly denizen disappeared in a huge fireball.Flames engulfed the mummy, eagerly devouring its layered cloth wrappings.It managed to stagger to its feet—Cadderly wondered with horror if it might survive even that—but then it crumpled and was consumed.Without the enchanted brazier, the gate was closed, and gone, too, was Barjin’s greatest undead monster.The flames flared a couple of times then burned low, leaving the room smoky in the dimness of low-burning torches.Cadderly understood that victory was within his grasp, but he hardly felt in the mood for rejoicing.Newander lay dead at his feet, others had died upstairs, and perhaps most disconcerting of all to the young scholar, no longer an innocent, he had killed a man.Barjin remained propped against the wall, his lifeless eyes staring out at Cadderly, holding the defenseless young priest in an accusing gaze.Cadderly’s arm drooped to his side and the crossbow fell to the floor.TWENTY-FIVEOUT OF THE MISTCadderly so desperately wanted to close those eyes!He willed himself to go over to the dead priest and turn his head away, get that accusing stare off him, but it was an impotent command and Cadderly knew it.He hadn’t the strength to go anywhere near Barjin.He moved a few short steps to the side, to get to Danica, but looked back and imagined that the dead priest’s eyes followed him still.Cadderly wondered if they would forever.He slammed his fist on the floor, trying to shake free of the guilt, to accept the priest’s stare as a necessary price that he must pay.Events had dictated his actions, he reminded himself, and he told himself to foster no regrets.He jumped when a small form suddenly darted in through the opening beside the priest then managed a weak smile as Percival climbed up him and sat atop his shoulder, chittering and complaining as always.Cadderly patted the squirrel between the ears with a single finger—he needed to do that—then went to his friends.Danica seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but Cadderly couldn’t wake her.He found both dwarves in similar states, their thunderous snores complimenting each other in strange, rock-grating harmony.Pikel’s snores, in particular, sounded contented.Cadderly grew worried.He had believed the battle won finally—but why couldn’t he wake his friends?How long would they sleep?Cadderly had heard of curses that caused slumber for a thousand years, or until certain conditions had been met, however long that might take.Perhaps the battle wasn’t yet won.He went back to the altar and examined the bottle.It seemed harmless enough to the eye, so Cadderly decided to look deeper.He moved his thoughts through a series of relaxation exercises that slipped him into a semimeditative trance.
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dnd327
The mist was fast dissipating, that much he could tell, and no more was emanating from the stoppered bottle.That gave Cadderly hope; perhaps the slumber would last until the mist was gone.The bottle itself, though, did not appear completely neutralized.Cadderly sensed a life, an energy, within it, a pulsating evil, contained but not destroyed.It might have been only his imagination, or perhaps what he thought was a life-force was merely a manifestation of his own fears.Cadderly honestly wondered if the remaining flickers within the bottle were playing some role in the lingering mist.The evil priest had called the mist the Most Fatal Horror, an agent of Talona.Cadderly recognized the name of the vile goddess, and the title, normally reserved for Talona’s highest-ranking clerics.If the mist was indeed some sort of god-stuff, a simple stopper would not suffice.Cadderly came out of his trance and sat down to consider the situation.The key, he decided, was to accept the Talonite priest’s description of the bottle and not think of it simply as some secular, though potent, magic.“Battle gods with gods,” Cadderly mumbled a moment later.He stood again before the altar, studying not the bottle, but the reflective, gem-studded bowl in front of it.Cadderly feared what magic that item might contain, but he chanced it without delay, tipping the bowl to the side and dumping out the water stained by the priest’s foul hands.He retrieved a piece of cloth, a piece of Barjin’s own vestments, and wiped the bowl thoroughly, then found Newander’s waterskin, full as usual, out in the hallway beyond Pikel’s impromptu door.Cadderly consciously avoided looking at Newander as he reentered the room, meaning to go straight to the altar, but Percival delayed him.The squirrel sat atop the dead druid, still in his semitransformed state.“Get away from there,” Cadderly scolded, but Percival only sat up higher, clicking excitedly and displaying some small item.“What have you got?” Cadderly asked, moving slowly back so as not to startle the excitable squirrel.Percival displayed an oak leaf pendant, the holy symbol of Silvanus, dangling from a fine leather thong.“Do not take that!” Cadderly started to scold, but then he realized that Percival had something in mind.Cadderly bent low, studying Percival more closely and seeking guidance in the wise druid’s face.Newander’s visage, so peaceful and accepting of his fate, held him fully.Percival shrieked in Cadderly’s ear, demanding his attention.The squirrel held out the pendant and seemed to motion toward the altar.Confusion twisted Cadderly’s face.“Percival?” he asked.The squirrel danced an agitated circle then shook his little head briskly.Cadderly blanched.“Newander?” he asked meekly.The squirrel held out the holy symbol.Cadderly considered it for a moment then, remembering the druids’ creed concerning death as a natural extension of life, he accepted the oak leaf and started back toward the altar.The squirrel shook suddenly then leaped back up to Cadderly’s shoulder.“Newander?” Cadderly asked again.The squirrel didn’t answer.“Percival?” The squirrel perked up its ears.Cadderly paused and wondered what had just transpired.His instincts told him that Newander’s departing spirit somehow had used Percival’s body to get a message to him, but his stubborn sense of reality told him that he probably had imagined the whole episode.Whatever it was, he had the druid’s holy symbol in his hand and he knew that the aid of Silvanus could be only a good thing.Cadderly wished he had been more attentive in his mundane duties, the simple ceremonies required of the lesser priests of the Edificant Library.His hands trembling, he poured the water from Newander’s waterskin into the gem-studded bowl, and added to it, with a silent call to Newander’s god, the holy symbol.Cadderly figured that two gods would be better than one in containing so great an evil, and also that Newander’s god, dedicated to natural order, might be the most effective in battling the curse.
The mist was fast dissipating, that much he could tell, and no more was emanating from the stoppered bottle.That gave Cadderly hope; perhaps the slumber would last until the mist was gone.The bottle itself, though, did not appear completely neutralized.Cadderly sensed a life, an energy, within it, a pulsating evil, contained but not destroyed.It might have been only his imagination, or perhaps what he thought was a life-force was merely a manifestation of his own fears.Cadderly honestly wondered if the remaining flickers within the bottle were playing some role in the lingering mist.The evil priest had called the mist the Most Fatal Horror, an agent of Talona.Cadderly recognized the name of the vile goddess, and the title, normally reserved for Talona’s highest-ranking clerics.If the mist was indeed some sort of god-stuff, a simple stopper would not suffice.Cadderly came out of his trance and sat down to consider the situation.The key, he decided, was to accept the Talonite priest’s description of the bottle and not think of it simply as some secular, though potent, magic.“Battle gods with gods,” Cadderly mumbled a moment later.He stood again before the altar, studying not the bottle, but the reflective, gem-studded bowl in front of it.Cadderly feared what magic that item might contain, but he chanced it without delay, tipping the bowl to the side and dumping out the water stained by the priest’s foul hands.He retrieved a piece of cloth, a piece of Barjin’s own vestments, and wiped the bowl thoroughly, then found Newander’s waterskin, full as usual, out in the hallway beyond Pikel’s impromptu door.Cadderly consciously avoided looking at Newander as he reentered the room, meaning to go straight to the altar, but Percival delayed him.The squirrel sat atop the dead druid, still in his semitransformed state.“Get away from there,” Cadderly scolded, but Percival only sat up higher, clicking excitedly and displaying some small item.“What have you got?” Cadderly asked, moving slowly back so as not to startle the excitable squirrel.Percival displayed an oak leaf pendant, the holy symbol of Silvanus, dangling from a fine leather thong.“Do not take that!” Cadderly started to scold, but then he realized that Percival had something in mind.Cadderly bent low, studying Percival more closely and seeking guidance in the wise druid’s face.Newander’s visage, so peaceful and accepting of his fate, held him fully.Percival shrieked in Cadderly’s ear, demanding his attention.The squirrel held out the pendant and seemed to motion toward the altar.Confusion twisted Cadderly’s face.“Percival?” he asked.The squirrel danced an agitated circle then shook his little head briskly.Cadderly blanched.“Newander?” he asked meekly.The squirrel held out the holy symbol.Cadderly considered it for a moment then, remembering the druids’ creed concerning death as a natural extension of life, he accepted the oak leaf and started back toward the altar.The squirrel shook suddenly then leaped back up to Cadderly’s shoulder.“Newander?” Cadderly asked again.The squirrel didn’t answer.“Percival?” The squirrel perked up its ears.Cadderly paused and wondered what had just transpired.His instincts told him that Newander’s departing spirit somehow had used Percival’s body to get a message to him, but his stubborn sense of reality told him that he probably had imagined the whole episode.Whatever it was, he had the druid’s holy symbol in his hand and he knew that the aid of Silvanus could be only a good thing.Cadderly wished he had been more attentive in his mundane duties, the simple ceremonies required of the lesser priests of the Edificant Library.His hands trembling, he poured the water from Newander’s waterskin into the gem-studded bowl, and added to it, with a silent call to Newander’s god, the holy symbol.Cadderly figured that two gods would be better than one in containing so great an evil, and also that Newander’s god, dedicated to natural order, might be the most effective in battling the curse.
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dnd328
He closed his eyes and recited the ceremony to purify the water, stumbling a few times over the words he had not spoken very often.Then it was completed and Cadderly was left with only his hopes.He lifted the bottle and gently immersed it in the bowl.The water went cold and took on the same red hue as that within the bottle, and Cadderly feared that he had not accomplished anything positive.A moment later, though, the red hue disappeared entirely, from the water and the bottle.Cadderly studied it closely, somehow sensing that the pulsating evil was no more.Behind him, Pikel’s snore was replaced by a questioning, “Oo oi?”Cadderly scooped up the bowl carefully and looked around.Danica and both dwarves were stirring, though they were not yet coherent.Cadderly moved across the room to a small cabinet and placed the bowl inside, closing the door as he turned away.Danica groaned and sat up, holding her head in both hands.“Me head,” Ivan said in a sluggish voice.“Me head.”They exited the tunnel to the south side of the great library some time later, Ivan and Pikel bearing Newander’s rigid body and both dwarves and Danica sporting tremendous headaches.The dawn, just breaking, looked so good to Cadderly that he considered it a sign that all had been put right and that the nightmare had ended.His three companions groaned loudly and shielded their eyes when they came out into the brightness.Cadderly would have laughed at them, but when he turned, the sight of Newander stole his mirth.“Ah, there you are, Rufo,” Headmaster Avery said upon entering the man’s room.Kierkan Rufo lay on his bed and groaned weakly, pained by the many wounds he had received in the last couple of days and by a pounding headache that would not relent.Avery waddled over toward him, pausing to belch several times.Avery’s head ached, too, but it was nothing compared to the agony in his bloated stomach.“Get up, then,” the headmaster said, reaching for Rufo’s limp wrist.“Where is Cadderly?”Rufo didn’t reply, didn’t even allow himself to blink.The curse was no more, but Rufo had not forgotten all that he had suffered in the past couple of days, at the hands of both Cadderly and the monk, Danica.He had not forgotten his own actions, either, and he feared the accusations that might be brought against him in the coming days.“We have so very much to do,” Avery went on, “so very much.I don’t know what has befallen our library, but it’s a wicked business indeed.There are dead, Rufo, many dead, and many more are wandering … confused.”Rufo at last forced himself to a sitting position.His face was bruised and caked in several places with dried blood, and his wrists and ankles were still sore from the dwarves’ bindings.He hardly thought of the pain at that moment, however.What had happened to him?What had caused him to so foolishly go after Danica?What had caused him to reveal his jealousy, in the form of outright hostility, to Cadderly?“Cadderly,” he breathed quietly.
He closed his eyes and recited the ceremony to purify the water, stumbling a few times over the words he had not spoken very often.Then it was completed and Cadderly was left with only his hopes.He lifted the bottle and gently immersed it in the bowl.The water went cold and took on the same red hue as that within the bottle, and Cadderly feared that he had not accomplished anything positive.A moment later, though, the red hue disappeared entirely, from the water and the bottle.Cadderly studied it closely, somehow sensing that the pulsating evil was no more.Behind him, Pikel’s snore was replaced by a questioning, “Oo oi?”Cadderly scooped up the bowl carefully and looked around.Danica and both dwarves were stirring, though they were not yet coherent.Cadderly moved across the room to a small cabinet and placed the bowl inside, closing the door as he turned away.Danica groaned and sat up, holding her head in both hands.“Me head,” Ivan said in a sluggish voice.“Me head.”They exited the tunnel to the south side of the great library some time later, Ivan and Pikel bearing Newander’s rigid body and both dwarves and Danica sporting tremendous headaches.The dawn, just breaking, looked so good to Cadderly that he considered it a sign that all had been put right and that the nightmare had ended.His three companions groaned loudly and shielded their eyes when they came out into the brightness.Cadderly would have laughed at them, but when he turned, the sight of Newander stole his mirth.“Ah, there you are, Rufo,” Headmaster Avery said upon entering the man’s room.Kierkan Rufo lay on his bed and groaned weakly, pained by the many wounds he had received in the last couple of days and by a pounding headache that would not relent.Avery waddled over toward him, pausing to belch several times.Avery’s head ached, too, but it was nothing compared to the agony in his bloated stomach.“Get up, then,” the headmaster said, reaching for Rufo’s limp wrist.“Where is Cadderly?”Rufo didn’t reply, didn’t even allow himself to blink.The curse was no more, but Rufo had not forgotten all that he had suffered in the past couple of days, at the hands of both Cadderly and the monk, Danica.He had not forgotten his own actions, either, and he feared the accusations that might be brought against him in the coming days.“We have so very much to do,” Avery went on, “so very much.I don’t know what has befallen our library, but it’s a wicked business indeed.There are dead, Rufo, many dead, and many more are wandering … confused.”Rufo at last forced himself to a sitting position.His face was bruised and caked in several places with dried blood, and his wrists and ankles were still sore from the dwarves’ bindings.He hardly thought of the pain at that moment, however.What had happened to him?What had caused him to so foolishly go after Danica?What had caused him to reveal his jealousy, in the form of outright hostility, to Cadderly?“Cadderly,” he breathed quietly.
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dnd329
He had almost killed Cadderly; he feared that memory nearly as much as the potential consequences.His memories came to him as if from a dark mirror in his heart, and Rufo wasn’t certain he liked what he saw.“We have been five days with no further incidents,” Dean Thobicus said to the gathering in his audience hall a few days later.All the surviving headmasters, of both the Oghmanyte and Deneirrath sects, were present, as well as Cadderly, Kierkan Rufo, and the two remaining druids.Thobicus shuffled through a pile of reports then declared, “The Edificant Library will recover.”There was a chorus of somewhat subdued cheers and nods.The future might have looked bright again, but the recent past, particularly the wholesale slaughter of the visiting Ilmatari sect and the death of the heroic druid, Newander, could not be so easily dismissed.“We have you to thank for it,” Thobicus said to Cadderly.“You and your nonsectarian friends—” he nodded an acknowledgment to the druids—“displayed great bravery and ingenuity in defeating the evil infection that came into our midst.”Kierkan Rufo subtly nudged Headmaster Avery.“Yes?” Dean Thobicus inquired.“I have been requested to remind us all that Cadderly, brave though he was, is not without responsibility for this catastrophe,” Avery began.He cast a look at Cadderly that showed he was not angered by the young scholar, but that he indeed held Cadderly’s actions against the invading priest in high regard.Cadderly took no offense; after seeing the headmaster under the influences of the curse, he suspected he knew how Avery really felt about him.He almost wished that he could get the headmaster back under the influence of the curse and talking again about Cadderly’s father and the young scholar’s first days at the library.It was an absurd notion, but one that Cadderly enjoyed imagining nonetheless.He looked past Avery to the tall man leering over the headmaster’s shoulder.Cadderly could point a finger at Rufo, concerning the man’s actions against Danica and himself, and including Cadderly’s firm belief that Rufo was the one who had knocked him into the catacombs in the first place, but many of Rufo’s actions already had been reported and it was unlikely that, given the extraordinary circumstances, any action would be taken against him, or against any of the others caught in the curse.Cadderly, still not fully understanding what the cursing mist had done, wasn’t sure if any reprimands would be appropriate.As to the most serious charge, Cadderly believed that Rufo had kicked him down the stairs, but he really hadn’t seen the blow.Perhaps the Talonite had been in the wine cellar with him and Rufo.Perhaps the priest had immobilized Rufo, as he had Ivan later on, then crept up past the man to knock Cadderly down.Cadderly shook his head and nearly laughed aloud.It didn’t matter, he believed.It was a time of forgiveness, when all the remaining priests must band together to restore the library.“Do you find something amusing?” Dean Thobicus asked, somewhat sternly.Cadderly remembered the accusation against him then and realized that his introspection might not have been so timely.“If I may speak,” Arcite interjected.Thobicus nodded.“The lad cannot be blamed for opening the bottle,” the druid explained.“He is a brave one just for admitting such a thing.Let us all remember the foe he battled, one who beat us all, except for a handful.Were it not for Cadderly, and for my friend and god, the evil one would have proved strong enough to win the day.”“True enough,” admitted Dean Thobicus, “and true enough, too, that Cadderly must bear some responsibility for what has transpired.Therefore, I declare that young Cadderly’s duties in this incident are not at an end.Who would be better than he to study the works we possess concerning such curses, to learn more of the origin of both the priest and this ‘Most Fatal Horror’ that he described as an agent of Talona?”“A year quest?” Cadderly dared to ask, though it was not his place to speak.“A year quest,” Dean Thobicus echoed.“At the end of which you are to deliver a full report to this office.Do not take this responsibility lightly, as you seem to take so many of your responsibilities.” He went on with his warnings, reminders of the gravity of the situation, but Cadderly didn’t even hear him.He had been given a year quest, an honor normally bestowed exclusively upon the top-ranking Deneirrath priests, and one most often given only to the headmasters themselves!When Cadderly glanced back to Avery, and to Rufo behind him, he saw that they, too, understood the honor he had been given.
He had almost killed Cadderly; he feared that memory nearly as much as the potential consequences.His memories came to him as if from a dark mirror in his heart, and Rufo wasn’t certain he liked what he saw.“We have been five days with no further incidents,” Dean Thobicus said to the gathering in his audience hall a few days later.All the surviving headmasters, of both the Oghmanyte and Deneirrath sects, were present, as well as Cadderly, Kierkan Rufo, and the two remaining druids.Thobicus shuffled through a pile of reports then declared, “The Edificant Library will recover.”There was a chorus of somewhat subdued cheers and nods.The future might have looked bright again, but the recent past, particularly the wholesale slaughter of the visiting Ilmatari sect and the death of the heroic druid, Newander, could not be so easily dismissed.“We have you to thank for it,” Thobicus said to Cadderly.“You and your nonsectarian friends—” he nodded an acknowledgment to the druids—“displayed great bravery and ingenuity in defeating the evil infection that came into our midst.”Kierkan Rufo subtly nudged Headmaster Avery.“Yes?” Dean Thobicus inquired.“I have been requested to remind us all that Cadderly, brave though he was, is not without responsibility for this catastrophe,” Avery began.He cast a look at Cadderly that showed he was not angered by the young scholar, but that he indeed held Cadderly’s actions against the invading priest in high regard.Cadderly took no offense; after seeing the headmaster under the influences of the curse, he suspected he knew how Avery really felt about him.He almost wished that he could get the headmaster back under the influence of the curse and talking again about Cadderly’s father and the young scholar’s first days at the library.It was an absurd notion, but one that Cadderly enjoyed imagining nonetheless.He looked past Avery to the tall man leering over the headmaster’s shoulder.Cadderly could point a finger at Rufo, concerning the man’s actions against Danica and himself, and including Cadderly’s firm belief that Rufo was the one who had knocked him into the catacombs in the first place, but many of Rufo’s actions already had been reported and it was unlikely that, given the extraordinary circumstances, any action would be taken against him, or against any of the others caught in the curse.Cadderly, still not fully understanding what the cursing mist had done, wasn’t sure if any reprimands would be appropriate.As to the most serious charge, Cadderly believed that Rufo had kicked him down the stairs, but he really hadn’t seen the blow.Perhaps the Talonite had been in the wine cellar with him and Rufo.Perhaps the priest had immobilized Rufo, as he had Ivan later on, then crept up past the man to knock Cadderly down.Cadderly shook his head and nearly laughed aloud.It didn’t matter, he believed.It was a time of forgiveness, when all the remaining priests must band together to restore the library.“Do you find something amusing?” Dean Thobicus asked, somewhat sternly.Cadderly remembered the accusation against him then and realized that his introspection might not have been so timely.“If I may speak,” Arcite interjected.Thobicus nodded.“The lad cannot be blamed for opening the bottle,” the druid explained.“He is a brave one just for admitting such a thing.Let us all remember the foe he battled, one who beat us all, except for a handful.Were it not for Cadderly, and for my friend and god, the evil one would have proved strong enough to win the day.”“True enough,” admitted Dean Thobicus, “and true enough, too, that Cadderly must bear some responsibility for what has transpired.Therefore, I declare that young Cadderly’s duties in this incident are not at an end.Who would be better than he to study the works we possess concerning such curses, to learn more of the origin of both the priest and this ‘Most Fatal Horror’ that he described as an agent of Talona?”“A year quest?” Cadderly dared to ask, though it was not his place to speak.“A year quest,” Dean Thobicus echoed.“At the end of which you are to deliver a full report to this office.Do not take this responsibility lightly, as you seem to take so many of your responsibilities.” He went on with his warnings, reminders of the gravity of the situation, but Cadderly didn’t even hear him.He had been given a year quest, an honor normally bestowed exclusively upon the top-ranking Deneirrath priests, and one most often given only to the headmasters themselves!When Cadderly glanced back to Avery, and to Rufo behind him, he saw that they, too, understood the honor he had been given.
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dnd330
Avery tried unsuccessfully to hide his widening smile, and Rufo, even more unsuccessfully, to hide his frustration.Indeed, Rufo, surely out of order and surely to be punished for it, turned and stormed out of the audience chamber.The meeting was adjourned soon after that, and Cadderly came out flanked by the two druids.“I thank you,” Cadderly said to Arcite.“It is we who should be grateful,” Arcite reminded him.“When the curse befell us all, it was myself and Cleo who could not fight against it and who would have been beaten.”Cadderly couldn’t hide a chuckle.The druids, and Danica and the dwarves, who had come over to join the group, looked at him curiously.“It is ironic indeed,” Cadderly explained.“Newander thought he had failed because he couldn’t find it in his heart to become as you had, to revert to an animal form in mind and body.”“Newander did not fail,” Arcite declared.“Silvanus held him close,” Cleo added.Cadderly nodded and smiled again, remembering the sincere peace on the departed druid’s face.He looked up at Arcite suddenly and thought about the squirrel incident, and whether the druids would know if Newander’s departing spirit had communicated through Percival’s body.He stopped himself, though, before the question was asked.Maybe some things were better left to the imagination.“I’ll be needing that crossbow of yours, and a dart or two,” Ivan said after the druids took their leave.“Figuring to make one for meself!”Cadderly instinctively reached for the weapon belted on his hip, then recoiled suddenly and shook his head.“No more,” he said gravely.“It’s a fine weapon,” Ivan protested.“Too fine,” Cadderly replied.He had heard recently of a substance called “smoke powder,” of iron tubes hurling huge projectiles at opposing armies, elsewhere in Faerûn.Avery’s scolding, calling Cadderly a “Gondsman,” echoed in the young scholar’s mind, for rumors claimed it was the Gondar priests who had loosed that new and terrible weapon on the world.For all that it had aided him, Cadderly didn’t look upon his crossbow with admiration.The thought of copies being constructed horrified him.Truly, the crossbow’s power was meager compared to a wizard’s fireball or the summoned lightning of a druid, but it was a power that could fall into the hands of the untrained.Warriors and magic-users alike spent years training both their minds and their bodies to attain such proficiency.Weapons such as smoke powder, and Cadderly’s crossbow-and-dart design, circumvented that need of any sacrifice or self-discipline.Cadderly understood that it was that very discipline that held the powers in check.Ivan started to protest again, but Danica reached around him and covered his mouth with her hand.Ivan pulled away and grumbled a few curses, but he let the matter drop.Cadderly looked over to Danica, knowing that she understood.For the same reasons that Danica would not show him the Withering Touch, he could not let his design become commonplace.Druzil waited for a very long time in the smoking stench of the lower planes.He knew that Barjin’s gate had been closed again shortly after he left, though he had no way of knowing if the priest had done it intentionally or not.Had Barjin survived?
Avery tried unsuccessfully to hide his widening smile, and Rufo, even more unsuccessfully, to hide his frustration.Indeed, Rufo, surely out of order and surely to be punished for it, turned and stormed out of the audience chamber.The meeting was adjourned soon after that, and Cadderly came out flanked by the two druids.“I thank you,” Cadderly said to Arcite.“It is we who should be grateful,” Arcite reminded him.“When the curse befell us all, it was myself and Cleo who could not fight against it and who would have been beaten.”Cadderly couldn’t hide a chuckle.The druids, and Danica and the dwarves, who had come over to join the group, looked at him curiously.“It is ironic indeed,” Cadderly explained.“Newander thought he had failed because he couldn’t find it in his heart to become as you had, to revert to an animal form in mind and body.”“Newander did not fail,” Arcite declared.“Silvanus held him close,” Cleo added.Cadderly nodded and smiled again, remembering the sincere peace on the departed druid’s face.He looked up at Arcite suddenly and thought about the squirrel incident, and whether the druids would know if Newander’s departing spirit had communicated through Percival’s body.He stopped himself, though, before the question was asked.Maybe some things were better left to the imagination.“I’ll be needing that crossbow of yours, and a dart or two,” Ivan said after the druids took their leave.“Figuring to make one for meself!”Cadderly instinctively reached for the weapon belted on his hip, then recoiled suddenly and shook his head.“No more,” he said gravely.“It’s a fine weapon,” Ivan protested.“Too fine,” Cadderly replied.He had heard recently of a substance called “smoke powder,” of iron tubes hurling huge projectiles at opposing armies, elsewhere in Faerûn.Avery’s scolding, calling Cadderly a “Gondsman,” echoed in the young scholar’s mind, for rumors claimed it was the Gondar priests who had loosed that new and terrible weapon on the world.For all that it had aided him, Cadderly didn’t look upon his crossbow with admiration.The thought of copies being constructed horrified him.Truly, the crossbow’s power was meager compared to a wizard’s fireball or the summoned lightning of a druid, but it was a power that could fall into the hands of the untrained.Warriors and magic-users alike spent years training both their minds and their bodies to attain such proficiency.Weapons such as smoke powder, and Cadderly’s crossbow-and-dart design, circumvented that need of any sacrifice or self-discipline.Cadderly understood that it was that very discipline that held the powers in check.Ivan started to protest again, but Danica reached around him and covered his mouth with her hand.Ivan pulled away and grumbled a few curses, but he let the matter drop.Cadderly looked over to Danica, knowing that she understood.For the same reasons that Danica would not show him the Withering Touch, he could not let his design become commonplace.Druzil waited for a very long time in the smoking stench of the lower planes.He knew that Barjin’s gate had been closed again shortly after he left, though he had no way of knowing if the priest had done it intentionally or not.Had Barjin survived?
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dnd331
If so, had he found another victim to reopen the cursing flask?The questions nagged at the imp.Even if Barjin had not succeeded or survived, even if the precious bottle had been destroyed, he knew the potential for his recipe and vowed that one day the chaos curse would again descend on the Realms.“Do hurry, Aballister,” the imp groaned nervously.The wizard had not summoned him back to the Prime Material Plane, a fact that the nervous imp could not ignore, particularly since the wizard still possessed the recipe.If Aballister somehow had learned of Druzil’s mental connection with Barjin, the wizard might never trust Druzil enough to bring him back.The imp knew not how many days had passed—time was measured differently in the lower planes—but finally he heard a distant call, a familiar voice.He saw the distant flicker of a fiery gate and heard the call again, only more demanding.Off he soared, through the planar tunnel, and soon he crawled out of Aballister’s brazier to stand in a familiar room in Castle Trinity.“Too long,” the imp snorted derisively, trying to gain an upper hand.“Why did you delay?”Aballister cast a foul look at him.“I didn’t know you had returned to the lower planes.My contact with Barjin was broken.”Druzil’s long, pointy ears perked up at the mention of the priest, a fact that brought a sneer to Aballister’s lips.Across the room, the magical mirror sat broken, a wide crack running its length.“What happened?” Druzil asked, leading Aballister’s gaze to the mirror.“I overextended its powers,” the wizard replied, “trying to aid Barjin.”“And?”“Barjin is dead,” Aballister said.“He has failed utterly.”Druzil ran a clawed hand along the wall and snarled in distress.Aballister was more pragmatic.“The priest was too reckless,” he declared.“He should have taken more care, should have set his goals on a more vulnerable target.The Edificant Library!It is the most defended structure in the region, a fortress teeming with mighty priests who would seek our destruction if they learned of our plans.Barjin was a fool, do you hear?A fool!”Druzil, ever the practical familiar, thought it prudent not to disagree.Besides, Aballister’s observations were apparently correct.“But fear not, my leathery friend,” Aballister went on, his attitude becoming more friendly toward his imp.“It is but a minor setback to our cause.”Druzil thought Aballister might be enjoying it all just a bit too much.Barjin may have been a potential rival, but he was also, after all, an ally.“Ragnor and his charges march for Shilmista,” Aballister went on.“The ogrillon will win against the elves and sweep south around the mountains.
If so, had he found another victim to reopen the cursing flask?The questions nagged at the imp.Even if Barjin had not succeeded or survived, even if the precious bottle had been destroyed, he knew the potential for his recipe and vowed that one day the chaos curse would again descend on the Realms.“Do hurry, Aballister,” the imp groaned nervously.The wizard had not summoned him back to the Prime Material Plane, a fact that the nervous imp could not ignore, particularly since the wizard still possessed the recipe.If Aballister somehow had learned of Druzil’s mental connection with Barjin, the wizard might never trust Druzil enough to bring him back.The imp knew not how many days had passed—time was measured differently in the lower planes—but finally he heard a distant call, a familiar voice.He saw the distant flicker of a fiery gate and heard the call again, only more demanding.Off he soared, through the planar tunnel, and soon he crawled out of Aballister’s brazier to stand in a familiar room in Castle Trinity.“Too long,” the imp snorted derisively, trying to gain an upper hand.“Why did you delay?”Aballister cast a foul look at him.“I didn’t know you had returned to the lower planes.My contact with Barjin was broken.”Druzil’s long, pointy ears perked up at the mention of the priest, a fact that brought a sneer to Aballister’s lips.Across the room, the magical mirror sat broken, a wide crack running its length.“What happened?” Druzil asked, leading Aballister’s gaze to the mirror.“I overextended its powers,” the wizard replied, “trying to aid Barjin.”“And?”“Barjin is dead,” Aballister said.“He has failed utterly.”Druzil ran a clawed hand along the wall and snarled in distress.Aballister was more pragmatic.“The priest was too reckless,” he declared.“He should have taken more care, should have set his goals on a more vulnerable target.The Edificant Library!It is the most defended structure in the region, a fortress teeming with mighty priests who would seek our destruction if they learned of our plans.Barjin was a fool, do you hear?A fool!”Druzil, ever the practical familiar, thought it prudent not to disagree.Besides, Aballister’s observations were apparently correct.“But fear not, my leathery friend,” Aballister went on, his attitude becoming more friendly toward his imp.“It is but a minor setback to our cause.”Druzil thought Aballister might be enjoying it all just a bit too much.Barjin may have been a potential rival, but he was also, after all, an ally.“Ragnor and his charges march for Shilmista,” Aballister went on.“The ogrillon will win against the elves and sweep south around the mountains.
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dnd332
The Snowflakes will fall to more conventional methods.”Druzil allowed himself a bit of optimism, though he preferred a more insidious attack method, like the chaos curse.“But he was so close, my master,” the imp whined.“Barjin had brought the library to its knees.It was his to finish, and the cornerstone of any resistance we might face would have been gone before the rest of the region even knew the danger in its midst.” Druzil clenched a clawed hand before him.“He had victory in his grasp!”“His grasp was not as strong as he believed,” Aballister pointed out.“Perhaps,” Druzil conceded, “but it was that one human, the young man who had first opened the bottle, who came back to defeat him.Barjin should have killed that one right away.”Aballister nodded, remembering the last image he had seen of Barjin’s altar room, and could not help but smile.“Surprisingly resourceful, that one,” Druzil grumbled.“Not so surprising,” Aballister replied.“He is my son.”EPILOGUEHe huddled between towering piles of huge tomes, immersed in his important year quest.The security of the Edificant Library was at stake, Cadderly believed, and his ability to discern the source of the chaos curse and the background of the powerful priest would be a critical factor in re-establishing that security.Cadderly knew that the implications of what had happened might go far beyond the library itself.Carradoon, on the lake to the east, was not a large and well-fortified town, and the elves of Shilmista were neither numerous nor particularly interested in affairs beyond their own borders.If the appearance of the Talonite priest foreshadowed things to come, Cadderly’s headmasters desperately needed information.The young scholar alternated his time researching known curses and known symbols.He pored through dozens of tomes and ancient, yellowed scrolls, and interviewed every scholar, host or visitor, who had any knowledge of either field.The priest Barjin had proclaimed Talona as his goddess, and the trident symbol was somewhat similar to the Lady of Poison’s triangle-and-teardrop insignia, but what particular organization that trident represented, Cadderly could not discover.Danica watched Cadderly from a distance, not wanting to disturb his vital work.She understood the discipline that Cadderly required, the focused determination that excluded everything else, including her, from his days.The young woman was not concerned; she knew that as soon as time permitted, she and Cadderly would continue their relationship.For Ivan and Pikel, the days passed with wonderful boredom.Both dwarves had been beaten badly in the catacombs, but both were soon well on the way to recovery.Pikel held fast to his resolve to become a druid, and Ivan, after witnessing Newander’s heroics, no longer chided him about his choice.“I’m not thinking a dwarf can even be a druid,” Ivan huffed whenever anyone asked him about it, “but it’s me brother’s choice to be making.”So life gradually returned to normal at the proud and ancient library.Summer came on in full and the sunshine seemed like deliverance from the nightmare.Those who came to the library’s front doors that season often noticed, basking high in the branches of a tree along the road, a plump white squirrel, usually licking casasa-nut and butter from its paws.To the elf prince Elbereth, the sun did not seem so marvelous.Rather, it revealed him, leaving him open and vulnerable.It was a strange feeling for the skilled warrior, who could put four arrows in the air before the first ever hit its mark, and who could cut down an enraged giant with his masterwork sword.It was that same warrior training that told Elbereth to be afraid.Barely a tenday before, he had led a contingent of elves against a small party of huge bugbears.His troops had won the encounter quickly, but unlike the expected rabble filtering down from the wild mountains, the bugbears were well disciplined and well armed, and each wore a glove bearing a similar insignia.Elbereth had fought in several wars.
The Snowflakes will fall to more conventional methods.”Druzil allowed himself a bit of optimism, though he preferred a more insidious attack method, like the chaos curse.“But he was so close, my master,” the imp whined.“Barjin had brought the library to its knees.It was his to finish, and the cornerstone of any resistance we might face would have been gone before the rest of the region even knew the danger in its midst.” Druzil clenched a clawed hand before him.“He had victory in his grasp!”“His grasp was not as strong as he believed,” Aballister pointed out.“Perhaps,” Druzil conceded, “but it was that one human, the young man who had first opened the bottle, who came back to defeat him.Barjin should have killed that one right away.”Aballister nodded, remembering the last image he had seen of Barjin’s altar room, and could not help but smile.“Surprisingly resourceful, that one,” Druzil grumbled.“Not so surprising,” Aballister replied.“He is my son.”EPILOGUEHe huddled between towering piles of huge tomes, immersed in his important year quest.The security of the Edificant Library was at stake, Cadderly believed, and his ability to discern the source of the chaos curse and the background of the powerful priest would be a critical factor in re-establishing that security.Cadderly knew that the implications of what had happened might go far beyond the library itself.Carradoon, on the lake to the east, was not a large and well-fortified town, and the elves of Shilmista were neither numerous nor particularly interested in affairs beyond their own borders.If the appearance of the Talonite priest foreshadowed things to come, Cadderly’s headmasters desperately needed information.The young scholar alternated his time researching known curses and known symbols.He pored through dozens of tomes and ancient, yellowed scrolls, and interviewed every scholar, host or visitor, who had any knowledge of either field.The priest Barjin had proclaimed Talona as his goddess, and the trident symbol was somewhat similar to the Lady of Poison’s triangle-and-teardrop insignia, but what particular organization that trident represented, Cadderly could not discover.Danica watched Cadderly from a distance, not wanting to disturb his vital work.She understood the discipline that Cadderly required, the focused determination that excluded everything else, including her, from his days.The young woman was not concerned; she knew that as soon as time permitted, she and Cadderly would continue their relationship.For Ivan and Pikel, the days passed with wonderful boredom.Both dwarves had been beaten badly in the catacombs, but both were soon well on the way to recovery.Pikel held fast to his resolve to become a druid, and Ivan, after witnessing Newander’s heroics, no longer chided him about his choice.“I’m not thinking a dwarf can even be a druid,” Ivan huffed whenever anyone asked him about it, “but it’s me brother’s choice to be making.”So life gradually returned to normal at the proud and ancient library.Summer came on in full and the sunshine seemed like deliverance from the nightmare.Those who came to the library’s front doors that season often noticed, basking high in the branches of a tree along the road, a plump white squirrel, usually licking casasa-nut and butter from its paws.To the elf prince Elbereth, the sun did not seem so marvelous.Rather, it revealed him, leaving him open and vulnerable.It was a strange feeling for the skilled warrior, who could put four arrows in the air before the first ever hit its mark, and who could cut down an enraged giant with his masterwork sword.It was that same warrior training that told Elbereth to be afraid.Barely a tenday before, he had led a contingent of elves against a small party of huge bugbears.His troops had won the encounter quickly, but unlike the expected rabble filtering down from the wild mountains, the bugbears were well disciplined and well armed, and each wore a glove bearing a similar insignia.Elbereth had fought in several wars.
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dnd333
He knew an advance scouting party when he encountered one.The determined elf plodded on through the broken mountain passes, leading his weary horse.The multitude of bells on the shining white steed did not ring cheerily in Elbereth’s ears, nor did the sun seem so warm.The magic of Shilmista had long been on the wane; Elbereth’s proud people were not so numerous anymore.If a major attack did come, Shilmista would be sorely pressed.Elbereth had left the forest, bearing one of the gloves, to discover what his people might be up against, to the only place in the region where he might learn of his enemies: the Edificant Library.He looked again at the curious trident-and-bottle design on the glove then high and far in the distance, to the ivy-strewn structure just coming into view.CONTINUE YOURADVENTUREThe Dungeons & Dragons® Fantasy Roleplaying Game Starter Set has everything you need for you and your friends to start playing.Explore infinite universes, create bold heroes and prepare to begin—or rediscover—the game that started it all.Watch VideosRead Sample ChaptersGet product previewsLearn more about D&D® productsatDungeonsandDragons.comDUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.©2011 Wizards.R.A.SalvatoreR.A.Salvatore was born in Massachusetts in 1959.His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R.Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift.He promptly changed his major from computer science to journalism.He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications in 1981 then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English.He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic.His first published novel was The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988 and he is still best known as the creator of the dark elf Drizzt,one of fantasy’s most beloved characters.His novel The Silent Blade won the Origins Award, and in the fall of 1997, his letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers were donated to the R.A. Salvatore Library at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.FORGOTTEN REALMS, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, their respective logos, and THE LEGEND OF DRIZZT are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.Other trademarks are property of their respective owners.©2011 Wizards.The Year of the Reborn Hero (1463 DR)RAVEL XORLARRIN STRODE CONFIDENTLY INTO HIS MOTHER’S AUDIENCE HALL, his purple robes dancing around his loudly and rudely clacking high boots.Everyone in the room of course knew that he could walk in perfect silence; his boots, like those of most drow nobles, were imbued with that rather common magical trait.He had thrown back the black cowl of his garment so his long white hair flowed behind him, further drawing attention to himself.This was his shining moment, after all.To the left side of the room, Ravel’s older brother and sire, Elderboy Brack’thal, flashed him a simmering stare—not unexpectedly since the much younger Ravel had taken the mantle as the most powerful of the Xorlarrin children.Brack’thal had once been the object of such high honor, a mighty wizard greatly favored by Matron Mother Zeerith.But that had been before the Spellplague, during which Brack’thal had suffered terribly and his powers had greatly diminished.In that same time, the patron of the House, the unfortunately-named Horoodissomoth, had been driven completely insane and had consumed himself in a delayed blast fireball, one he had inadvertently placed into his own vest pocket.And so Zeerith had turned to the semi-comatose Brack’thal for seed and had produced of his loins Ravel, his brother and his son.Every time Ravel greeted Brack’thal with “my brother, my father,” the older wizard winced in anger, and the younger wizard grinned.
He knew an advance scouting party when he encountered one.The determined elf plodded on through the broken mountain passes, leading his weary horse.The multitude of bells on the shining white steed did not ring cheerily in Elbereth’s ears, nor did the sun seem so warm.The magic of Shilmista had long been on the wane; Elbereth’s proud people were not so numerous anymore.If a major attack did come, Shilmista would be sorely pressed.Elbereth had left the forest, bearing one of the gloves, to discover what his people might be up against, to the only place in the region where he might learn of his enemies: the Edificant Library.He looked again at the curious trident-and-bottle design on the glove then high and far in the distance, to the ivy-strewn structure just coming into view.CONTINUE YOURADVENTUREThe Dungeons & Dragons® Fantasy Roleplaying Game Starter Set has everything you need for you and your friends to start playing.Explore infinite universes, create bold heroes and prepare to begin—or rediscover—the game that started it all.Watch VideosRead Sample ChaptersGet product previewsLearn more about D&D® productsatDungeonsandDragons.comDUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.©2011 Wizards.R.A.SalvatoreR.A.Salvatore was born in Massachusetts in 1959.His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R.Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift.He promptly changed his major from computer science to journalism.He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications in 1981 then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English.He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic.His first published novel was The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988 and he is still best known as the creator of the dark elf Drizzt,one of fantasy’s most beloved characters.His novel The Silent Blade won the Origins Award, and in the fall of 1997, his letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers were donated to the R.A. Salvatore Library at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.FORGOTTEN REALMS, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, their respective logos, and THE LEGEND OF DRIZZT are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.Other trademarks are property of their respective owners.©2011 Wizards.The Year of the Reborn Hero (1463 DR)RAVEL XORLARRIN STRODE CONFIDENTLY INTO HIS MOTHER’S AUDIENCE HALL, his purple robes dancing around his loudly and rudely clacking high boots.Everyone in the room of course knew that he could walk in perfect silence; his boots, like those of most drow nobles, were imbued with that rather common magical trait.He had thrown back the black cowl of his garment so his long white hair flowed behind him, further drawing attention to himself.This was his shining moment, after all.To the left side of the room, Ravel’s older brother and sire, Elderboy Brack’thal, flashed him a simmering stare—not unexpectedly since the much younger Ravel had taken the mantle as the most powerful of the Xorlarrin children.Brack’thal had once been the object of such high honor, a mighty wizard greatly favored by Matron Mother Zeerith.But that had been before the Spellplague, during which Brack’thal had suffered terribly and his powers had greatly diminished.In that same time, the patron of the House, the unfortunately-named Horoodissomoth, had been driven completely insane and had consumed himself in a delayed blast fireball, one he had inadvertently placed into his own vest pocket.And so Zeerith had turned to the semi-comatose Brack’thal for seed and had produced of his loins Ravel, his brother and his son.Every time Ravel greeted Brack’thal with “my brother, my father,” the older wizard winced in anger, and the younger wizard grinned.
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dnd334
For Brack’thal could not move against him.In personal combat, Ravel would annihilate Brack’thal, they both knew, and though he was barely out of Sorcere, the drow academy for wizards, Ravel had already built a stronger spy network and support team than Brack’thal had ever known.Like the younger magic-users of House Xorlarrin, Ravel did not even call himself a wizard, nor did Matron Mother Zeerith and the others.Powerful weavers of arcane powers like Ravel were now considered “spellspinners” in House Xorlarrin, and indeed they had tailored the material and semantic components of their spells to make their casting seem more akin to the dance of a spider than the typical finger-waggling of pre-Spellplague wizards.When he glanced to the right side of the room, Ravel took note of the House weapons master, Jearth, a poignant reminder of his vast and growing network of influence.Jearth was Ravel’s closest ally, and though House Xorlarrin was widely and uniquely known for its many male magic-users, Jearth Xorlarrin was rightfully considered one of the most powerful of the current weapons masters of Menzoberranzan.From the day of his birth, it seemed, everything had broken Ravel’s way.And so it was now.It was Ravel who had discovered Gromph Baenre’s work on the magical skull gem.Ravel had dared to sneak behind the back of the mighty Archmage of Menzoberranzan—no small risk, considering that Gromph’s family reigned supreme in the drow city—and also explore the inner magic of that gem.In it, Ravel had encountered the disembodied spirit, a lich, and from that creature the spellspinner had discerned some startling information indeed.Apparently, Matron Mother Zeerith had thought the tales interesting, as well.“Well met, Matron Mother,” Ravel greeted, barely diverting his eyes from hers.Had Zeerith been angry with him, such a bold break with etiquette would have surely gotten him snake-whipped.“You requested my presence?”“I demanded it,” Matron Mother Zeerith curtly corrected.“We have determined that the cataclysm that struck the surface was the work of a primordial.The vomit of a fire beast perpetrated the catastrophe.”His head down, Ravel grinned from ear to ear.He had told her as much, for the lich in the skull gem had told him the same.“We have determined that this primordial resides within the ancient Delzoun homeland of Gauntlgrym,” Zeerith went on.“Have you found it?” Ravel asked before he could stop the words from bursting out of his mouth.He sucked in his breath immediately and lowered his head, but not before noting the gasps from his many vile sisters, or noticing that one put her hand to her snake-headed whip.His ally Jearth, too, had winced and sucked in his breath, clearly expecting a swift and brutal punishment to rain down on Ravel.But stunningly, Matron Mother Zeerith let the breach go unpunished, unmentioned even.“Look at me,” she commanded, and Ravel complied.“Your pardon, Matron Moth—”She waved him to silence.“We do not know the way to this place, Gauntlgrym,” she admitted.“But we know its region.We are grateful to you for your resourcefulness and cunning.It is no small thing to extract such information out from under the nose of that miserable Gromph and his wretched family, who deign themselves so superior to all others in Menzoberranzan.”Ravel, despite his bravado, could hardly believe the sweet words and could hardly breathe.“We must find it,” Zeerith said.“We must determine if this place, with this source of power, is suited to our designs.Too long has House Xorlarrin toiled under the smothering cloak of House Baenre and the others.
For Brack’thal could not move against him.In personal combat, Ravel would annihilate Brack’thal, they both knew, and though he was barely out of Sorcere, the drow academy for wizards, Ravel had already built a stronger spy network and support team than Brack’thal had ever known.Like the younger magic-users of House Xorlarrin, Ravel did not even call himself a wizard, nor did Matron Mother Zeerith and the others.Powerful weavers of arcane powers like Ravel were now considered “spellspinners” in House Xorlarrin, and indeed they had tailored the material and semantic components of their spells to make their casting seem more akin to the dance of a spider than the typical finger-waggling of pre-Spellplague wizards.When he glanced to the right side of the room, Ravel took note of the House weapons master, Jearth, a poignant reminder of his vast and growing network of influence.Jearth was Ravel’s closest ally, and though House Xorlarrin was widely and uniquely known for its many male magic-users, Jearth Xorlarrin was rightfully considered one of the most powerful of the current weapons masters of Menzoberranzan.From the day of his birth, it seemed, everything had broken Ravel’s way.And so it was now.It was Ravel who had discovered Gromph Baenre’s work on the magical skull gem.Ravel had dared to sneak behind the back of the mighty Archmage of Menzoberranzan—no small risk, considering that Gromph’s family reigned supreme in the drow city—and also explore the inner magic of that gem.In it, Ravel had encountered the disembodied spirit, a lich, and from that creature the spellspinner had discerned some startling information indeed.Apparently, Matron Mother Zeerith had thought the tales interesting, as well.“Well met, Matron Mother,” Ravel greeted, barely diverting his eyes from hers.Had Zeerith been angry with him, such a bold break with etiquette would have surely gotten him snake-whipped.“You requested my presence?”“I demanded it,” Matron Mother Zeerith curtly corrected.“We have determined that the cataclysm that struck the surface was the work of a primordial.The vomit of a fire beast perpetrated the catastrophe.”His head down, Ravel grinned from ear to ear.He had told her as much, for the lich in the skull gem had told him the same.“We have determined that this primordial resides within the ancient Delzoun homeland of Gauntlgrym,” Zeerith went on.“Have you found it?” Ravel asked before he could stop the words from bursting out of his mouth.He sucked in his breath immediately and lowered his head, but not before noting the gasps from his many vile sisters, or noticing that one put her hand to her snake-headed whip.His ally Jearth, too, had winced and sucked in his breath, clearly expecting a swift and brutal punishment to rain down on Ravel.But stunningly, Matron Mother Zeerith let the breach go unpunished, unmentioned even.“Look at me,” she commanded, and Ravel complied.“Your pardon, Matron Moth—”She waved him to silence.“We do not know the way to this place, Gauntlgrym,” she admitted.“But we know its region.We are grateful to you for your resourcefulness and cunning.It is no small thing to extract such information out from under the nose of that miserable Gromph and his wretched family, who deign themselves so superior to all others in Menzoberranzan.”Ravel, despite his bravado, could hardly believe the sweet words and could hardly breathe.“We must find it,” Zeerith said.“We must determine if this place, with this source of power, is suited to our designs.Too long has House Xorlarrin toiled under the smothering cloak of House Baenre and the others.
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dnd335
Too long have we been held from our rightful position of leadership, the ultimate favor of Lady Lolth.We were the first to emerge from the Spellplague, the first to learn the new ways to weave magical energies for the glory of the Spider Queen.”Ravel nodded with every word, for Matron Zeerith’s bold declarations were no secret among the nobles of House Xorlarrin.Long had they searched for a way out of Menzoberranzan.Long had they pondered the thought of founding an independent drow city.How daunting it seemed, however, for they all knew that such an act would bring the vengeance of mighty House Baenre and other allied Houses, like Barrison Del’Armgo.But if House Xorlarrin found such a fortress as this Gauntlgrym, and a source of power as great as a primordial, perhaps they would realize their dreams.“You will lead the expedition,” Zeerith said.“You will find all the resources of House Xorlarrin at your disposal.”At the side of the room, Brack’thal’s audible sigh had many heads turning his way.“Is there a problem, Elderboy?” Zeerith asked him.“Elderboy.…” he dared echo, as if the fact that he and not Ravel held that title should be an obvious enough problem for all to see.Zeerith glanced at her daughters and nodded, and as one, the five Xorlarrin sisters took up their magical whips, multi-headed, devious magical implements whose strands writhed with living, biting serpents.Elderboy Brack’thal growled in response.“Matron, do not!If you would allow Ravel his miscues, then so you must—”He fell silent and took a step back, or tried to, but those drow around him grabbed him and held him fast, and as the sisters approached, their commoner male servants marching defensively before them, Brack’thal was thrown to their grasp.The commoners dragged him out of the chamber, into a side room that many males of the House knew all too well.“All the resources,” Zeerith said again to Ravel, and she didn’t lift her voice, flinch, or avert her eyes at all as the beating in the anteroom commenced and Brack’thal began to shriek in agony.“Even the weapons master?” Ravel dared to ask, and he, too, feigned that his brother’s screaming was nothing unusual or disruptive.“Of course.Wasn’t Jearth complicit in your deception of Gromph Baenre?”It was the answer he wanted to hear, of course, but Ravel hardly smiled.He glanced over at the weapons master, who seemed to shrink back just a bit and flashed him a cold stare in response.Jearth had indeed helped him, but covertly … only covertly!Jearth had warned him from the beginning that he would not have his name associated with any deception involving Gromph Baenre, and now Matron Mother Zeerith had expressed it openly in the House Noble Court.House Xorlarrin was the most magical, from an arcane and not divine standpoint, of any House in Menzoberranzan.Xorlarrin put more students into Sorcere than any other House, even Baenre, and many times the number of any House other than Baenre.And the Master of Sorcere was the Archmage of Menzoberranzan, Gromph Baenre.No one, not Ravel, not Jearth, not even Matron Mother Zeerith, doubted that Gromph Baenre had spies within House Xorlarrin.To Ravel, this was no great issue.He had been a favored student of Gromph and the archmage would not likely move against him for such a transgression as a bit of spying.But Jearth was a warrior and no wizard, and merciless Gromph would likely show no such deference to any swordsman.“You will take Brack’thal, as well,” Zeerith instructed.“Subservient to me?” Ravel asked, and Zeerith grinned wickedly.“And of your sisters, only Saribel and Berellip are available for the journey,” Zeerith explained.Ravel tightened at that, but quickly hid it, for Saribel was the youngest, the weakest, and, as far as he could tell, by far the stupidest, of the House priestesses, and Berellip, though older and more powerful, often looked upon him with open scorn and had made no secret of her dismay that House Xorlarrin allowed males so prestigious a status among the nobles.Fanatical in her devotion to Lolth, Berellip showed indifference, at best, to the arcane spellspinners, and had, on occasion, issued open threats to the upstart Ravel.“You will argue?” Zeerith asked, and coincidentally, at that moment, Brack’thal let loose the most agonized scream of all.Ravel swallowed hard.“Harnessing a primordial …” he said, shaking his head and letting his voice trail off ominously.“Has it ever been accomplished?”“Redirect its powers, perhaps?” Zeerith asked.“You understand what we need.”Ravel bit back his next argument and considered the words carefully.
Too long have we been held from our rightful position of leadership, the ultimate favor of Lady Lolth.We were the first to emerge from the Spellplague, the first to learn the new ways to weave magical energies for the glory of the Spider Queen.”Ravel nodded with every word, for Matron Zeerith’s bold declarations were no secret among the nobles of House Xorlarrin.Long had they searched for a way out of Menzoberranzan.Long had they pondered the thought of founding an independent drow city.How daunting it seemed, however, for they all knew that such an act would bring the vengeance of mighty House Baenre and other allied Houses, like Barrison Del’Armgo.But if House Xorlarrin found such a fortress as this Gauntlgrym, and a source of power as great as a primordial, perhaps they would realize their dreams.“You will lead the expedition,” Zeerith said.“You will find all the resources of House Xorlarrin at your disposal.”At the side of the room, Brack’thal’s audible sigh had many heads turning his way.“Is there a problem, Elderboy?” Zeerith asked him.“Elderboy.…” he dared echo, as if the fact that he and not Ravel held that title should be an obvious enough problem for all to see.Zeerith glanced at her daughters and nodded, and as one, the five Xorlarrin sisters took up their magical whips, multi-headed, devious magical implements whose strands writhed with living, biting serpents.Elderboy Brack’thal growled in response.“Matron, do not!If you would allow Ravel his miscues, then so you must—”He fell silent and took a step back, or tried to, but those drow around him grabbed him and held him fast, and as the sisters approached, their commoner male servants marching defensively before them, Brack’thal was thrown to their grasp.The commoners dragged him out of the chamber, into a side room that many males of the House knew all too well.“All the resources,” Zeerith said again to Ravel, and she didn’t lift her voice, flinch, or avert her eyes at all as the beating in the anteroom commenced and Brack’thal began to shriek in agony.“Even the weapons master?” Ravel dared to ask, and he, too, feigned that his brother’s screaming was nothing unusual or disruptive.“Of course.Wasn’t Jearth complicit in your deception of Gromph Baenre?”It was the answer he wanted to hear, of course, but Ravel hardly smiled.He glanced over at the weapons master, who seemed to shrink back just a bit and flashed him a cold stare in response.Jearth had indeed helped him, but covertly … only covertly!Jearth had warned him from the beginning that he would not have his name associated with any deception involving Gromph Baenre, and now Matron Mother Zeerith had expressed it openly in the House Noble Court.House Xorlarrin was the most magical, from an arcane and not divine standpoint, of any House in Menzoberranzan.Xorlarrin put more students into Sorcere than any other House, even Baenre, and many times the number of any House other than Baenre.And the Master of Sorcere was the Archmage of Menzoberranzan, Gromph Baenre.No one, not Ravel, not Jearth, not even Matron Mother Zeerith, doubted that Gromph Baenre had spies within House Xorlarrin.To Ravel, this was no great issue.He had been a favored student of Gromph and the archmage would not likely move against him for such a transgression as a bit of spying.But Jearth was a warrior and no wizard, and merciless Gromph would likely show no such deference to any swordsman.“You will take Brack’thal, as well,” Zeerith instructed.“Subservient to me?” Ravel asked, and Zeerith grinned wickedly.“And of your sisters, only Saribel and Berellip are available for the journey,” Zeerith explained.Ravel tightened at that, but quickly hid it, for Saribel was the youngest, the weakest, and, as far as he could tell, by far the stupidest, of the House priestesses, and Berellip, though older and more powerful, often looked upon him with open scorn and had made no secret of her dismay that House Xorlarrin allowed males so prestigious a status among the nobles.Fanatical in her devotion to Lolth, Berellip showed indifference, at best, to the arcane spellspinners, and had, on occasion, issued open threats to the upstart Ravel.“You will argue?” Zeerith asked, and coincidentally, at that moment, Brack’thal let loose the most agonized scream of all.Ravel swallowed hard.“Harnessing a primordial …” he said, shaking his head and letting his voice trail off ominously.“Has it ever been accomplished?”“Redirect its powers, perhaps?” Zeerith asked.“You understand what we need.”Ravel bit back his next argument and considered the words carefully.
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dnd336
What did House Xorlarrin truly need?Room to breathe, most of all, he understood.If they could establish a fledgling city in this ancient dwarven land and have time to get their considerable magical wards in place, would the other Houses of Menzoberranzan think it worth the cost to assault them?If this new drow city could open avenues to expanded trade, or serve as a warning post against any potential Underdark excursions by the wretched surface dwellers, would that not be a boon to Menzoberranzan?“Ched Nasad has never been replaced,” Ravel dared to remark, referring to Menzoberranzan’s former sister city, a beauty of web bridges and sweeping arches, which had been destroyed in the War of the Spider Queen a century before.“Berellip will inform you of your budget for mercenaries,” Zeerith said with a dismissive wave.“Assemble your team and be away.”Ravel bowed quickly and spun around, just in time to see Brack’thal staggering back into the audience chamber, his shirt tattered and bloody, his jaw clenched and eyes bulging from the painful poison of snake-headed whips.Despite that obvious inner struggle, the Elderboy managed to control his facial muscles just long enough to toss Ravel a hateful glare.For an instant, Ravel thought of appealing Zeerith’s decision that he take his brother along, but he let it go.Brack’thal could not defeat him in single combat, after all, and they both knew it.Brack’thal wouldn’t make a move against him personally.And since Ravel had been given the power to determine the composition of the expeditionary force, he’d make sure that none of Brack’thal’s associates would go along.Not that the fallen wizard had many associates, in any case.“They are not rogues—” Ravel started to say, but Jearth stopped him short with an upraised hand.Quietly!the weapons master insisted, flashing the word with his fingers through use of the intricate drow sign language.As he did that, Jearth brought his cloak up with his other hand to shield the signing hand from view, which the secretive drow often referred to as his “visual cone of silence.”Ravel glanced around, then brought one hand in close so that it was shielded by his own voluminous robes.They are not Houseless rogues, his fingers signed.Many are.Not all.I recognize a soldier of House Baenre.Their weapons master’s assistant, no less!Many are commoners of lower Houses.But with a Baenre, Ravel insisted.At least three, at my last count, Jearth signalled.Ravel recoiled, a look of horror on his handsome black-skinned features.Did you believe that we could assemble a force of nearly a hundred skilled drow and march out of Menzoberranzan without attracting the attention of Baenre?Of any of the great Houses?Jearth countered, his hand moving as a blur, so fast that Ravel could barely keep up.Matron Mother Zeerith will not be pleased.She will understand, Jearth signed.She knows well the ever-present eyes of Baenre and Barrison Del’Armgo.She knows that I invited Tiago Baenre, who serves as first assistant to Andzrel Baenre, weapons master of the First House.Ravel looked at him doubtfully.Tiago is a friend, Jearth explained.Disloyal to Baenre?Hardly, Jearth admitted.Our entire plan depends upon our success of securing the powers of Gauntlgrym quickly, that the other Houses will see our fledgling city as a boon and not a rival, or at least, that they will think it not worth the cost of coming after us.In that regard, Tiago will be loyal to his House and useful to our cause if we succeed.You will do well to embrace Tiago when we are away, Jearth added.Allow him a position of leadership among our expedition.Doing so will afford us a longer time period before exhausting the patience of House Baenre.Keep our enemies close, Ravel’s fingers signaled.“Potential enemies,” Jearth replied aloud.
What did House Xorlarrin truly need?Room to breathe, most of all, he understood.If they could establish a fledgling city in this ancient dwarven land and have time to get their considerable magical wards in place, would the other Houses of Menzoberranzan think it worth the cost to assault them?If this new drow city could open avenues to expanded trade, or serve as a warning post against any potential Underdark excursions by the wretched surface dwellers, would that not be a boon to Menzoberranzan?“Ched Nasad has never been replaced,” Ravel dared to remark, referring to Menzoberranzan’s former sister city, a beauty of web bridges and sweeping arches, which had been destroyed in the War of the Spider Queen a century before.“Berellip will inform you of your budget for mercenaries,” Zeerith said with a dismissive wave.“Assemble your team and be away.”Ravel bowed quickly and spun around, just in time to see Brack’thal staggering back into the audience chamber, his shirt tattered and bloody, his jaw clenched and eyes bulging from the painful poison of snake-headed whips.Despite that obvious inner struggle, the Elderboy managed to control his facial muscles just long enough to toss Ravel a hateful glare.For an instant, Ravel thought of appealing Zeerith’s decision that he take his brother along, but he let it go.Brack’thal could not defeat him in single combat, after all, and they both knew it.Brack’thal wouldn’t make a move against him personally.And since Ravel had been given the power to determine the composition of the expeditionary force, he’d make sure that none of Brack’thal’s associates would go along.Not that the fallen wizard had many associates, in any case.“They are not rogues—” Ravel started to say, but Jearth stopped him short with an upraised hand.Quietly!the weapons master insisted, flashing the word with his fingers through use of the intricate drow sign language.As he did that, Jearth brought his cloak up with his other hand to shield the signing hand from view, which the secretive drow often referred to as his “visual cone of silence.”Ravel glanced around, then brought one hand in close so that it was shielded by his own voluminous robes.They are not Houseless rogues, his fingers signed.Many are.Not all.I recognize a soldier of House Baenre.Their weapons master’s assistant, no less!Many are commoners of lower Houses.But with a Baenre, Ravel insisted.At least three, at my last count, Jearth signalled.Ravel recoiled, a look of horror on his handsome black-skinned features.Did you believe that we could assemble a force of nearly a hundred skilled drow and march out of Menzoberranzan without attracting the attention of Baenre?Of any of the great Houses?Jearth countered, his hand moving as a blur, so fast that Ravel could barely keep up.Matron Mother Zeerith will not be pleased.She will understand, Jearth signed.She knows well the ever-present eyes of Baenre and Barrison Del’Armgo.She knows that I invited Tiago Baenre, who serves as first assistant to Andzrel Baenre, weapons master of the First House.Ravel looked at him doubtfully.Tiago is a friend, Jearth explained.Disloyal to Baenre?Hardly, Jearth admitted.Our entire plan depends upon our success of securing the powers of Gauntlgrym quickly, that the other Houses will see our fledgling city as a boon and not a rival, or at least, that they will think it not worth the cost of coming after us.In that regard, Tiago will be loyal to his House and useful to our cause if we succeed.You will do well to embrace Tiago when we are away, Jearth added.Allow him a position of leadership among our expedition.Doing so will afford us a longer time period before exhausting the patience of House Baenre.Keep our enemies close, Ravel’s fingers signaled.“Potential enemies,” Jearth replied aloud.
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dnd337
“And only if that potential is not realized will House Xorlarrin succeed.”You doubt the power of Matron Mother Zeerith and House Xorlarrin?Ravel flashed indignantly.I know the power of Baenre.Ravel started to argue the point, but he didn’t get far, his fingers barely forming a letter.He had tutored under Gromph Baenre.He had often accompanied Gromph to the archmage’s private chambers within the compound of the First House of Menzoberranzan.Ravel was a proud Xorlarrin noble, but even the blindness wrought of loyalty had its limits.He realized that he could not argue Jearth’s point; if it came to blows, House Baenre would obliterate them.“Would you like an introduction to Tiago Baenre?” Jearth asked aloud.Ravel smiled at him, a clear sign of surrender, and nodded.Young, handsome, and supremely confident, Tiago Baenre guided his lizard along the wall of an Underdark corridor.Even with his saddle perpendicular to the floor, the agile Tiago sat easy, his core muscles locked tightly, keeping him straight and settled.He wasn’t leading the march of a hundred drow, double that number of goblin shock troops, and a score of driders—nay, Ravel had sent two-score goblins up ahead to make sure the way was clear of monsters—but as the leagues wore on, it became apparent to all that Tiago was guiding the pace.His sticky-footed subterranean lizard, Byok, was a champion, bred for speed and stamina, and with, so it was rumored, a bit of magical enhancement.He thinks us his lessers, Ravel flashed to Jearth at one juncture.He is Baenre, Jearth replied with a shrug, as if that explained everything, because indeed it did.The clacking of exoskeleton scrabbling across the floor drew their attention, and Ravel pulled up his own mount and turned sidelong to greet the newcomer.“A goblin stabbed at my consort, Flavvar,” said the creature.Half gigantic spider, half drow, the speaker’s voice came through with a timbre that was as much insect as it was the melodic sound of a drow voice.Once this creature had been a drow, but he had run afoul of the priestesses of Lolth.Far afoul, obviously, for they had transformed him into this abomination.“Out of fear, no doubt,” said Jearth.“Did she creep up on him?”The drider, Yerrininae, scowled at the weapons master, but Jearth just grinned and looked away.“Did the goblin damage her?” Ravel asked.“It startled her and startled me.I responded.”“Responded?” Ravel asked suspiciously.“He threw his trident into the goblin,” Jearth reasoned, and when Ravel looked at Yerrininae, he noted that the drider puffed out its chest proudly and made no effort to argue the point.“We intend to dine on the fool,” the drider explained, turning back to Ravel.“I request that we slow our march, as we would like to consume it before too much of its liquids have drained.”“You killed the goblin?”“Not yet.We prefer to dine on living creatures.”Ravel did well to hide his disgust.He hated driders—how could he not?—thoroughly disgusting beasts, one and all.But he understood their value.If the two hundred goblins sought revenge and turned their entire force on the driders in a coordinated assault, the twenty driders would slaughter all two hundred in short order.“Would you be so tactful as to do it out of sight of the goblin’s companions?” the spellspinner asked.“A better message might be delivered if—”“Out of sight,” Ravel insisted.Yerrininae stared at him for a few moments, as if measuring him up—and Ravel knew that he and his drow companions would be constantly scrutinized by this band of dangerous allies—but then nodded and skittered away noisily.Why did you bring them along?Jearth’s hands signaled as soon as Yerrininae had started off.It is a long and dangerous road, and ending at a complex no doubt defended, Ravel countered, twisting his hands and fingers with emphatic movement.We are but two days out of Menzoberranzan and already we move more slowly in anticipation of a fight around every corner.Do you doubt the fighting prowess of Yerrininae and his band?I don’t doubt the prowess of a band of devils, Jearth’s fingers signed.
“And only if that potential is not realized will House Xorlarrin succeed.”You doubt the power of Matron Mother Zeerith and House Xorlarrin?Ravel flashed indignantly.I know the power of Baenre.Ravel started to argue the point, but he didn’t get far, his fingers barely forming a letter.He had tutored under Gromph Baenre.He had often accompanied Gromph to the archmage’s private chambers within the compound of the First House of Menzoberranzan.Ravel was a proud Xorlarrin noble, but even the blindness wrought of loyalty had its limits.He realized that he could not argue Jearth’s point; if it came to blows, House Baenre would obliterate them.“Would you like an introduction to Tiago Baenre?” Jearth asked aloud.Ravel smiled at him, a clear sign of surrender, and nodded.Young, handsome, and supremely confident, Tiago Baenre guided his lizard along the wall of an Underdark corridor.Even with his saddle perpendicular to the floor, the agile Tiago sat easy, his core muscles locked tightly, keeping him straight and settled.He wasn’t leading the march of a hundred drow, double that number of goblin shock troops, and a score of driders—nay, Ravel had sent two-score goblins up ahead to make sure the way was clear of monsters—but as the leagues wore on, it became apparent to all that Tiago was guiding the pace.His sticky-footed subterranean lizard, Byok, was a champion, bred for speed and stamina, and with, so it was rumored, a bit of magical enhancement.He thinks us his lessers, Ravel flashed to Jearth at one juncture.He is Baenre, Jearth replied with a shrug, as if that explained everything, because indeed it did.The clacking of exoskeleton scrabbling across the floor drew their attention, and Ravel pulled up his own mount and turned sidelong to greet the newcomer.“A goblin stabbed at my consort, Flavvar,” said the creature.Half gigantic spider, half drow, the speaker’s voice came through with a timbre that was as much insect as it was the melodic sound of a drow voice.Once this creature had been a drow, but he had run afoul of the priestesses of Lolth.Far afoul, obviously, for they had transformed him into this abomination.“Out of fear, no doubt,” said Jearth.“Did she creep up on him?”The drider, Yerrininae, scowled at the weapons master, but Jearth just grinned and looked away.“Did the goblin damage her?” Ravel asked.“It startled her and startled me.I responded.”“Responded?” Ravel asked suspiciously.“He threw his trident into the goblin,” Jearth reasoned, and when Ravel looked at Yerrininae, he noted that the drider puffed out its chest proudly and made no effort to argue the point.“We intend to dine on the fool,” the drider explained, turning back to Ravel.“I request that we slow our march, as we would like to consume it before too much of its liquids have drained.”“You killed the goblin?”“Not yet.We prefer to dine on living creatures.”Ravel did well to hide his disgust.He hated driders—how could he not?—thoroughly disgusting beasts, one and all.But he understood their value.If the two hundred goblins sought revenge and turned their entire force on the driders in a coordinated assault, the twenty driders would slaughter all two hundred in short order.“Would you be so tactful as to do it out of sight of the goblin’s companions?” the spellspinner asked.“A better message might be delivered if—”“Out of sight,” Ravel insisted.Yerrininae stared at him for a few moments, as if measuring him up—and Ravel knew that he and his drow companions would be constantly scrutinized by this band of dangerous allies—but then nodded and skittered away noisily.Why did you bring them along?Jearth’s hands signaled as soon as Yerrininae had started off.It is a long and dangerous road, and ending at a complex no doubt defended, Ravel countered, twisting his hands and fingers with emphatic movement.We are but two days out of Menzoberranzan and already we move more slowly in anticipation of a fight around every corner.Do you doubt the fighting prowess of Yerrininae and his band?I don’t doubt the prowess of a band of devils, Jearth’s fingers signed.
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dnd338
And they would be easier to control, and less likely to murder us.Ravel smiled and shook his head, confident that it would not come to that.His relationship with Yerrininae went far back, to his earliest days in Sorcere.The drider, under orders from Gromph—and no one, drider or drow, dared disobey Gromph—had worked with Ravel on some of his earliest expeditions, guarding the young spellspinner as he had ventured into the Underdark beyond Menzoberranzan in search of some herb or enchanted crystal.Yerrininae and Ravel had a long-standing arrangement.The drider would not go against him.Besides, Matron Mother Zeerith had sweetened the prize for Yerrininae, hinting that if this expedition proved successful, if House Xorlarrin was able to establish a city in the dwarf homeland of Gauntlgrym, she would afford the driders a House of their own, with full benefits afforded drow, and with Flavvar, Yerrininae’s consort, as Matron.From that position they could, perhaps, regain their standing with Lady Lolth.“And who can guess what might happen with the goddess of chaos from there?” Zeerith had teased, not so subtly hinting that perhaps the drider curse could be reversed.Perhaps Yerrininae and his band might walk as dark elves once more.No, Ravel did not fear that the driders would turn against him.Not with that possible reward dangling before them.The old drow mage put down his quill and tilted his head so he could regard the door to his private room.He had been back in House Baenre for only a matter of hours, seeking a quiet respite wherein he might work some theories around a particularly effective dweomer he had witnessed in Sorcere.He had explicitly asked Matron Mother Quenthel for some privacy, and she, of course, had agreed.Gromph might be a mere male, the Elderboy of the House, but none, not even Quenthel, would move against him.Gromph had been one of the pillars of strength of House Baenre beyond the memory of any living Baenre, noble or commoner.The eldest son of the greatest Matron Mother Baenre, Yvonnel the Eternal, Gromph had served as the city’s archmage for centuries.He had weathered the Spellplague and had grown even stronger in the decades since that terrifying event, and though Gromph was quite likely the oldest living drow in Menzoberranzan, his level of involvement in city politics and power struggles, and in the spell research at Sorcere, had only increased, dramatically so, in the last years.A thin, knowing grin creased the old drow’s withered lips as he imagined the doubting expression on the face of his soon-to-be visitor.He envisioned the male’s hand lifting to knock, then dropping once more in fear.Gromph paused a bit longer, then waggled his fingers at the entrance, and the door swung in—just ahead of the knocking fist of Andzrel Baenre.“Do come in,” Gromph bade the weapons master, and he took up his quill and turned his attention back to the spread parchment.Andzrel’s boots clapped hard against the stone floor as he strode into the room—stepped forcefully, Gromph noted from the sound.It would seem that Gromph’s action had embarrassed the weapons master.“House Xorlarrin moves brashly,” Andzrel stated.“Well met to you, too, Andzrel.” Gromph looked up and offered the much younger male a withering stare.Andzrel let a bit of obvious bluster out with his next exaggerated exhale following the mighty wizard’s clear reminder of station and consequence.“A sizable force moving west,” Andzrel reported.“Led by the ambitious Ravel, no doubt.”“We believe that your student is at their head, yes.”“Former student,” Gromph corrected, pointedly so.Andzrel nodded, and lowered his gaze when Gromph did not blink.“Matron Quenthel is concerned,” he said quietly.“Though hardly surprised,” Gromph replied.He braced himself on his desk and pushed up from his chair, then smoothed his spidery robes, glistening black and emblazoned with webs and crawling arachnid designs in silver thread.He walked around the side of his desk to a small shelf on the chamber’s side wall.Not looking at Andzrel, but rather at a large, skull-shaped crystal gem set on the shelf, the archmage muttered, “The eating habits of fish.”“Fish?” Andzrel finally asked after a long pause, Gromph purposely making no indication that he would clarify the curious statement, or even that he intended to turn back around, without prompting.“Have you ever hunted fish with a line and hook?” Gromph asked.“I prefer the spear,” the warrior replied.“Of course.” There was little indication of admiration in Gromph’s voice at that point.He did turn around, then, and studying the weapons master’s face, Gromph knew that Andzrel suspected that he had just been insulted.Suspected, but did not know, for that one, for all his cleverness—and he was conniving—could not appreciate the sublime calculations and patience, the simple absence of cadence that was line fishing.“A typical pond might have ten different types of fish wriggling through its blackness,” Gromph said.“And I would have speared them all.”Gromph snorted at him and turned back to regard the skull gem.
And they would be easier to control, and less likely to murder us.Ravel smiled and shook his head, confident that it would not come to that.His relationship with Yerrininae went far back, to his earliest days in Sorcere.The drider, under orders from Gromph—and no one, drider or drow, dared disobey Gromph—had worked with Ravel on some of his earliest expeditions, guarding the young spellspinner as he had ventured into the Underdark beyond Menzoberranzan in search of some herb or enchanted crystal.Yerrininae and Ravel had a long-standing arrangement.The drider would not go against him.Besides, Matron Mother Zeerith had sweetened the prize for Yerrininae, hinting that if this expedition proved successful, if House Xorlarrin was able to establish a city in the dwarf homeland of Gauntlgrym, she would afford the driders a House of their own, with full benefits afforded drow, and with Flavvar, Yerrininae’s consort, as Matron.From that position they could, perhaps, regain their standing with Lady Lolth.“And who can guess what might happen with the goddess of chaos from there?” Zeerith had teased, not so subtly hinting that perhaps the drider curse could be reversed.Perhaps Yerrininae and his band might walk as dark elves once more.No, Ravel did not fear that the driders would turn against him.Not with that possible reward dangling before them.The old drow mage put down his quill and tilted his head so he could regard the door to his private room.He had been back in House Baenre for only a matter of hours, seeking a quiet respite wherein he might work some theories around a particularly effective dweomer he had witnessed in Sorcere.He had explicitly asked Matron Mother Quenthel for some privacy, and she, of course, had agreed.Gromph might be a mere male, the Elderboy of the House, but none, not even Quenthel, would move against him.Gromph had been one of the pillars of strength of House Baenre beyond the memory of any living Baenre, noble or commoner.The eldest son of the greatest Matron Mother Baenre, Yvonnel the Eternal, Gromph had served as the city’s archmage for centuries.He had weathered the Spellplague and had grown even stronger in the decades since that terrifying event, and though Gromph was quite likely the oldest living drow in Menzoberranzan, his level of involvement in city politics and power struggles, and in the spell research at Sorcere, had only increased, dramatically so, in the last years.A thin, knowing grin creased the old drow’s withered lips as he imagined the doubting expression on the face of his soon-to-be visitor.He envisioned the male’s hand lifting to knock, then dropping once more in fear.Gromph paused a bit longer, then waggled his fingers at the entrance, and the door swung in—just ahead of the knocking fist of Andzrel Baenre.“Do come in,” Gromph bade the weapons master, and he took up his quill and turned his attention back to the spread parchment.Andzrel’s boots clapped hard against the stone floor as he strode into the room—stepped forcefully, Gromph noted from the sound.It would seem that Gromph’s action had embarrassed the weapons master.“House Xorlarrin moves brashly,” Andzrel stated.“Well met to you, too, Andzrel.” Gromph looked up and offered the much younger male a withering stare.Andzrel let a bit of obvious bluster out with his next exaggerated exhale following the mighty wizard’s clear reminder of station and consequence.“A sizable force moving west,” Andzrel reported.“Led by the ambitious Ravel, no doubt.”“We believe that your student is at their head, yes.”“Former student,” Gromph corrected, pointedly so.Andzrel nodded, and lowered his gaze when Gromph did not blink.“Matron Quenthel is concerned,” he said quietly.“Though hardly surprised,” Gromph replied.He braced himself on his desk and pushed up from his chair, then smoothed his spidery robes, glistening black and emblazoned with webs and crawling arachnid designs in silver thread.He walked around the side of his desk to a small shelf on the chamber’s side wall.Not looking at Andzrel, but rather at a large, skull-shaped crystal gem set on the shelf, the archmage muttered, “The eating habits of fish.”“Fish?” Andzrel finally asked after a long pause, Gromph purposely making no indication that he would clarify the curious statement, or even that he intended to turn back around, without prompting.“Have you ever hunted fish with a line and hook?” Gromph asked.“I prefer the spear,” the warrior replied.“Of course.” There was little indication of admiration in Gromph’s voice at that point.He did turn around, then, and studying the weapons master’s face, Gromph knew that Andzrel suspected that he had just been insulted.Suspected, but did not know, for that one, for all his cleverness—and he was conniving—could not appreciate the sublime calculations and patience, the simple absence of cadence that was line fishing.“A typical pond might have ten different types of fish wriggling through its blackness,” Gromph said.“And I would have speared them all.”Gromph snorted at him and turned back to regard the skull gem.
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dnd339
“You would cast your spear at whatever swam near enough to skewer.Line fishing is not so indiscriminate.” He stood up straighter and turned back to regard the weapons master, acting as if he was just realizing the curiousness of his own statement.“Even though you will see the fish you seek to impale, you will not be, in the true measure, as particular in your choice of meal as the line fisherman.”“How can you claim such?” Andzrel asked.“Because the line fisherman will throw back any fish he deems unworthy, while I would already have slain my quarry before bringing it from the pond?”“Because the line fisherman has already chosen the type of fish,” Gromph corrected, “in his selection of bait and placement, point and depth, of the line.Fish have preferences, and knowing those allows a wise angler to properly lay his trap.”He turned back to the skull gem.“Is it possible that Archmage Gromph grows more cryptic with the passing years?”“One would hope!” Gromph replied with a glance over his shoulder, and again he saw that the nuance of his words was somewhat lost on the poor Andzrel.“Living among the folk of Menzoberranzan is often akin to line fishing, don’t you agree?Knowing the proper lures to attract and catch adversaries and allies alike.”When he turned back to Andzrel this time, he held the skull gem in one hand, aloft before his eyes.The skull-shaped crystalline gem danced with reflections of the many candles burning in the room, and those sparkles, in turn, set Gromph’s eyes glowing.Still the weapons master seemed as if he was in the dark regarding the arch-mage’s analogy, and that confirmed to Gromph that Tiago had not betrayed him.For Andzrel did not know that Ravel Xorlarrin had looked into this very skull gem, in which the young spellspinner had gained the knowledge of the prize that he and House Xorlarrin now pursued.And Andzrel did not have any hint that Tiago had facilitated the spellspinner’s intrusion into Gromph’s private chambers at Sorcere, as a favor to the House Xorlarrin weapons master Jearth, who was one of Andzrel’s greatest rivals in the city’s warrior hierarchy.“House Xorlarrin moves exactly as House Baenre would wish, and to a destination worth exploring,” Gromph explained clearly.That seemed to rock Andzrel back on his heels a bit.“Tiago is with them, by request of Matron Mother Quenthel,” Gromph continued, and Andzrel’s eyes popped open wide.“Tiago!Why Tiago?He is my second, at my command!”Gromph laughed at that.He had only mentioned Tiago in order to make Andzrel tremble with outrage, a sight Gromph very much enjoyed.“If you instructed Tiago one way, and Matron Quenthel commanded him another, to whom should he offer his obedience?”Andzrel’s face grew tight.Of course it did, Gromph knew.Young Tiago was indeed Andzrel’s second, but that was an arrangement which few expected to hold for much longer.For Tiago had something Andzrel did not: a direct bloodline to Dantrag Baenre, the greatest weapons master in the memory of House Baenre.Tiago was Dantrag’s grandson, and thus the grandson of Yvonnel and the nephew of Gromph, Quenthel, and the rest of the noble clan.Andzrel, meanwhile, was the son of a cousin, noble still, but further removed.To make matters worse, not a drow who had watched these two in battle thought that Andzrel could defeat Tiago in single combat—young Tiago, who was only growing stronger with the passing years.The archmage spent a moment considering Andzrel, then recognized that he had planted the doubt and concern deeply enough—that Tiago was out with House Xorlarrin on this matter of apparent great importance would keep this one pacing his room for days.Gromph, therefore, thought it the perfect time to change the subject.“How well are you acquainted with Jarlaxle?”“Of Bregan D’aerthe?” Andzrel stuttered.“I have heard of … not well.” He seemed at a loss with his own admission, so he quickly added, “I have met him on several occasions.”“Jarlaxle always seems to set interesting events in motion,” said Gromph.“Perhaps this will be no different.”“What are you saying?” the weapons master asked.“House Baenre facilitated this move by Xorlarrin?”“Nothing of the sort.Matron Zeerith moves of her own accord.”“But we played a role in guiding that accord?”Gromph shrugged noncommittally.“What do you know, Archmage?” Andzrel demanded.Gromph replaced the skull gem on the shelf and moved back to sit down at his desk, all at a leisurely pace.
“You would cast your spear at whatever swam near enough to skewer.Line fishing is not so indiscriminate.” He stood up straighter and turned back to regard the weapons master, acting as if he was just realizing the curiousness of his own statement.“Even though you will see the fish you seek to impale, you will not be, in the true measure, as particular in your choice of meal as the line fisherman.”“How can you claim such?” Andzrel asked.“Because the line fisherman will throw back any fish he deems unworthy, while I would already have slain my quarry before bringing it from the pond?”“Because the line fisherman has already chosen the type of fish,” Gromph corrected, “in his selection of bait and placement, point and depth, of the line.Fish have preferences, and knowing those allows a wise angler to properly lay his trap.”He turned back to the skull gem.“Is it possible that Archmage Gromph grows more cryptic with the passing years?”“One would hope!” Gromph replied with a glance over his shoulder, and again he saw that the nuance of his words was somewhat lost on the poor Andzrel.“Living among the folk of Menzoberranzan is often akin to line fishing, don’t you agree?Knowing the proper lures to attract and catch adversaries and allies alike.”When he turned back to Andzrel this time, he held the skull gem in one hand, aloft before his eyes.The skull-shaped crystalline gem danced with reflections of the many candles burning in the room, and those sparkles, in turn, set Gromph’s eyes glowing.Still the weapons master seemed as if he was in the dark regarding the arch-mage’s analogy, and that confirmed to Gromph that Tiago had not betrayed him.For Andzrel did not know that Ravel Xorlarrin had looked into this very skull gem, in which the young spellspinner had gained the knowledge of the prize that he and House Xorlarrin now pursued.And Andzrel did not have any hint that Tiago had facilitated the spellspinner’s intrusion into Gromph’s private chambers at Sorcere, as a favor to the House Xorlarrin weapons master Jearth, who was one of Andzrel’s greatest rivals in the city’s warrior hierarchy.“House Xorlarrin moves exactly as House Baenre would wish, and to a destination worth exploring,” Gromph explained clearly.That seemed to rock Andzrel back on his heels a bit.“Tiago is with them, by request of Matron Mother Quenthel,” Gromph continued, and Andzrel’s eyes popped open wide.“Tiago!Why Tiago?He is my second, at my command!”Gromph laughed at that.He had only mentioned Tiago in order to make Andzrel tremble with outrage, a sight Gromph very much enjoyed.“If you instructed Tiago one way, and Matron Quenthel commanded him another, to whom should he offer his obedience?”Andzrel’s face grew tight.Of course it did, Gromph knew.Young Tiago was indeed Andzrel’s second, but that was an arrangement which few expected to hold for much longer.For Tiago had something Andzrel did not: a direct bloodline to Dantrag Baenre, the greatest weapons master in the memory of House Baenre.Tiago was Dantrag’s grandson, and thus the grandson of Yvonnel and the nephew of Gromph, Quenthel, and the rest of the noble clan.Andzrel, meanwhile, was the son of a cousin, noble still, but further removed.To make matters worse, not a drow who had watched these two in battle thought that Andzrel could defeat Tiago in single combat—young Tiago, who was only growing stronger with the passing years.The archmage spent a moment considering Andzrel, then recognized that he had planted the doubt and concern deeply enough—that Tiago was out with House Xorlarrin on this matter of apparent great importance would keep this one pacing his room for days.Gromph, therefore, thought it the perfect time to change the subject.“How well are you acquainted with Jarlaxle?”“Of Bregan D’aerthe?” Andzrel stuttered.“I have heard of … not well.” He seemed at a loss with his own admission, so he quickly added, “I have met him on several occasions.”“Jarlaxle always seems to set interesting events in motion,” said Gromph.“Perhaps this will be no different.”“What are you saying?” the weapons master asked.“House Baenre facilitated this move by Xorlarrin?”“Nothing of the sort.Matron Zeerith moves of her own accord.”“But we played a role in guiding that accord?”Gromph shrugged noncommittally.“What do you know, Archmage?” Andzrel demanded.Gromph replaced the skull gem on the shelf and moved back to sit down at his desk, all at a leisurely pace.
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dnd340
When he had settled once more, he turned his attention back to his parchment and took up his quill.“I am no commoner,” Andzrel shouted, and he stomped a heavy boot like the sharp crack of an exclamation point.“Do not treat me as such!”Gromph looked up at him and nodded.“Indeed,” he agreed as he reached for a corked, smoke-filled flask.He brought it before him, directly between him and Andzrel, and pulled off the cork.A line of smoke wafted up.“You are no commoner,” Gromph agreed.“But you are dismissed.” With that, Gromph blew at the smoke, sending it toward Andzrel.In so doing, he released a sequence of spells in rapid order.Andzrel looked at him curiously, startled and very much concerned, even afraid.He felt his very being, his corporeal form, thinning, becoming less substantial.He tried to speak out, but it was too late.He was like the wind, flowing away and without control.Gromph watched him recede from the room, then waved his hand to throw forth a second burst of wind, a stronger one that not only sped Andzrel’s departure, but slammed the room’s door closed behind him.Gromph knew that Andzrel wouldn’t regain his corporeal form until he was far away from this wing of House Baenre.The archmage didn’t expect the annoying weapons master to return anytime soon.That brought a frown to Gromph’s face, though, as he considered the expression he could elicit on Andzrel’s face with the other little secrets he kept.For among Tiago’s entourage on the expedition was one of Gromph’s oldest associates, an old wizard-turned-warrior-turned-blacksmith drow named Gol’fanin, who carried with him a djinni in a bottle, a phase spider in another, and an ancient sword design, one which had eluded Gol’fanin for centuries because of his inability to properly meld the diamonds and metal alloys.If the destination of the Xorlarrin expedition was as Gromph and Matron Zeerith and Matron Quenthel all expected, and if the cataclysm had been wrought of the rage of a primordial fire beast, then Andzrel’s current state of outrage would seem utterly calm by comparison when Tiago returned home.That thought pleased the old drow archmage greatly.I am past the sunset of my second century of life and yet I feel as if the ground below me is as the shifting sands.In so many ways, I find that I am no more sure of myself than I was those many decades ago when I first walked free of Menzoberranzan—less sure, in truth, for in that time, my emotions were grounded in a clear sense of right and wrong, in a definitive understanding of truth against deception.Perhaps my surety then was based almost solely on a negative; when I came to recognize the truth of the city of Menzoberranzan about me, I knew what I could not accept, knew what did not ring true in my heart and soul, and demanded the notion of a better life, a better way.It was not so much that I knew what I wanted, for any such concepts of the possibilities outside the cocoon of Menzoberranzan were surely far beyond my experience.But I knew what I did not want and what I could not accept.Guided by that inner moral compass, I made my way, and my beliefs seemed only reinforced by those friends I came to know, not kin, but surely kind.And so I have lived my life, a goodly life, I think, with the power of righteousness guiding my blades.There have been times of doubt, of course, and so many errors along the way.There stood my friends, to guide me back to the correct path, to walk beside me and support me and reinforce my belief that there is a community greater than myself, a purpose higher and more noble than the simple hedonism so common in the land of my birth.Now I am older.Now, again, I do not know.For I find myself enmeshed in conflicts I do not understand, where both sides seem equally wrong.This is not Mithral Hall defending her gates against marauding orcs.This is not the garrison of Ten-Towns holding back a barbarian horde or battling the monstrous minions of Akar Kessell.In all Faerûn now, there is conflict and shadow and confusion, and a sense that there is no clear path to victory.The world has grown dark, and in a dark place, so dark rulers can arise.I long for the simplicity of Icewind Dale.For down here in the more populous lands, there is Luskan, full of treachery and deceit and unbridled greed.There are a hundred “Luskans” across the continent, I fear.
When he had settled once more, he turned his attention back to his parchment and took up his quill.“I am no commoner,” Andzrel shouted, and he stomped a heavy boot like the sharp crack of an exclamation point.“Do not treat me as such!”Gromph looked up at him and nodded.“Indeed,” he agreed as he reached for a corked, smoke-filled flask.He brought it before him, directly between him and Andzrel, and pulled off the cork.A line of smoke wafted up.“You are no commoner,” Gromph agreed.“But you are dismissed.” With that, Gromph blew at the smoke, sending it toward Andzrel.In so doing, he released a sequence of spells in rapid order.Andzrel looked at him curiously, startled and very much concerned, even afraid.He felt his very being, his corporeal form, thinning, becoming less substantial.He tried to speak out, but it was too late.He was like the wind, flowing away and without control.Gromph watched him recede from the room, then waved his hand to throw forth a second burst of wind, a stronger one that not only sped Andzrel’s departure, but slammed the room’s door closed behind him.Gromph knew that Andzrel wouldn’t regain his corporeal form until he was far away from this wing of House Baenre.The archmage didn’t expect the annoying weapons master to return anytime soon.That brought a frown to Gromph’s face, though, as he considered the expression he could elicit on Andzrel’s face with the other little secrets he kept.For among Tiago’s entourage on the expedition was one of Gromph’s oldest associates, an old wizard-turned-warrior-turned-blacksmith drow named Gol’fanin, who carried with him a djinni in a bottle, a phase spider in another, and an ancient sword design, one which had eluded Gol’fanin for centuries because of his inability to properly meld the diamonds and metal alloys.If the destination of the Xorlarrin expedition was as Gromph and Matron Zeerith and Matron Quenthel all expected, and if the cataclysm had been wrought of the rage of a primordial fire beast, then Andzrel’s current state of outrage would seem utterly calm by comparison when Tiago returned home.That thought pleased the old drow archmage greatly.I am past the sunset of my second century of life and yet I feel as if the ground below me is as the shifting sands.In so many ways, I find that I am no more sure of myself than I was those many decades ago when I first walked free of Menzoberranzan—less sure, in truth, for in that time, my emotions were grounded in a clear sense of right and wrong, in a definitive understanding of truth against deception.Perhaps my surety then was based almost solely on a negative; when I came to recognize the truth of the city of Menzoberranzan about me, I knew what I could not accept, knew what did not ring true in my heart and soul, and demanded the notion of a better life, a better way.It was not so much that I knew what I wanted, for any such concepts of the possibilities outside the cocoon of Menzoberranzan were surely far beyond my experience.But I knew what I did not want and what I could not accept.Guided by that inner moral compass, I made my way, and my beliefs seemed only reinforced by those friends I came to know, not kin, but surely kind.And so I have lived my life, a goodly life, I think, with the power of righteousness guiding my blades.There have been times of doubt, of course, and so many errors along the way.There stood my friends, to guide me back to the correct path, to walk beside me and support me and reinforce my belief that there is a community greater than myself, a purpose higher and more noble than the simple hedonism so common in the land of my birth.Now I am older.Now, again, I do not know.For I find myself enmeshed in conflicts I do not understand, where both sides seem equally wrong.This is not Mithral Hall defending her gates against marauding orcs.This is not the garrison of Ten-Towns holding back a barbarian horde or battling the monstrous minions of Akar Kessell.In all Faerûn now, there is conflict and shadow and confusion, and a sense that there is no clear path to victory.The world has grown dark, and in a dark place, so dark rulers can arise.I long for the simplicity of Icewind Dale.For down here in the more populous lands, there is Luskan, full of treachery and deceit and unbridled greed.There are a hundred “Luskans” across the continent, I fear.
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dnd341
In the tumult of the Spellplague and the deeper and more enduring darkness of the Shadowfell, the return of the shades and the Empire of Netheril, those structures of community and society could not remain unscathed.Some see chaos as an enemy to be defeated and tamed; others, I know from my earliest days, see chaos as opportunity for personal gain.For down here, there are the hundreds of communities and clusters of farms depending on the protection of the city garrisons, who will not come.Indeed, under the rule of despot kings or lords or high captains alike, those communities so oft become the prey of the powerful cities.For down here, there is Many Arrows, the orc kingdom forced upon the Silver Marches by the hordes of King Obould in that long-ago war—though even now, nearly a century hence, it remains a trial, a test, whose outcome cannot be predicted.Did King Bruenor, with his courage in signing the Treaty of Garumn’s Gorge, end the war, or merely delay a larger one?It is always confusion, I fear, always those shifting sands.Until I draw my blades, and that is the dark truth of who I have become.For when my scimitars are in hand, the battle becomes immediate, the goal survival.The greater politic that once guided my hand is a fleeting vision, the waving lines of rising heat showing rivers of sparkling water where there is only, in truth, dry sand.I live in a land of many Akar Kessells, but so few, it seems, places worth defending!Perhaps among the settlers of Neverwinter there exists such a noble defense as that I helped wage in Ten-Towns, but there live, too, in the triad of interests, the Thayans and their undead hordes and the Netherese, many persons no less ruthless and no less self-interested.Indeed, no less wrong.How might I engage my heart in such a conflict as the morass that is Neverwinter?How might I strike with conviction, secure in the knowledge that I fight for the good of the land, or for the benefit of goodly folk?I cannot.Not now.Not with competing interests equally dark.But no more am I surrounded by friends of similar weal, it seems.Were it my choice alone, I would flee this land, perhaps to the Silver Marches and (hopefully) some sense of goodliness and hope.To Mithral Hall and Silverymoon, who cling still to the heartsong of King Bruenor Battlehammer and Lady Alustriel, or perhaps to Waterdeep, shining still, where the lords hold court for the benefit of their city and citizens.But Dahlia will not be so persuaded to leave.There is something here, some old grudge that is far beyond my comprehension.I followed her to Sylora Salm willingly, settling my own score as she settled hers.And now I follow her again, or I abandon her, for she will not turn aside.When Artemis Entreri mentioned that name, Herzgo Alegni, such an anger came over Dahlia, and such a sadness, I think, that she will hear of no other goal.Nor will she hear of any delay, for winter is soon to be thick about us.No storm will slow her, I fear; no snow will gather deep enough that stubborn Dahlia will not drive through it, to Neverwinter, to wherever she must go to find this Netherese lord, this Herzgo Alegni.I had thought her hatred of Sylora Salm profound, but nay, I know now, it cannot measure against the depths of Dahlia’s loathing of this tiefling Netherese warlord.She will kill him, so she says, and when I threatened to leave her to her own course, she did not blink and did not hesitate, and did not care enough to offer me a fond farewell.So again I am drawn into a conflict I do not understand.Is there a righteous course to be found here?
In the tumult of the Spellplague and the deeper and more enduring darkness of the Shadowfell, the return of the shades and the Empire of Netheril, those structures of community and society could not remain unscathed.Some see chaos as an enemy to be defeated and tamed; others, I know from my earliest days, see chaos as opportunity for personal gain.For down here, there are the hundreds of communities and clusters of farms depending on the protection of the city garrisons, who will not come.Indeed, under the rule of despot kings or lords or high captains alike, those communities so oft become the prey of the powerful cities.For down here, there is Many Arrows, the orc kingdom forced upon the Silver Marches by the hordes of King Obould in that long-ago war—though even now, nearly a century hence, it remains a trial, a test, whose outcome cannot be predicted.Did King Bruenor, with his courage in signing the Treaty of Garumn’s Gorge, end the war, or merely delay a larger one?It is always confusion, I fear, always those shifting sands.Until I draw my blades, and that is the dark truth of who I have become.For when my scimitars are in hand, the battle becomes immediate, the goal survival.The greater politic that once guided my hand is a fleeting vision, the waving lines of rising heat showing rivers of sparkling water where there is only, in truth, dry sand.I live in a land of many Akar Kessells, but so few, it seems, places worth defending!Perhaps among the settlers of Neverwinter there exists such a noble defense as that I helped wage in Ten-Towns, but there live, too, in the triad of interests, the Thayans and their undead hordes and the Netherese, many persons no less ruthless and no less self-interested.Indeed, no less wrong.How might I engage my heart in such a conflict as the morass that is Neverwinter?How might I strike with conviction, secure in the knowledge that I fight for the good of the land, or for the benefit of goodly folk?I cannot.Not now.Not with competing interests equally dark.But no more am I surrounded by friends of similar weal, it seems.Were it my choice alone, I would flee this land, perhaps to the Silver Marches and (hopefully) some sense of goodliness and hope.To Mithral Hall and Silverymoon, who cling still to the heartsong of King Bruenor Battlehammer and Lady Alustriel, or perhaps to Waterdeep, shining still, where the lords hold court for the benefit of their city and citizens.But Dahlia will not be so persuaded to leave.There is something here, some old grudge that is far beyond my comprehension.I followed her to Sylora Salm willingly, settling my own score as she settled hers.And now I follow her again, or I abandon her, for she will not turn aside.When Artemis Entreri mentioned that name, Herzgo Alegni, such an anger came over Dahlia, and such a sadness, I think, that she will hear of no other goal.Nor will she hear of any delay, for winter is soon to be thick about us.No storm will slow her, I fear; no snow will gather deep enough that stubborn Dahlia will not drive through it, to Neverwinter, to wherever she must go to find this Netherese lord, this Herzgo Alegni.I had thought her hatred of Sylora Salm profound, but nay, I know now, it cannot measure against the depths of Dahlia’s loathing of this tiefling Netherese warlord.She will kill him, so she says, and when I threatened to leave her to her own course, she did not blink and did not hesitate, and did not care enough to offer me a fond farewell.So again I am drawn into a conflict I do not understand.Is there a righteous course to be found here?
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dnd342
Is there a measure of right and wrong between Dahlia and the Shadovar?By the words of Entreri, it would seem that this tiefling is a foul beast deserving of a violent end, and surely the reputation of Netheril supports that notion.But am I now so lost in my choice of path that I take the word of Artemis Entreri as guidance?Am I now so removed from any sense of correctness, from any communities so designed, that it falls to this?The sands shift beneath my feet.I draw my blades, and in the desperation of battle, I will wield them as I always have.My enemies will not know the tumult in my heart, the confusion that I have no clear moral path before me.They will know only the bite of Icingdeath, the flash of Twinkle.But I will know the truth.Does my reluctance to pursue Alegni reflect a distrust of Dahlia, I wonder?She is certain in her course—more certain than I have ever seen her, or seen anybody, for that matter.Even Bruenor, in his long ago quest to regain Mithral Hall, did not stride so determinedly.She will kill this tiefling or she will die trying.A sorry friend, a sorrier lover, am I indeed if I do not accompany her.But I do not understand.I do not see the path clearly.I do not know what greater good I serve.I do not fight in the hopes of betterment of my corner of the world.I just fight.On the side of Dahlia, who intrigues me.On the side of Artemis Entreri, so it would seem.Perhaps in another century, I will return to Menzoberranzan, not as an enemy, not as a conqueror, not to tear down the structures of that society I once held as most vile.Perhaps I will return because I will belong.This is my fear, of a life wasted, of a cause misbegotten, of a belief that is, in the end, an empty and unattainable ideal, the foolish designs of an innocent child who believed there could be more.—Drizzt Do’UrdenTHE WAR WOADDRIZZT WASN’T ALARMED WHEN HE AWOKE AT DAWN TO FIND THAT DAHLIA was not lying beside him in their small camp.He knew where she would be.He paused just long enough to strap on his scimitar belt and scoop Taulmaril over his shoulder, then trotted down the narrow forest paths and up the steep incline, grabbing tree to tree and pulling himself along.Near the top of that small hill, he spotted her, calmly staring in the distance with her back to him.Despite the cold—and this morning was the coldest of the season by far, Dahlia wore only her blanket, loosely wrapped around her, drooping from one naked shoulder.Drizzt hardly noted her dress, or undress, remarkable as it was, for his gaze was caught by Dahlia’s hair.The previous night, she had worn it in her stylish and soft shoulder cut, but now she had returned to the single thick black and red braid, rising up and curling deliciously around her delicate neck.It seemed as if Dahlia could become a different person with the pass of a magical comb.He started toward her slowly, a dry branch cracking under his step, the slight sound turning Dahlia’s head just a bit to regard him.Drizzt stopped short, staring at the patterns of blue spots, the warrior elf’s woad pattern.That, too, had been absent from her appearance the previous night, as if she had softened herself for Drizzt’s bed, as if Dahlia was using the hair and woad as a reflection of her mood, or.…Drizzt narrowed his gaze.
Is there a measure of right and wrong between Dahlia and the Shadovar?By the words of Entreri, it would seem that this tiefling is a foul beast deserving of a violent end, and surely the reputation of Netheril supports that notion.But am I now so lost in my choice of path that I take the word of Artemis Entreri as guidance?Am I now so removed from any sense of correctness, from any communities so designed, that it falls to this?The sands shift beneath my feet.I draw my blades, and in the desperation of battle, I will wield them as I always have.My enemies will not know the tumult in my heart, the confusion that I have no clear moral path before me.They will know only the bite of Icingdeath, the flash of Twinkle.But I will know the truth.Does my reluctance to pursue Alegni reflect a distrust of Dahlia, I wonder?She is certain in her course—more certain than I have ever seen her, or seen anybody, for that matter.Even Bruenor, in his long ago quest to regain Mithral Hall, did not stride so determinedly.She will kill this tiefling or she will die trying.A sorry friend, a sorrier lover, am I indeed if I do not accompany her.But I do not understand.I do not see the path clearly.I do not know what greater good I serve.I do not fight in the hopes of betterment of my corner of the world.I just fight.On the side of Dahlia, who intrigues me.On the side of Artemis Entreri, so it would seem.Perhaps in another century, I will return to Menzoberranzan, not as an enemy, not as a conqueror, not to tear down the structures of that society I once held as most vile.Perhaps I will return because I will belong.This is my fear, of a life wasted, of a cause misbegotten, of a belief that is, in the end, an empty and unattainable ideal, the foolish designs of an innocent child who believed there could be more.—Drizzt Do’UrdenTHE WAR WOADDRIZZT WASN’T ALARMED WHEN HE AWOKE AT DAWN TO FIND THAT DAHLIA was not lying beside him in their small camp.He knew where she would be.He paused just long enough to strap on his scimitar belt and scoop Taulmaril over his shoulder, then trotted down the narrow forest paths and up the steep incline, grabbing tree to tree and pulling himself along.Near the top of that small hill, he spotted her, calmly staring in the distance with her back to him.Despite the cold—and this morning was the coldest of the season by far, Dahlia wore only her blanket, loosely wrapped around her, drooping from one naked shoulder.Drizzt hardly noted her dress, or undress, remarkable as it was, for his gaze was caught by Dahlia’s hair.The previous night, she had worn it in her stylish and soft shoulder cut, but now she had returned to the single thick black and red braid, rising up and curling deliciously around her delicate neck.It seemed as if Dahlia could become a different person with the pass of a magical comb.He started toward her slowly, a dry branch cracking under his step, the slight sound turning Dahlia’s head just a bit to regard him.Drizzt stopped short, staring at the patterns of blue spots, the warrior elf’s woad pattern.That, too, had been absent from her appearance the previous night, as if she had softened herself for Drizzt’s bed, as if Dahlia was using the hair and woad as a reflection of her mood, or.…Drizzt narrowed his gaze.
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dnd343
Not as a reflection of her mood, he realized, but as an enticement to, a manipulation of, her drow lover.They had argued the previous evening, and fiery Dahlia, braid and woad intact, had staked out her position, her intention to go after Alegni, forcefully.But then she had come to Drizzt more gently in reconciliation, her hair softer, her pretty face clear of the warrior pattern.They had not discussed Alegni then, but neither had they gone to sleep angry at each other.Drizzt walked over to join Dahlia, taking in the sight from the western edge of the hillock.He looked down across the miles to Neverwinter, shrouded in a low ground fog as the colder air drew forth the wet warmth from the great river.“The mist hides much of the scarring,” Drizzt said, his arms going around the woman, who didn’t react to his touch.“It was once a beautiful city, and will be again if the Thayans are truly defeated.”“With the Shadovar haunting the streets and alleyways?” Dahlia replied, her tone harsh.Drizzt didn’t quite know how to reply, so he just hugged her a bit closer.“They are in the city, among the settlers, so said Barrabus—the man you call Artemis Entreri,” Dahlia replied.“A foothold likely gained only because of the greater threat of Sylora Salm.If that threat is diminished, I expect that the Shadovar—”“When their leader is dead, the threat of the Shadovar will diminish,” Dahlia interrupted bluntly and coldly.“And their leader will soon be dead.”Drizzt tried to hug her closer, but she pulled away from him.She took a couple of steps closer to the edge of the bluff and rearranged her blanket around her.“Time is not his ally, it is ours,” Drizzt said.Dahlia turned on him sharply, her gaze stern—and intensified by the threatening patterns of her war woad.“He will know the truth,” Drizzt insisted.“He will learn from Entreri of what transpired with Sylora Salm, and will know that we will come for him—Entreri admitted as much to us when he told us that he was enslaved and that he could not join us in your vendetta.”“Then the foul Netherese warlord should be very afraid right now,” Dahlia replied.“And so he will be very alert right now, with his forces pulled in tightly.Now is not the time—”Again, Dahlia cut him short.“It is not your choice.”“As the Thayan threat diminishes, so too will our opponent’s guard, and so too will his standing within the city,” Drizzt pressed on against her anger.“I have met these settlers and they are goodly folk—they’ll not suffer the Netherese for long.This is not the time to go after him.”Dahlia’s blue eyes flashed with anger, and for a moment, Drizzt thought she might lash out at him.Even knowing her designs and determination to get Alegni, the drow ranger could hardly believe the level of intensity in that rage!He could not imagine her angrier if he had admitted to her some heinous crime he had committed against her family.He was glad that she did not have her weapon available to her at that moment.Drizzt let a long silence pass between them before daring to continue.“You will kill Alegni.”“Do not speak his name!” Dahlia insisted, and she spat upon the ground, as if even hearing the name had brought bile into her mouth.Drizzt patted his hands in the air, trying to calm her.Gradually, the angry fires in her eyes were replaced with a profound sadness.“What is it?” he whispered, daring to move closer.Dahlia turned around but did not refuse him as he put his arms around her once more.Together, they looked down at Neverwinter.“I’m going to kill him,” she whispered, and it seemed to Drizzt as if she was speaking to herself more than to him.“No delay.No wait.I will kill him.”“As you killed Sylora Salm?”“Had I known she named him as her enemy, I would have helped her.
Not as a reflection of her mood, he realized, but as an enticement to, a manipulation of, her drow lover.They had argued the previous evening, and fiery Dahlia, braid and woad intact, had staked out her position, her intention to go after Alegni, forcefully.But then she had come to Drizzt more gently in reconciliation, her hair softer, her pretty face clear of the warrior pattern.They had not discussed Alegni then, but neither had they gone to sleep angry at each other.Drizzt walked over to join Dahlia, taking in the sight from the western edge of the hillock.He looked down across the miles to Neverwinter, shrouded in a low ground fog as the colder air drew forth the wet warmth from the great river.“The mist hides much of the scarring,” Drizzt said, his arms going around the woman, who didn’t react to his touch.“It was once a beautiful city, and will be again if the Thayans are truly defeated.”“With the Shadovar haunting the streets and alleyways?” Dahlia replied, her tone harsh.Drizzt didn’t quite know how to reply, so he just hugged her a bit closer.“They are in the city, among the settlers, so said Barrabus—the man you call Artemis Entreri,” Dahlia replied.“A foothold likely gained only because of the greater threat of Sylora Salm.If that threat is diminished, I expect that the Shadovar—”“When their leader is dead, the threat of the Shadovar will diminish,” Dahlia interrupted bluntly and coldly.“And their leader will soon be dead.”Drizzt tried to hug her closer, but she pulled away from him.She took a couple of steps closer to the edge of the bluff and rearranged her blanket around her.“Time is not his ally, it is ours,” Drizzt said.Dahlia turned on him sharply, her gaze stern—and intensified by the threatening patterns of her war woad.“He will know the truth,” Drizzt insisted.“He will learn from Entreri of what transpired with Sylora Salm, and will know that we will come for him—Entreri admitted as much to us when he told us that he was enslaved and that he could not join us in your vendetta.”“Then the foul Netherese warlord should be very afraid right now,” Dahlia replied.“And so he will be very alert right now, with his forces pulled in tightly.Now is not the time—”Again, Dahlia cut him short.“It is not your choice.”“As the Thayan threat diminishes, so too will our opponent’s guard, and so too will his standing within the city,” Drizzt pressed on against her anger.“I have met these settlers and they are goodly folk—they’ll not suffer the Netherese for long.This is not the time to go after him.”Dahlia’s blue eyes flashed with anger, and for a moment, Drizzt thought she might lash out at him.Even knowing her designs and determination to get Alegni, the drow ranger could hardly believe the level of intensity in that rage!He could not imagine her angrier if he had admitted to her some heinous crime he had committed against her family.He was glad that she did not have her weapon available to her at that moment.Drizzt let a long silence pass between them before daring to continue.“You will kill Alegni.”“Do not speak his name!” Dahlia insisted, and she spat upon the ground, as if even hearing the name had brought bile into her mouth.Drizzt patted his hands in the air, trying to calm her.Gradually, the angry fires in her eyes were replaced with a profound sadness.“What is it?” he whispered, daring to move closer.Dahlia turned around but did not refuse him as he put his arms around her once more.Together, they looked down at Neverwinter.“I’m going to kill him,” she whispered, and it seemed to Drizzt as if she was speaking to herself more than to him.“No delay.No wait.I will kill him.”“As you killed Sylora Salm?”“Had I known she named him as her enemy, I would have helped her.
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dnd344
Had I known the identity of the Shadovar leader, I never would have left Neverwinter for Luskan or Gauntlgrym.I never would have departed the region until he was dead by my hand.”She said those last three words with such clarity, such intensity, such venom, that Drizzt knew he would get nowhere in reasoning with Dahlia at this time.So he just held her.In the skeleton of a dead tree, peering through a crack in the rotting wood, Effron the Twisted watched the couple with great interest.The misshapen warlock heard every word of their conversation and wasn’t surprised by any of it.He knew of Dahlia, knew more of her than anyone else alive, likely, and he understood the demons that guided her.Of course she would try to kill Herzgo Alegni.She would be happier if she died trying to kill him than if they both remained alive.Effron understood her.The warlock couldn’t deny his own emotions in looking at this elf warrior woman.Part of him wanted to leap out from the tree and destroy the couple then and there.Good sense overruled that impulse, though, for he had heard enough of the reputation of this Drizzt Do’Urden creature to realize that he ought to play this game cautiously.Besides, he wasn’t sure he wanted Dahlia killed—not immediately, at least.There were some things he wanted to know, needed to know, and only she could provide the answers.The Shadovar warlock shade-shifted away from the spot, but did not immediately return to Herzgo Alegni’s side to report his findings.Effron was nobody’s slave, after all, and was not without his own resources.He went instead to a forest region of dells and rocky ridges outside of Neverwinter.The sky was still very dark, with low clouds, and a light snow had begun to fall, but Effron knew this area well and moved unerringly to an encampment set in a shallow cave.Sitting nearby were a handful of Shadovar—Netherese soldiers who had come through from the Shadowfell soon after Effron, at Effron’s secret bidding, but who had not yet pledged their allegiance to Alegni.When the twisted warlock shambled into their midst, they all stood up, not quite at attention but still with some modicum of respect.“You have the globes?” the warlock asked one shade, a tall human male named Ratsis.In response, Ratsis flashed a crooked-toothed smile and reached under the open collar of his shirt to produce a silver chain necklace set with two shadow-filled translucent globes, each the size of a child’s fist.In the swirling shadowmists within each globe crawled a spider, small and furry, like a tiny tarantula.Ratsis grinned.“For the elf woman,” Effron reminded him.“And what of her companion?” Ratsis asked.“Kill him,” Effron replied without hesitation.“He is too dangerous to capture, or to allow to escape.Kill him.”“We are seven,” insisted Jermander, another of the group, a fierce tiefling warrior who wore both his pride and his unrelenting anger openly.“They are but two!”“Eight,” Ratsis the spider-keeper quietly corrected.He paused for just a moment, smiling as he rolled the globes of his necklace around, eyes glowing as he viewed his pets, and reconsidered.“Ten.”Jermander’s expression showed that he did not appreciate those particular allies, which only drew a laugh from Ratsis.“Do not underestimate these two enemies, my fighting friend,” Ratsis warned.“Do not underestimate us,” Jermander retorted.“We are not fodder, pulled from the Shadowfell for the pleasure of Effron the Twisted, or even Lord Alegni.”Effron matched the warrior’s stare, but he did not disagree.These particular shades were not Netherese nobles, perhaps, but neither could they be considered commoners.They were mercenaries of great reputation, the famed Bounty Hirelings of Cavus Dun, and they came at a high price indeed.“My apologies, Jermander,” Effron said with an awkward, twisted bow.“Capture the elf woman,” Ratsis said with great emphasis.
Had I known the identity of the Shadovar leader, I never would have left Neverwinter for Luskan or Gauntlgrym.I never would have departed the region until he was dead by my hand.”She said those last three words with such clarity, such intensity, such venom, that Drizzt knew he would get nowhere in reasoning with Dahlia at this time.So he just held her.In the skeleton of a dead tree, peering through a crack in the rotting wood, Effron the Twisted watched the couple with great interest.The misshapen warlock heard every word of their conversation and wasn’t surprised by any of it.He knew of Dahlia, knew more of her than anyone else alive, likely, and he understood the demons that guided her.Of course she would try to kill Herzgo Alegni.She would be happier if she died trying to kill him than if they both remained alive.Effron understood her.The warlock couldn’t deny his own emotions in looking at this elf warrior woman.Part of him wanted to leap out from the tree and destroy the couple then and there.Good sense overruled that impulse, though, for he had heard enough of the reputation of this Drizzt Do’Urden creature to realize that he ought to play this game cautiously.Besides, he wasn’t sure he wanted Dahlia killed—not immediately, at least.There were some things he wanted to know, needed to know, and only she could provide the answers.The Shadovar warlock shade-shifted away from the spot, but did not immediately return to Herzgo Alegni’s side to report his findings.Effron was nobody’s slave, after all, and was not without his own resources.He went instead to a forest region of dells and rocky ridges outside of Neverwinter.The sky was still very dark, with low clouds, and a light snow had begun to fall, but Effron knew this area well and moved unerringly to an encampment set in a shallow cave.Sitting nearby were a handful of Shadovar—Netherese soldiers who had come through from the Shadowfell soon after Effron, at Effron’s secret bidding, but who had not yet pledged their allegiance to Alegni.When the twisted warlock shambled into their midst, they all stood up, not quite at attention but still with some modicum of respect.“You have the globes?” the warlock asked one shade, a tall human male named Ratsis.In response, Ratsis flashed a crooked-toothed smile and reached under the open collar of his shirt to produce a silver chain necklace set with two shadow-filled translucent globes, each the size of a child’s fist.In the swirling shadowmists within each globe crawled a spider, small and furry, like a tiny tarantula.Ratsis grinned.“For the elf woman,” Effron reminded him.“And what of her companion?” Ratsis asked.“Kill him,” Effron replied without hesitation.“He is too dangerous to capture, or to allow to escape.Kill him.”“We are seven,” insisted Jermander, another of the group, a fierce tiefling warrior who wore both his pride and his unrelenting anger openly.“They are but two!”“Eight,” Ratsis the spider-keeper quietly corrected.He paused for just a moment, smiling as he rolled the globes of his necklace around, eyes glowing as he viewed his pets, and reconsidered.“Ten.”Jermander’s expression showed that he did not appreciate those particular allies, which only drew a laugh from Ratsis.“Do not underestimate these two enemies, my fighting friend,” Ratsis warned.“Do not underestimate us,” Jermander retorted.“We are not fodder, pulled from the Shadowfell for the pleasure of Effron the Twisted, or even Lord Alegni.”Effron matched the warrior’s stare, but he did not disagree.These particular shades were not Netherese nobles, perhaps, but neither could they be considered commoners.They were mercenaries of great reputation, the famed Bounty Hirelings of Cavus Dun, and they came at a high price indeed.“My apologies, Jermander,” Effron said with an awkward, twisted bow.“Capture the elf woman,” Ratsis said with great emphasis.
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dnd345
“Sheathe your blades.” He rolled the spider globes around his fingers again and smiled victoriously.“Be lethal with the drow, gentle with the elf.”The exchange of looks between Jermander and Ratsis revealed more than a little competition between the two, and no shortage of animosity either.Neither of those truths was lost on Effron.“Do not fail me in killing the drow,” the warlock, who also carried the weight of a Netherese noble, warned.“Fail me in capturing Dahlia alive, and you will beg for your death for eternity.”“A threat?” Jermander asked, seeming amused.“Draygo Quick,” Effron reminded him.The warrior lost his bluster at the mention of that truly powerful Shadovar.“A promise.”Effron ended with a hard stare, shifting his gaze from one mercenary to the other, then slowly walked away.“Get the Shifter,” Ratsis said as soon as Effron was gone.The Shifter had been the reason he had corrected Jermander’s count when he had insisted that they were eight and not seven.Jermander stared at him doubtfully.“The drow’s blades will pose challenges and dangers to our capture of Dahlia,” Ratsis said.“I don’t wish to explain Dahlia’s untimely death to the likes of Draygo Quick!”“I can move him,” insisted another shade, a wiry and muscular tiefling wearing few clothes and carrying a short spear.“As can I,” declared another, one of human heritage and Shadovar skin, who was similarly armed and armored only in a fine cloth suit.He stepped up beside the tiefling and both puffed out their slender, but quite muscular, chests, seemingly in practiced unison.On this human, more than on the tiefling, such a pose seemed a jester’s parody.With a mop of curly blond hair and cherubic cheeks, he appeared almost childlike, despite his honed muscles.Ratsis wanted to laugh at these two Brothers of the Gray Mists, an order of monks that had gained some notoriety of late among the Netherese.He wanted to laugh, but he knew better than to do so.For Brothers Parbid and Afafrenfere were particularly zealous and undeniably reckless.“I had expected that you two would be primary in killing the drow,” Ratsis said to appease them, and indeed, the monks both showed the edges of a smile at his compliment.“With your quick movements and deadly fists, I would expect even one of Drizzt Do’Urden’s reputation to be overwhelmed.”“We are disciples of the Pointed Step,” Parbid, the tiefling, replied, and stamped his spear.“We will do both: move him and then kill him.”Ratsis glanced at Jermander, who was obviously equally amused.Jermander’s look showed that their little spat had been left behind, suppressed by the almost-comical puffery of Parbid and Afafrenfere.“I am the catcher.You are the killer,” Ratsis said to Jermander.“What is your choice?”“An eighth would suit us well,” Jermander replied, to the disappointment—and apparent deflation—of the two monks.“I would take no risks here.Not at this time.”“The Shifter will demand three shares!” said Ambergris, another of the band, a dwarf convert to the Shadowfell, part shade but not quite wholly one as of yet.
“Sheathe your blades.” He rolled the spider globes around his fingers again and smiled victoriously.“Be lethal with the drow, gentle with the elf.”The exchange of looks between Jermander and Ratsis revealed more than a little competition between the two, and no shortage of animosity either.Neither of those truths was lost on Effron.“Do not fail me in killing the drow,” the warlock, who also carried the weight of a Netherese noble, warned.“Fail me in capturing Dahlia alive, and you will beg for your death for eternity.”“A threat?” Jermander asked, seeming amused.“Draygo Quick,” Effron reminded him.The warrior lost his bluster at the mention of that truly powerful Shadovar.“A promise.”Effron ended with a hard stare, shifting his gaze from one mercenary to the other, then slowly walked away.“Get the Shifter,” Ratsis said as soon as Effron was gone.The Shifter had been the reason he had corrected Jermander’s count when he had insisted that they were eight and not seven.Jermander stared at him doubtfully.“The drow’s blades will pose challenges and dangers to our capture of Dahlia,” Ratsis said.“I don’t wish to explain Dahlia’s untimely death to the likes of Draygo Quick!”“I can move him,” insisted another shade, a wiry and muscular tiefling wearing few clothes and carrying a short spear.“As can I,” declared another, one of human heritage and Shadovar skin, who was similarly armed and armored only in a fine cloth suit.He stepped up beside the tiefling and both puffed out their slender, but quite muscular, chests, seemingly in practiced unison.On this human, more than on the tiefling, such a pose seemed a jester’s parody.With a mop of curly blond hair and cherubic cheeks, he appeared almost childlike, despite his honed muscles.Ratsis wanted to laugh at these two Brothers of the Gray Mists, an order of monks that had gained some notoriety of late among the Netherese.He wanted to laugh, but he knew better than to do so.For Brothers Parbid and Afafrenfere were particularly zealous and undeniably reckless.“I had expected that you two would be primary in killing the drow,” Ratsis said to appease them, and indeed, the monks both showed the edges of a smile at his compliment.“With your quick movements and deadly fists, I would expect even one of Drizzt Do’Urden’s reputation to be overwhelmed.”“We are disciples of the Pointed Step,” Parbid, the tiefling, replied, and stamped his spear.“We will do both: move him and then kill him.”Ratsis glanced at Jermander, who was obviously equally amused.Jermander’s look showed that their little spat had been left behind, suppressed by the almost-comical puffery of Parbid and Afafrenfere.“I am the catcher.You are the killer,” Ratsis said to Jermander.“What is your choice?”“An eighth would suit us well,” Jermander replied, to the disappointment—and apparent deflation—of the two monks.“I would take no risks here.Not at this time.”“The Shifter will demand three shares!” said Ambergris, another of the band, a dwarf convert to the Shadowfell, part shade but not quite wholly one as of yet.
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dnd346
Her real name was Amber Gristle O’Maul, but Ambergris seemed a better fit, for she surely looked and smelled the part, with long black hair, parts braided, parts not, and a thick and crooked nose.She didn’t quite look the part of a Shadovar yet, appearing more like the offspring of a duergar and a Delzoun.She’d only been in the Shadowfell for a little more than a year.But her prowess with her exceptional mace and her divine spellcasting had not gone unnoticed.Despite her lack of credentials among the Shadovar, the Bounty Hunters of Cavus Dun had taken her in and had promised to sponsor her for full admission into the empire—extraordinarily rare for a nonhuman—if she proved herself.She seemed to understand that as she sat among this group, eagerly rolling her weapon, which she had lovingly named Skullbreaker, in her strong hands.The mace reached nearly four feet in length, its core polished hardwood, handle wrapped in black leather, its weighted end intermittently wrapped with thick rings of black metal.She could deftly wield it with one hand, or could take it up in both and bat the skull from a skeleton out of sight.She carried a small buckler, easily maneuverable so it wouldn’t hinder her frequent shifts from one hand to two on the weapon.“Perhaps you would do well to remain silent,” Ratsis answered sternly.Ambergris took it with a shrug; had she supported his position here, no doubt Jermander would have turned on her with equal discipline.“True enough,” the tiefling monk Parbid remarked.“Ambergris thinks herself special because she’s one of a thousand among us due to her heritage, and one of ten thousand when you add in her gender.One would think that by now she would have come to understand that her specialness is a matter of curiosity and nothing more.”“Unfair, brother,” said the other monk, Afafrenfere.“She fights well and her healing prowess has helped us greatly.”“Won’t be helpin’ yer devil-blooded partner anytime soon,” Ambergris muttered under her breath, but loud enough for all to hear.“Perhaps she will be of use in interrogating any of her filthy kin we catch along our trails,” Parbid answered Afafrenfere.“The dwarf’s point is well taken,” Jermander interjected to get things back to the point.“The Shifter will demand three full shares, though her work will be no more grueling, and surely less dangerous, given her ability to escape anyone’s grasp, than our own.”“We’ll offer her two shares, then,” Ratsis calmly replied, and Jermander nodded.“Are we all agreed?” Ratsis asked.Ambergris stamped her foot, crossed her arms over her chest, and stubbornly shook her head, though of course, she did not have a full vote as she was not fully of the Shadovar.When Ratsis’s skeptical expression conveyed exactly that, the dwarf retreated a bit and began fiddling with the string of black pearls she wore around her neck, cursing under her breath.The two monks stood resolutely and shook their heads with a unified “nay,” countering Ratsis and Jermander, who both voted “aye.”All eyes turned to the back of the camp, where a broad-shouldered woman and a fat tiefling male sat on stones.The woman sharpened her sword.The tiefling man wrapped new strands of red leather around the handle of his great flail.With every twist of leather, the weapon jerked and the heavy spiked ball, the size of a large man’s head, bobbed at the end of its four-foot chain.“Ye do what ye need doin’,” the tiefling, who was called simply Bol, replied.“Two and a half to two, then,” Ambergris said with grin.But the sword-woman quite unexpectedly chimed in with “Get the Shifter,” as soon as the dwarf had made the claim.All eyes fell on her.It was the first time any of them had heard her speak, and she had been with this hunting band for tendays.
Her real name was Amber Gristle O’Maul, but Ambergris seemed a better fit, for she surely looked and smelled the part, with long black hair, parts braided, parts not, and a thick and crooked nose.She didn’t quite look the part of a Shadovar yet, appearing more like the offspring of a duergar and a Delzoun.She’d only been in the Shadowfell for a little more than a year.But her prowess with her exceptional mace and her divine spellcasting had not gone unnoticed.Despite her lack of credentials among the Shadovar, the Bounty Hunters of Cavus Dun had taken her in and had promised to sponsor her for full admission into the empire—extraordinarily rare for a nonhuman—if she proved herself.She seemed to understand that as she sat among this group, eagerly rolling her weapon, which she had lovingly named Skullbreaker, in her strong hands.The mace reached nearly four feet in length, its core polished hardwood, handle wrapped in black leather, its weighted end intermittently wrapped with thick rings of black metal.She could deftly wield it with one hand, or could take it up in both and bat the skull from a skeleton out of sight.She carried a small buckler, easily maneuverable so it wouldn’t hinder her frequent shifts from one hand to two on the weapon.“Perhaps you would do well to remain silent,” Ratsis answered sternly.Ambergris took it with a shrug; had she supported his position here, no doubt Jermander would have turned on her with equal discipline.“True enough,” the tiefling monk Parbid remarked.“Ambergris thinks herself special because she’s one of a thousand among us due to her heritage, and one of ten thousand when you add in her gender.One would think that by now she would have come to understand that her specialness is a matter of curiosity and nothing more.”“Unfair, brother,” said the other monk, Afafrenfere.“She fights well and her healing prowess has helped us greatly.”“Won’t be helpin’ yer devil-blooded partner anytime soon,” Ambergris muttered under her breath, but loud enough for all to hear.“Perhaps she will be of use in interrogating any of her filthy kin we catch along our trails,” Parbid answered Afafrenfere.“The dwarf’s point is well taken,” Jermander interjected to get things back to the point.“The Shifter will demand three full shares, though her work will be no more grueling, and surely less dangerous, given her ability to escape anyone’s grasp, than our own.”“We’ll offer her two shares, then,” Ratsis calmly replied, and Jermander nodded.“Are we all agreed?” Ratsis asked.Ambergris stamped her foot, crossed her arms over her chest, and stubbornly shook her head, though of course, she did not have a full vote as she was not fully of the Shadovar.When Ratsis’s skeptical expression conveyed exactly that, the dwarf retreated a bit and began fiddling with the string of black pearls she wore around her neck, cursing under her breath.The two monks stood resolutely and shook their heads with a unified “nay,” countering Ratsis and Jermander, who both voted “aye.”All eyes turned to the back of the camp, where a broad-shouldered woman and a fat tiefling male sat on stones.The woman sharpened her sword.The tiefling man wrapped new strands of red leather around the handle of his great flail.With every twist of leather, the weapon jerked and the heavy spiked ball, the size of a large man’s head, bobbed at the end of its four-foot chain.“Ye do what ye need doin’,” the tiefling, who was called simply Bol, replied.“Two and a half to two, then,” Ambergris said with grin.But the sword-woman quite unexpectedly chimed in with “Get the Shifter,” as soon as the dwarf had made the claim.All eyes fell on her.It was the first time any of them had heard her speak, and she had been with this hunting band for tendays.
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dnd347
They didn’t even know her name, and to a one had referred to her as Horrible, or “Whore-o-Bol” as Ambergris had tagged it, a nickname that hadn’t seemed to bother her, and one that had merely amused the slobbering Bol.Or maybe it had bothered her, Ratsis mused as he looked from the woman to the dwarf, to recognize some true animosity between them.And that animosity had likely elicited the response.“Three to two and a half, then,” Jermander said, pulling Ratsis back into the conversation.“Call it four, then!” Bol added.“If me Horrible’s wanting it, then so be it.”“So what was to be a seventh-split will be a ninth,” Parbid grumbled.“Shouldn’t you and your brother be out scouting for Dahlia and the drow, as we agreed?” Ratsis replied.“And if you happen upon them, do feel free to take them, and in that event, you two may split Effron’s gold evenly between you.”Parbid and Afafrenfere exchanged looks, their expressions both doubtful and intrigued, as if they might just call Ratsis on his bluff.Jermander, meanwhile, cast a less-than-enthusiastic gaze Ratsis’s way and held the look as the two monks trotted off.“Let them try,” Ratsis explained.“Then we’ll be back to seventh shares, even considering the expensive services of the Shifter.”Jermander snorted and didn’t seem overly bothered by that possibility.Drizzt crouched a few steps away from the trunk of the large pine tree, beneath the bending thick branches that had served as his and Dahlia’s shelter for the night.He saw the coating of white between the pine needles, and he stood straighter, pulling apart a pair of the branches.The first snow had indeed fallen that night, coating the ground in glistening white under the rays of the morning sun.With the light peeking into their natural bedroom, the drow glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping Dahlia.A single ray touched her check, but no war woad shimmered there.Dahlia had worn her softer look again that night, after a long and uncomfortable silence had trailed the couple throughout the day on the heels of their earlier argument.Her hair was back in the soft shoulder bob, her face clear and smooth.It was the look Drizzt far preferred, and Dahlia knew that.Dahlia knew that.Was she manipulating him?he wondered yet again.He knew that Dahlia was a calculating woman, a clever warrior, a strategic opponent.But was it possible that she was also his opponent?Did she see him as a companion and a friend, or as merely a plaything and a tool for her greater designs?Drizzt tried to shake such dark thoughts away, but he could not.Standing there at the boughs of the tree, looking back at the beautiful elf, he could not help but be drawn to her.At the same time, though, Drizzt was reminded that he did not really know Dahlia, and that what he did know of her was not so innocent a lifestyle.Dahlia, after all, had lured Jarlaxle and Athrogate to Gauntlgrym with the intent of freeing the primordial.Even though she had changed from that malignant course in the critical moment, she still had to bear more than a little responsibility for the cataclysm that had devastated the region and buried the city of Neverwinter.She looked so young lying there in the morning light, and so innocent, almost childlike.Indeed she was young, Drizzt reminded himself.When he was Dahlia’s age back in Menzoberranzan, had he even left House Do’Urden for the warrior school of Melee-Magthere?Still, he knew, Dahlia was in many ways much older than he.She had served in the court of Szass Tam, the archlich of Thay.
They didn’t even know her name, and to a one had referred to her as Horrible, or “Whore-o-Bol” as Ambergris had tagged it, a nickname that hadn’t seemed to bother her, and one that had merely amused the slobbering Bol.Or maybe it had bothered her, Ratsis mused as he looked from the woman to the dwarf, to recognize some true animosity between them.And that animosity had likely elicited the response.“Three to two and a half, then,” Jermander said, pulling Ratsis back into the conversation.“Call it four, then!” Bol added.“If me Horrible’s wanting it, then so be it.”“So what was to be a seventh-split will be a ninth,” Parbid grumbled.“Shouldn’t you and your brother be out scouting for Dahlia and the drow, as we agreed?” Ratsis replied.“And if you happen upon them, do feel free to take them, and in that event, you two may split Effron’s gold evenly between you.”Parbid and Afafrenfere exchanged looks, their expressions both doubtful and intrigued, as if they might just call Ratsis on his bluff.Jermander, meanwhile, cast a less-than-enthusiastic gaze Ratsis’s way and held the look as the two monks trotted off.“Let them try,” Ratsis explained.“Then we’ll be back to seventh shares, even considering the expensive services of the Shifter.”Jermander snorted and didn’t seem overly bothered by that possibility.Drizzt crouched a few steps away from the trunk of the large pine tree, beneath the bending thick branches that had served as his and Dahlia’s shelter for the night.He saw the coating of white between the pine needles, and he stood straighter, pulling apart a pair of the branches.The first snow had indeed fallen that night, coating the ground in glistening white under the rays of the morning sun.With the light peeking into their natural bedroom, the drow glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping Dahlia.A single ray touched her check, but no war woad shimmered there.Dahlia had worn her softer look again that night, after a long and uncomfortable silence had trailed the couple throughout the day on the heels of their earlier argument.Her hair was back in the soft shoulder bob, her face clear and smooth.It was the look Drizzt far preferred, and Dahlia knew that.Dahlia knew that.Was she manipulating him?he wondered yet again.He knew that Dahlia was a calculating woman, a clever warrior, a strategic opponent.But was it possible that she was also his opponent?Did she see him as a companion and a friend, or as merely a plaything and a tool for her greater designs?Drizzt tried to shake such dark thoughts away, but he could not.Standing there at the boughs of the tree, looking back at the beautiful elf, he could not help but be drawn to her.At the same time, though, Drizzt was reminded that he did not really know Dahlia, and that what he did know of her was not so innocent a lifestyle.Dahlia, after all, had lured Jarlaxle and Athrogate to Gauntlgrym with the intent of freeing the primordial.Even though she had changed from that malignant course in the critical moment, she still had to bear more than a little responsibility for the cataclysm that had devastated the region and buried the city of Neverwinter.She looked so young lying there in the morning light, and so innocent, almost childlike.Indeed she was young, Drizzt reminded himself.When he was Dahlia’s age back in Menzoberranzan, had he even left House Do’Urden for the warrior school of Melee-Magthere?Still, he knew, Dahlia was in many ways much older than he.She had served in the court of Szass Tam, the archlich of Thay.
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dnd348
She had witnessed great battles and had known more lovers than he, surely.She was greatly traveled, and deeply experienced in life.Drizzt knew better than to allow any condescension to slip into his thoughts as he considered Dahlia.Spirited and dangerous, it would not do for anyone associated with her, friend, lover, or enemy, to underestimate her, in any way.So was she manipulating him with this soft look of hers, the alluring and more innocent cut of her hair and her unblemished face?The drow smiled as he considered the obvious answer in light of yesterday’s events.The hardened Dahlia, braid and woad, had argued with him and even invited him to leave her side.She would take care of Herzgo Alegni herself, she had proclaimed.But that would be no easy task, obviously, for Alegni was within the city, and likely surrounded by powerful allies, including Artemis Entreri.And as the day had worn on, and Drizzt had remained at her side, though still without committing to join her, Dahlia had morphed into this alluring and gentle creature, less warrior, more lover.Drizzt looked out at the snowy forest and chuckled at himself.It didn’t really matter if Dahlia was trying to manipulate him, he supposed.Wasn’t that simply the truth of relationships?Hadn’t Bruenor manipulated him and everyone else, facilitating his own “death” after the battle with Akar Kessell that they might abandon Icewind Dale and head out on the road in search of Mithral Hall?And hadn’t Drizzt, in truth, manipulated Bruenor into signing the Treaty of Garumn’s Gorge?The drow couldn’t help laughing as his memories spun back through the years.He recalled Bruenor’s deathbed drama back in Icewind Dale, when the dwarf had played out his greatest desires, so apparently lost to the winds of time.Coughing and sputtering and wheezing and obviously failing, clever Bruenor had shrunk before Drizzt’s eyes, as if entering the nether realm of death, until the moment Drizzt had pledged that they would head out and find Mithral Hall.Then Bruenor had hopped up, ready for the road.Oh, what a fine play that had been … but also, of course, a deep manipulation.That Dahlia was playing some games within the context of their relationship simply wasn’t that important, Drizzt told himself.He knew the truth of it, and within that truth crouched the hard fact that he could only be manipulated if he let her.It wasn’t simply lust, he knew, though surely Dahlia excited him.His intrigue with the elf went far beyond physical needs.He wanted to understand her.He felt that if he could learn about Dahlia, he would learn much of himself.Her way of looking at the world was foreign to him, a different perspective entirely, and that promised him an expansion of his own viewpoints.
She had witnessed great battles and had known more lovers than he, surely.She was greatly traveled, and deeply experienced in life.Drizzt knew better than to allow any condescension to slip into his thoughts as he considered Dahlia.Spirited and dangerous, it would not do for anyone associated with her, friend, lover, or enemy, to underestimate her, in any way.So was she manipulating him with this soft look of hers, the alluring and more innocent cut of her hair and her unblemished face?The drow smiled as he considered the obvious answer in light of yesterday’s events.The hardened Dahlia, braid and woad, had argued with him and even invited him to leave her side.She would take care of Herzgo Alegni herself, she had proclaimed.But that would be no easy task, obviously, for Alegni was within the city, and likely surrounded by powerful allies, including Artemis Entreri.And as the day had worn on, and Drizzt had remained at her side, though still without committing to join her, Dahlia had morphed into this alluring and gentle creature, less warrior, more lover.Drizzt looked out at the snowy forest and chuckled at himself.It didn’t really matter if Dahlia was trying to manipulate him, he supposed.Wasn’t that simply the truth of relationships?Hadn’t Bruenor manipulated him and everyone else, facilitating his own “death” after the battle with Akar Kessell that they might abandon Icewind Dale and head out on the road in search of Mithral Hall?And hadn’t Drizzt, in truth, manipulated Bruenor into signing the Treaty of Garumn’s Gorge?The drow couldn’t help laughing as his memories spun back through the years.He recalled Bruenor’s deathbed drama back in Icewind Dale, when the dwarf had played out his greatest desires, so apparently lost to the winds of time.Coughing and sputtering and wheezing and obviously failing, clever Bruenor had shrunk before Drizzt’s eyes, as if entering the nether realm of death, until the moment Drizzt had pledged that they would head out and find Mithral Hall.Then Bruenor had hopped up, ready for the road.Oh, what a fine play that had been … but also, of course, a deep manipulation.That Dahlia was playing some games within the context of their relationship simply wasn’t that important, Drizzt told himself.He knew the truth of it, and within that truth crouched the hard fact that he could only be manipulated if he let her.It wasn’t simply lust, he knew, though surely Dahlia excited him.His intrigue with the elf went far beyond physical needs.He wanted to understand her.He felt that if he could learn about Dahlia, he would learn much of himself.Her way of looking at the world was foreign to him, a different perspective entirely, and that promised him an expansion of his own viewpoints.
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dnd349
Perhaps he was drawn to Dahlia for the same reason he seemed forever drawn to Artemis Entreri—to consider the man, at least, if not to travel beside him.For both of them, Dahlia and Entreri, were possessed of a code of honor, albeit a stilted one in Drizzt’s eyes.Neither woke up in the morning with visions of creating chaos and suffering.Dahlia had shown as much with her inability to follow her master’s orders and release the primordial.So, did he want to fix them?Drizzt wondered.Did he, somewhere in his heart, believe that he could redeem Artemis Entreri and guide Dahlia to a brighter light?He glanced back at Dahlia again, just for a moment.He couldn’t deny his hubris.Likely, his desire to bring people out of darkness was part of the equation that had put Artemis Entreri in Drizzt’s thoughts so many times over the decades—nearly as often as he had wondered about Wulfgar.It was much more complicated with Dahlia, he knew.For he was indeed drawn to her in ways he could never be drawn to Entreri or Wulfgar.He couldn’t deny it.No matter how many times he might convince himself that he should not be with the dangerous elf, that conviction couldn’t hold against the mere sight of her, particularly when she wore her hair and face softly.He straightened up in surprise as he felt the elf’s arm slide over his shoulder and wrap around his neck.Dahlia rested her chin on his other shoulder and kissed him on the ear.“A warm bed before a journey into the cold snow?”Drizzt smiled.His expression only widened as Dahlia added, “And then we will go and kill him.”Indeed.He thought of Bruenor on that deathbed in Icewind Dale again and reminded himself that his bond with the deceptive dwarf had lasted more than a hundred years.Indeed.THE LORD OF NEVERWINTERCAPTAIN OF THE WHITE GUARD,” HERZGO ALEGNI CORRECTED, AND MANY eyes turned upon the tiefling warlord in surprise.Alegni sat at a small table along the side wall of the inn that served as their meeting house.He was opposite the hearth, about as far from the source of warmth as he could be in the room, and he had pulled open the window beside him.Jelvus Grinch looked at him curiously.The city’s leaders had just been discussing Grinch’s place in Neverwinter’s new ruling structure, and the Netherese lord had mentioned that Jelvus Grinch was a fine choice as the leader of the Neverwinter garrison, a role Grinch had handled for years by that point, in any case.“The White Guard?” another in the room chimed in, voicing the question held by many in the room, obviously.Herzgo Alegni stood up slowly, flexing his obvious muscles as he went and rolling back his shoulders to let them all witness the powerful expanse of his broad and strong chest.Slowly, taking the time to let the heels of his boots resound against the wood floor with every distinctive step, he walked to the front of the room, and even the powerfully built Jelvus Grinch seemed a meager being next to the huge and dominating tiefling warrior.Alegni’s attire, black leather and metal-studded armor, and the flowing cape that reminded all of his noble station, only added to the imposing image, as did that large red blade openly hanging from his left hip.The blood red of the metal contrasted sharply with the black armor, and as Alegni dropped his naked left hand to rest atop the weapon’s pommel, the sword seemed more an extension of his red tiefling skin than a separate item.
Perhaps he was drawn to Dahlia for the same reason he seemed forever drawn to Artemis Entreri—to consider the man, at least, if not to travel beside him.For both of them, Dahlia and Entreri, were possessed of a code of honor, albeit a stilted one in Drizzt’s eyes.Neither woke up in the morning with visions of creating chaos and suffering.Dahlia had shown as much with her inability to follow her master’s orders and release the primordial.So, did he want to fix them?Drizzt wondered.Did he, somewhere in his heart, believe that he could redeem Artemis Entreri and guide Dahlia to a brighter light?He glanced back at Dahlia again, just for a moment.He couldn’t deny his hubris.Likely, his desire to bring people out of darkness was part of the equation that had put Artemis Entreri in Drizzt’s thoughts so many times over the decades—nearly as often as he had wondered about Wulfgar.It was much more complicated with Dahlia, he knew.For he was indeed drawn to her in ways he could never be drawn to Entreri or Wulfgar.He couldn’t deny it.No matter how many times he might convince himself that he should not be with the dangerous elf, that conviction couldn’t hold against the mere sight of her, particularly when she wore her hair and face softly.He straightened up in surprise as he felt the elf’s arm slide over his shoulder and wrap around his neck.Dahlia rested her chin on his other shoulder and kissed him on the ear.“A warm bed before a journey into the cold snow?”Drizzt smiled.His expression only widened as Dahlia added, “And then we will go and kill him.”Indeed.He thought of Bruenor on that deathbed in Icewind Dale again and reminded himself that his bond with the deceptive dwarf had lasted more than a hundred years.Indeed.THE LORD OF NEVERWINTERCAPTAIN OF THE WHITE GUARD,” HERZGO ALEGNI CORRECTED, AND MANY eyes turned upon the tiefling warlord in surprise.Alegni sat at a small table along the side wall of the inn that served as their meeting house.He was opposite the hearth, about as far from the source of warmth as he could be in the room, and he had pulled open the window beside him.Jelvus Grinch looked at him curiously.The city’s leaders had just been discussing Grinch’s place in Neverwinter’s new ruling structure, and the Netherese lord had mentioned that Jelvus Grinch was a fine choice as the leader of the Neverwinter garrison, a role Grinch had handled for years by that point, in any case.“The White Guard?” another in the room chimed in, voicing the question held by many in the room, obviously.Herzgo Alegni stood up slowly, flexing his obvious muscles as he went and rolling back his shoulders to let them all witness the powerful expanse of his broad and strong chest.Slowly, taking the time to let the heels of his boots resound against the wood floor with every distinctive step, he walked to the front of the room, and even the powerfully built Jelvus Grinch seemed a meager being next to the huge and dominating tiefling warrior.Alegni’s attire, black leather and metal-studded armor, and the flowing cape that reminded all of his noble station, only added to the imposing image, as did that large red blade openly hanging from his left hip.The blood red of the metal contrasted sharply with the black armor, and as Alegni dropped his naked left hand to rest atop the weapon’s pommel, the sword seemed more an extension of his red tiefling skin than a separate item.
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dnd350
It accented perfectly the red fires in Alegni’s eyes, those orbs a shining reminder of his half-devil heritage.Yes, that red blade … a weapon that had cut through an umber hulk and left the creature writhing in its death throes on a Neverwinter street, to the amazement and cheers of so many of Neverwinter’s citizens, many of whom were in this very room.“What is the White Guard?” Jelvus Grinch dared to ask.“The city garrison,” explained the tiefling.“I think that an appropriate name.”“First Citizen …” Jelvus Grinch started to argue, for that was the title of honor they had bestowed upon Alegni.“Do not call me that,” Alegni interrupted, and his tone changed then, not so subtly, and more than a few in the room, Jelvus Grinch included, shifted uncomfortably.“The White Guard,” Alegni said more loudly, turning to face the larger gathering again.“It is fitting, for now Neverwinter has two garrisons, of course.The White Guard of your people,” he explained to Jelvus Grinch and the others, “and my own.”“Who are to be known as …?” Jelvus Grinch prompted.Alegni considered that for a moment, then replied, “The Shadow Guard.Yes, that will do.So you will coordinate the White Guard.”He wasn’t reasoning with them but rather dictating to them, something that was not lost on anyone in the room.“And you will command the Shadow Guard?”Alegni laughed at the notion.“I have my lieutenants in place to lead the guard.”“Freeing you up to …?” prompted a red-haired woman the townsfolk called the Forest Sentinel.Recognizing the voice, Alegni looked at her directly.“My dear Arunika,” he addressed her.“Freeing you up to assume lordship of the city,” Arunika stated, and when Alegni didn’t immediately disagree, the room erupted in whispered conversations, a few jeers, and several sharp complaints.“We have scored a great victory!” Alegni addressed them in a booming voice, one that silenced the whole of the place.“Sylora Salm is dead.The fortress she was raising in Neverwinter Wood is in disarray, its magic failing.The Dread Ring itself is diminished, and greatly so.”He ended abruptly and let that stunning news—for indeed, he had not revealed any of that until this very moment—hang in the air while he reveled in the blank expressions of the city leaders.“How can you know?” Jelvus Grinch finally managed to stammer.Herzgo Alegni looked at him as if he had to be a fool to even ask such a question.“The threat is diminished and will be driven forth in short order.” Alegni paused and grinned.“Because of me.”“And now you claim the lordship of Neverwinter,” Arunika surmised, and Herzgo Alegni smiled at her.“Ye can’t be doing that!” one man shouted from the back, and Alegni’s smile disappeared in the blink of an astonished eye, and more than one in the crowd, the speaker included, ducked low under that withering gaze.But another dared chime in, “You’ve not got the Crown of Neverwinter!You canno’ be Lord of Neverwinter without the Crown of Neverwinter!”“And pray tell, where is this crown?” Alegni answered in a booming, clearly threatening tone.The room filled with murmurs, and the person who had objected sheepishly replied, “None are knowing.”“It is lost, then,” Alegni declared.“And so it is time to start anew—as you all have done in coming to rebuild the ruined city.”“But if that’s the truth of it, then the lord’s to be one of them that’s been here the years, toiling!” another man protested, or started to, for as he spoke, Alegni moved toward him, and by the time he finished the thought, he was crouched over, covering up and cowering.“You can’t be doing that!” the first protestor repeated.“I just did it,” Alegni informed them all.“You needed me, and so you need me still.And I am here, at your service.”For a moment, the whole situation seemed to be teetering on the edge of a razor, acceptance on one side and open revolt on the other, and Alegni had no idea of which way this group would fall.His right arm dropped down by his side and he flexed his hand, encased in the magical gauntlet companion of his red-bladed sword.If any made a move, Alegni intended to swiftly draw that blade and cut Jelvus Grinch in half in a single, powerful movement.That would take the fight out of them.“We named a bridge after you, as you wished,” Jelvus Grinch replied, his voice thick with apprehension.“We granted you the title of First Citizen for your help in our struggles.
It accented perfectly the red fires in Alegni’s eyes, those orbs a shining reminder of his half-devil heritage.Yes, that red blade … a weapon that had cut through an umber hulk and left the creature writhing in its death throes on a Neverwinter street, to the amazement and cheers of so many of Neverwinter’s citizens, many of whom were in this very room.“What is the White Guard?” Jelvus Grinch dared to ask.“The city garrison,” explained the tiefling.“I think that an appropriate name.”“First Citizen …” Jelvus Grinch started to argue, for that was the title of honor they had bestowed upon Alegni.“Do not call me that,” Alegni interrupted, and his tone changed then, not so subtly, and more than a few in the room, Jelvus Grinch included, shifted uncomfortably.“The White Guard,” Alegni said more loudly, turning to face the larger gathering again.“It is fitting, for now Neverwinter has two garrisons, of course.The White Guard of your people,” he explained to Jelvus Grinch and the others, “and my own.”“Who are to be known as …?” Jelvus Grinch prompted.Alegni considered that for a moment, then replied, “The Shadow Guard.Yes, that will do.So you will coordinate the White Guard.”He wasn’t reasoning with them but rather dictating to them, something that was not lost on anyone in the room.“And you will command the Shadow Guard?”Alegni laughed at the notion.“I have my lieutenants in place to lead the guard.”“Freeing you up to …?” prompted a red-haired woman the townsfolk called the Forest Sentinel.Recognizing the voice, Alegni looked at her directly.“My dear Arunika,” he addressed her.“Freeing you up to assume lordship of the city,” Arunika stated, and when Alegni didn’t immediately disagree, the room erupted in whispered conversations, a few jeers, and several sharp complaints.“We have scored a great victory!” Alegni addressed them in a booming voice, one that silenced the whole of the place.“Sylora Salm is dead.The fortress she was raising in Neverwinter Wood is in disarray, its magic failing.The Dread Ring itself is diminished, and greatly so.”He ended abruptly and let that stunning news—for indeed, he had not revealed any of that until this very moment—hang in the air while he reveled in the blank expressions of the city leaders.“How can you know?” Jelvus Grinch finally managed to stammer.Herzgo Alegni looked at him as if he had to be a fool to even ask such a question.“The threat is diminished and will be driven forth in short order.” Alegni paused and grinned.“Because of me.”“And now you claim the lordship of Neverwinter,” Arunika surmised, and Herzgo Alegni smiled at her.“Ye can’t be doing that!” one man shouted from the back, and Alegni’s smile disappeared in the blink of an astonished eye, and more than one in the crowd, the speaker included, ducked low under that withering gaze.But another dared chime in, “You’ve not got the Crown of Neverwinter!You canno’ be Lord of Neverwinter without the Crown of Neverwinter!”“And pray tell, where is this crown?” Alegni answered in a booming, clearly threatening tone.The room filled with murmurs, and the person who had objected sheepishly replied, “None are knowing.”“It is lost, then,” Alegni declared.“And so it is time to start anew—as you all have done in coming to rebuild the ruined city.”“But if that’s the truth of it, then the lord’s to be one of them that’s been here the years, toiling!” another man protested, or started to, for as he spoke, Alegni moved toward him, and by the time he finished the thought, he was crouched over, covering up and cowering.“You can’t be doing that!” the first protestor repeated.“I just did it,” Alegni informed them all.“You needed me, and so you need me still.And I am here, at your service.”For a moment, the whole situation seemed to be teetering on the edge of a razor, acceptance on one side and open revolt on the other, and Alegni had no idea of which way this group would fall.His right arm dropped down by his side and he flexed his hand, encased in the magical gauntlet companion of his red-bladed sword.If any made a move, Alegni intended to swiftly draw that blade and cut Jelvus Grinch in half in a single, powerful movement.That would take the fight out of them.“We named a bridge after you, as you wished,” Jelvus Grinch replied, his voice thick with apprehension.“We granted you the title of First Citizen for your help in our struggles.
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dnd351
Now you intend to repay us by subjugating us?”“That is a foolish way to view this,” said Alegni.“We are winning, but have not yet won.We have two forces in play.Your own, meager as it is, and mine, with resources and power far beyond your understanding.To complete the victory, we must be joined in purpose under a single voice.Do we agree on those points?”“Even if we do, who has determined that the singular voice would be that of Herzgo Alegni?” Jelvus Grinch pointed out.Alegni shrugged as if that hardly mattered.“Do you expect me to turn my army to your command?” he asked incredulously.“You, who cannot begin even to comprehend the power of that force, or of the Shadovar, or of the Empire of Netheril?”“We are being conquered from within!” One woman leaped to her feet, and several shouts of agreement erupted around her.“No!” Arunika shouted above them all.“No,” she said again, staring at Alegni and bravely walking right up to him.“Not conquered.” She turned as she spoke to encompass all in the room.“Until this threat is eradicated, until the Dread Ring is fully defeated and Sylora’s minions are all dead in the forest or fleeing back to Thay, Herzgo Alegni would claim the interim lordship of Neverwinter.For indeed we shall need one voice to speak out for us to those surrounding cities.It is a strong fist grabbing for power, of course.” She turned a sly look upon Alegni.“But a temporary one, is it not?”“Of course,” said Alegni.He managed a lewd smile as he looked into Arunika’s sparkling blue eyes.Let her believe that he desired her as a lover—what male would not, after all?But Herzgo Alegni knew the truth of this one.He had only just discovered that Arunika the Forest Sentinel was no mere human woman, that she was not human at all.And he knew much of the truth of her supposed allegiance to Neverwinter, though there was surely more to learn of this complicated creature.“Why would I deign to serve as lord of a meager city in the kingdoms of meager humans?”Someone in the crowd started to argue, but Alegni moved with a sudden and powerful stride, shoving Arunika out of the way.“You need me!” he shouted.
Now you intend to repay us by subjugating us?”“That is a foolish way to view this,” said Alegni.“We are winning, but have not yet won.We have two forces in play.Your own, meager as it is, and mine, with resources and power far beyond your understanding.To complete the victory, we must be joined in purpose under a single voice.Do we agree on those points?”“Even if we do, who has determined that the singular voice would be that of Herzgo Alegni?” Jelvus Grinch pointed out.Alegni shrugged as if that hardly mattered.“Do you expect me to turn my army to your command?” he asked incredulously.“You, who cannot begin even to comprehend the power of that force, or of the Shadovar, or of the Empire of Netheril?”“We are being conquered from within!” One woman leaped to her feet, and several shouts of agreement erupted around her.“No!” Arunika shouted above them all.“No,” she said again, staring at Alegni and bravely walking right up to him.“Not conquered.” She turned as she spoke to encompass all in the room.“Until this threat is eradicated, until the Dread Ring is fully defeated and Sylora’s minions are all dead in the forest or fleeing back to Thay, Herzgo Alegni would claim the interim lordship of Neverwinter.For indeed we shall need one voice to speak out for us to those surrounding cities.It is a strong fist grabbing for power, of course.” She turned a sly look upon Alegni.“But a temporary one, is it not?”“Of course,” said Alegni.He managed a lewd smile as he looked into Arunika’s sparkling blue eyes.Let her believe that he desired her as a lover—what male would not, after all?But Herzgo Alegni knew the truth of this one.He had only just discovered that Arunika the Forest Sentinel was no mere human woman, that she was not human at all.And he knew much of the truth of her supposed allegiance to Neverwinter, though there was surely more to learn of this complicated creature.“Why would I deign to serve as lord of a meager city in the kingdoms of meager humans?”Someone in the crowd started to argue, but Alegni moved with a sudden and powerful stride, shoving Arunika out of the way.“You need me!” he shouted.
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dnd352
“You begged me for help and received that help.Without me, without my army, your town would have been gutted like a fallen cow by the umber hulks.Or your walls would have been leveled by the thunderbolts of Sylora Salm.The enemy that came against you was quite beyond you.Don’t deny it!You needed me and you need me still, and I’ll not be cast aside because of victories that I’ve brought to you.I’m no mercenary to be bought with your coin.I’m no adventuring hero to rush to your aid for the sake of my precious reputation, or for the good of all goodly men.You invited me into your home and so I came, and now I remain until I decide that it’s time to go.”If the spectacle of Alegni wasn’t enough to keep the city leaders in their seats, the room’s back doors swung wide at that moment and in strode Effron the Twisted, accompanied by a host of armed Shadovar.Alegni noted that among that troupe walked Jermander.Jermander?Alegni knew the mercenary and knew well Cavus Dun.He made a mental note to take up with Effron that one’s unexpected appearance.Herzgo Alegni scanned the room and let some tense moments slip past.When it became obvious that none of the Neverwinter settlers would dare make a move against him, he turned to Jelvus Grinch.“You will command the White Guard,” he instructed the man.“You, and one other of your choosing, will be granted a seat at my court table, and you alone among the humans of Neverwinter will have my ear to voice the concerns of the city garrison.Do you agree?”Jelvus Grinch couldn’t help himself as he glanced down at that devastating sword.He swallowed hard and Alegni flashed him that awful knowing grin.Jelvus Grinch knew, and Herzgo Alegni knew that he knew, that a wrong answer here would leave him on the floor in two pieces.“Yes,” he said softly.“Yes?” Herzgo Alegni stated loudly.“Yes, Lord Alegni,” Jelvus Grinch dutifully clarified.Arunika left the meeting abruptly, not wanting to get caught in a private discussion with Lord Alegni and his band of powerful allies.The misshapen warlock had tormented her imp and had learned much of her—too much!—the red-haired succubus knew.She moved quickly through Neverwinter’s streets, constantly glancing back to ensure that she was not being followed.To create even more security, she turned down one dark, dead-end alleyway and moved swiftly to the end.
“You begged me for help and received that help.Without me, without my army, your town would have been gutted like a fallen cow by the umber hulks.Or your walls would have been leveled by the thunderbolts of Sylora Salm.The enemy that came against you was quite beyond you.Don’t deny it!You needed me and you need me still, and I’ll not be cast aside because of victories that I’ve brought to you.I’m no mercenary to be bought with your coin.I’m no adventuring hero to rush to your aid for the sake of my precious reputation, or for the good of all goodly men.You invited me into your home and so I came, and now I remain until I decide that it’s time to go.”If the spectacle of Alegni wasn’t enough to keep the city leaders in their seats, the room’s back doors swung wide at that moment and in strode Effron the Twisted, accompanied by a host of armed Shadovar.Alegni noted that among that troupe walked Jermander.Jermander?Alegni knew the mercenary and knew well Cavus Dun.He made a mental note to take up with Effron that one’s unexpected appearance.Herzgo Alegni scanned the room and let some tense moments slip past.When it became obvious that none of the Neverwinter settlers would dare make a move against him, he turned to Jelvus Grinch.“You will command the White Guard,” he instructed the man.“You, and one other of your choosing, will be granted a seat at my court table, and you alone among the humans of Neverwinter will have my ear to voice the concerns of the city garrison.Do you agree?”Jelvus Grinch couldn’t help himself as he glanced down at that devastating sword.He swallowed hard and Alegni flashed him that awful knowing grin.Jelvus Grinch knew, and Herzgo Alegni knew that he knew, that a wrong answer here would leave him on the floor in two pieces.“Yes,” he said softly.“Yes?” Herzgo Alegni stated loudly.“Yes, Lord Alegni,” Jelvus Grinch dutifully clarified.Arunika left the meeting abruptly, not wanting to get caught in a private discussion with Lord Alegni and his band of powerful allies.The misshapen warlock had tormented her imp and had learned much of her—too much!—the red-haired succubus knew.She moved quickly through Neverwinter’s streets, constantly glancing back to ensure that she was not being followed.To create even more security, she turned down one dark, dead-end alleyway and moved swiftly to the end.
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dnd353
There in the dark, she spread her batlike wings and flew up to the nearest rooftop, skipping along above the city.She came down into the darkness beside a large building at the northeastern end of Neverwinter’s wall.The House of Knowledge had been a thriving temple to Oghma and a flourishing repository of books and artifacts detailing the rich history of the Sword Coast.The cataclysm had changed all of that in a burst of lava and ash, reducing what had once been a holy library to a virtual refugee camp.The transition had not gone well, and the person at the tip of those decisions, Brother Anthus, had not done well.Rarely was he even at this structure any longer, preferring a secluded and abandoned ramshackle cottage across town whenever his duties allowed him a private reprieve.With a glance around, Arunika entered through a little-used side door.Then she waited, in the dark room.A short while later, Brother Anthus entered.He carried a single burning candle and moved toward the large candelabra near the altar at the front of the room.“Had I known you meant to walk the city avenues backward to get home from the meeting, I would have eaten my dinner before coming here,” Arunika said.Brother Anthus barely halted in his walk, as if to prove that he was not surprised to find her here—and why would he be, given the gravity of that particular meeting?He took his time in lighting all the arms of the candelabra, bathing the room in a soft glow, then turned to regard Arunika.“You knew this would happen,” he said.“I did not expect that Herzgo Alegni would help the city of Neverwinter out of any sense of charity or beneficence, true.”“He moved quickly,” Brother Anthus replied.“Quicker than I had expected.”“He believes that the Thayans are in disarray.Given that possibility, their threat will fast diminish.By moving to secure his power now, he can continue to use the threat of Szass Tam as a bludgeon against those who would disagree.” She paused and tilted her head, a wry grin on her face, and asked, “Are the Thayans in disarray?”“Sylora Salm is dead.”“I know that!”Brother Anthus took a deep breath and moved to sit on the bench opposite Arunika.“Valindra Shadowmantle is no minor power,” he explained.“When the insane lich is not confusing herself with her own babbling,” said Arunika, and Brother Anthus nodded and shifted … uncomfortably, Arunika noted.“The ambassador has helped her tremendously,” Arunika prompted, referring to their contact emissary within the Abolethic Sovereignty, itself an aboleth, a fishlike mind-bending creature of great psionic power.She paused for a few heartbeats and continued to read Brother Anthus’s discomfort.“But then,” she added, “anything the ambassador bestows, the ambassador can take back, no doubt.”“I had thought that the Sovereignty wished to use the Thayans as foil to the Netherese, and the other way around,” Brother Anthus said.“Reasonable,” Arunika agreed.“That, too, was my understanding.But who can tell with these strange creatures?”“Brilliant creatures!” Brother Anthus corrected.Arunika nodded, conceding the point.She wasn’t in a mood to argue with the zealot.“Do you think the ambassador will allow the Thayan threat to unravel now that Sylora Salm is dead?” Brother Anthus asked.“Will the creature bring Valindra Shadowmantle back into a state of confusion?”“Or will the ambassador continue to twist Valindra’s thoughts to the benefit of the Sovereignty?” Arunika wondered aloud, and she nodded, as that sounded plausible to her.“As long as Herzgo Alegni remains a threat, I would expect that the ambassador will keep Valindra lucid enough that her forces will cause him trouble.”“But the aboleths will never allow her the degree of lucidity to break free of their power,” Brother Anthus said, completing the thought.“Go to our fishlike friend,” Arunika bade the monk.“Inform the Sovereignty of Herzgo Alegni’s claim of lordship over Neverwinter.
There in the dark, she spread her batlike wings and flew up to the nearest rooftop, skipping along above the city.She came down into the darkness beside a large building at the northeastern end of Neverwinter’s wall.The House of Knowledge had been a thriving temple to Oghma and a flourishing repository of books and artifacts detailing the rich history of the Sword Coast.The cataclysm had changed all of that in a burst of lava and ash, reducing what had once been a holy library to a virtual refugee camp.The transition had not gone well, and the person at the tip of those decisions, Brother Anthus, had not done well.Rarely was he even at this structure any longer, preferring a secluded and abandoned ramshackle cottage across town whenever his duties allowed him a private reprieve.With a glance around, Arunika entered through a little-used side door.Then she waited, in the dark room.A short while later, Brother Anthus entered.He carried a single burning candle and moved toward the large candelabra near the altar at the front of the room.“Had I known you meant to walk the city avenues backward to get home from the meeting, I would have eaten my dinner before coming here,” Arunika said.Brother Anthus barely halted in his walk, as if to prove that he was not surprised to find her here—and why would he be, given the gravity of that particular meeting?He took his time in lighting all the arms of the candelabra, bathing the room in a soft glow, then turned to regard Arunika.“You knew this would happen,” he said.“I did not expect that Herzgo Alegni would help the city of Neverwinter out of any sense of charity or beneficence, true.”“He moved quickly,” Brother Anthus replied.“Quicker than I had expected.”“He believes that the Thayans are in disarray.Given that possibility, their threat will fast diminish.By moving to secure his power now, he can continue to use the threat of Szass Tam as a bludgeon against those who would disagree.” She paused and tilted her head, a wry grin on her face, and asked, “Are the Thayans in disarray?”“Sylora Salm is dead.”“I know that!”Brother Anthus took a deep breath and moved to sit on the bench opposite Arunika.“Valindra Shadowmantle is no minor power,” he explained.“When the insane lich is not confusing herself with her own babbling,” said Arunika, and Brother Anthus nodded and shifted … uncomfortably, Arunika noted.“The ambassador has helped her tremendously,” Arunika prompted, referring to their contact emissary within the Abolethic Sovereignty, itself an aboleth, a fishlike mind-bending creature of great psionic power.She paused for a few heartbeats and continued to read Brother Anthus’s discomfort.“But then,” she added, “anything the ambassador bestows, the ambassador can take back, no doubt.”“I had thought that the Sovereignty wished to use the Thayans as foil to the Netherese, and the other way around,” Brother Anthus said.“Reasonable,” Arunika agreed.“That, too, was my understanding.But who can tell with these strange creatures?”“Brilliant creatures!” Brother Anthus corrected.Arunika nodded, conceding the point.She wasn’t in a mood to argue with the zealot.“Do you think the ambassador will allow the Thayan threat to unravel now that Sylora Salm is dead?” Brother Anthus asked.“Will the creature bring Valindra Shadowmantle back into a state of confusion?”“Or will the ambassador continue to twist Valindra’s thoughts to the benefit of the Sovereignty?” Arunika wondered aloud, and she nodded, as that sounded plausible to her.“As long as Herzgo Alegni remains a threat, I would expect that the ambassador will keep Valindra lucid enough that her forces will cause him trouble.”“But the aboleths will never allow her the degree of lucidity to break free of their power,” Brother Anthus said, completing the thought.“Go to our fishlike friend,” Arunika bade the monk.“Inform the Sovereignty of Herzgo Alegni’s claim of lordship over Neverwinter.
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dnd354
The ambassador will know how to best use Valindra to counter Alegni.”“Should the Thayans attack again?” Brother Anthus asked.“Is that your recommendation?”Arunika considered it for a moment, then shook her head.“Alegni’s forces are not so strong,” she explained.“With Sylora Salm dead, I expect that he will have little leverage to garner more soldiers from his Netherese masters in the Shadowfell.Let us keep it that way.There is more afoot than the Thayans or the Netherese, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.”Brother Anthus looked at her curiously, but Arunika let the tease stand, deciding not to tell him about the trio who had killed Sylora, and about where that dangerous group was likely to turn their blades next.“Promise the ambassador that we will inform the Sovereignty as events unfold,” she said.“Perhaps you should travel with me.”“Nay.Herzgo Alegni suspects that I am compromised,” she replied, not mentioning that Alegni knew her true devilish identity, of course, since Anthus remained oblivious to that little detail.“I would not risk leading him to the ambassador.Besides, I have other issues pressing.” It occurred to Arunika that a visit to Valindra Shadowmantle might be overdue.The light snow continued to fall, though it seemed as if it could not touch the brooding and hulking dark figure that was Herzgo Alegni as he stood on his namesake bridge in the heart of darkened Neverwinter.This was his favorite place now, a symbol of his successes, and here he believed he was invincible.Here, he was truly Lord Alegni.“I would express surprise in seeing you,” he said as a tall and broad tiefling warrior approached.“Of course, it would be feigned, for you always seem to appear where you are least wanted.”“You have not seen me in more than a decade,” came a sarcastic reply.“Not long enough.”“My Lord Alegni, I never go where I’m not invited,” Jermander replied.“Indeed, I never go where I’m not paid to go.”Alegni looked past him, to the smaller form, that of Effron.“You know why they have come,” Effron answered his questioning look.“The Bounty Hirelings of Cavus Dun are more effective in dealing with such … problems as those which we seem to now have before us.”Alegni had been asking for more soldiers for a long while, but this group was surely not what he had in mind.For this mercenary band owed fealty to the person with the purse, and since Alegni had not invited them or hired them, that meant someone other than himself.It wasn’t hard for him to figure out who that person might be.“I am here in support of your mission,” Effron said with a bow, conceding the point before Alegni could even make it.“But not to follow my commands, it would seem.”“Draygo Quick suggested Cavus Dun,” Effron retorted, once more pulling rank by invoking his powerful mentor, who was one of the few Netherese lords Herzgo Alegni feared.Alegni moved to the rail, his customary spot, and stared out at the dark river and the distant sea.“If you get in my way, I will kill you, Jermander,” he said matter-of-factly.“Do not doubt that.”“I would expect …” Effron started to interject, but Alegni fixed him with a threatening stare.“You do not hate her more than I do,” the twisted warlock remarked, then he spun on his heel and shuffled away.Alegni shifted his gaze to Jermander, who did not shy from it.“There are many moving parts,” the mercenary said.“Neverwinter is akin to a gnomish contraption.”“Too many moving parts, perhaps,” Alegni agreed.“And you are but one more.”With that, Jermander grinned, bowed, and walked off after Effron.Alegni stayed on the bridge for quite a while longer, wondering how he could parlay all of this to an even greater advantage.
The ambassador will know how to best use Valindra to counter Alegni.”“Should the Thayans attack again?” Brother Anthus asked.“Is that your recommendation?”Arunika considered it for a moment, then shook her head.“Alegni’s forces are not so strong,” she explained.“With Sylora Salm dead, I expect that he will have little leverage to garner more soldiers from his Netherese masters in the Shadowfell.Let us keep it that way.There is more afoot than the Thayans or the Netherese, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.”Brother Anthus looked at her curiously, but Arunika let the tease stand, deciding not to tell him about the trio who had killed Sylora, and about where that dangerous group was likely to turn their blades next.“Promise the ambassador that we will inform the Sovereignty as events unfold,” she said.“Perhaps you should travel with me.”“Nay.Herzgo Alegni suspects that I am compromised,” she replied, not mentioning that Alegni knew her true devilish identity, of course, since Anthus remained oblivious to that little detail.“I would not risk leading him to the ambassador.Besides, I have other issues pressing.” It occurred to Arunika that a visit to Valindra Shadowmantle might be overdue.The light snow continued to fall, though it seemed as if it could not touch the brooding and hulking dark figure that was Herzgo Alegni as he stood on his namesake bridge in the heart of darkened Neverwinter.This was his favorite place now, a symbol of his successes, and here he believed he was invincible.Here, he was truly Lord Alegni.“I would express surprise in seeing you,” he said as a tall and broad tiefling warrior approached.“Of course, it would be feigned, for you always seem to appear where you are least wanted.”“You have not seen me in more than a decade,” came a sarcastic reply.“Not long enough.”“My Lord Alegni, I never go where I’m not invited,” Jermander replied.“Indeed, I never go where I’m not paid to go.”Alegni looked past him, to the smaller form, that of Effron.“You know why they have come,” Effron answered his questioning look.“The Bounty Hirelings of Cavus Dun are more effective in dealing with such … problems as those which we seem to now have before us.”Alegni had been asking for more soldiers for a long while, but this group was surely not what he had in mind.For this mercenary band owed fealty to the person with the purse, and since Alegni had not invited them or hired them, that meant someone other than himself.It wasn’t hard for him to figure out who that person might be.“I am here in support of your mission,” Effron said with a bow, conceding the point before Alegni could even make it.“But not to follow my commands, it would seem.”“Draygo Quick suggested Cavus Dun,” Effron retorted, once more pulling rank by invoking his powerful mentor, who was one of the few Netherese lords Herzgo Alegni feared.Alegni moved to the rail, his customary spot, and stared out at the dark river and the distant sea.“If you get in my way, I will kill you, Jermander,” he said matter-of-factly.“Do not doubt that.”“I would expect …” Effron started to interject, but Alegni fixed him with a threatening stare.“You do not hate her more than I do,” the twisted warlock remarked, then he spun on his heel and shuffled away.Alegni shifted his gaze to Jermander, who did not shy from it.“There are many moving parts,” the mercenary said.“Neverwinter is akin to a gnomish contraption.”“Too many moving parts, perhaps,” Alegni agreed.“And you are but one more.”With that, Jermander grinned, bowed, and walked off after Effron.Alegni stayed on the bridge for quite a while longer, wondering how he could parlay all of this to an even greater advantage.
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dnd355
He didn’t like having Cavus Dun around, for they were too much of a wild card, but he had to admit—to himself, of course, for he would never speak aloud any such thing!—that there were indeed a very troubling number of moving parts.Dahlia was formidable, and much more so, apparently, with this drow companion fighting beside her.And Barrabus?He put his hand on the pommel of his great blade, taking comfort in its obvious energy.Claw reassured him.The sword remained alert.Barrabus the Gray remained Claw’s to command.Still, too many moving parts spun like a giant gear works above him.He thought of the clever Arunika, his lover, his ally with the foolish settlers, and likely his enemy.Whenever he thought of the night he had spent with the woman, and the many more he intended to spend lying beside her, he had to remind himself that she was much more than she seemed, that she, this supposedly innocent woman, was also friend to Valindra Shadowmantle, and was actually helping the lich clear her jumbled mind.With Sylora dead, Valindra seemed to stand as Alegni’s greatest rival.What did that make Arunika?The tiefling grinned as he considered the possibilities.He was Herzgo Alegni, after all, Lord of Neverwinter.He would take them, any of them, as he wished, and kill any of them as needed, Effron included.“Greeth, Greeth,” Arunika muttered as she walked through the forest, and she shook her head in disgust.She had hoped that the Sovereignty ambassador had used its influence with Valindra to prepare the lich to take over where Sylora Salm had left off.The Thayans might again serve as foil to the Netherese threat, but this time with a leader who was, ultimately, under control of the ambassador.Thus, Arunika’s disappointment had been paramount upon meeting up with Valindra at the remains of Ashenglade, Sylora’s fortress created out of the magical coalescing ash of the Dread Ring.As Ashenglade had diminished, its binding forces dissipating, its ashen walls crumbling, so, too, had Valindra’s clarity diminished.Just a short meeting with the confused lich had shown Arunika the truth: The aboleth had abandoned Valindra, had perhaps even thrown in an added bit of jumble to the lich’s already-scrambled brains for good measure.Certainly Valindra had regressed.She seemed less lucid than when Arunika had first met her, and that was before Arunika had arranged the introduction between the lich and the aboleth.“Ark-lem!Greeth!Greeth!” Valindra had shouted, the name of her mentor, Arunika believed, or a long-lost lover, or both, perhaps.The succubus let the thoughts of Valindra melt away as she came to her destination.Standing on the edge of Sylora’s Dread Ring, Arunika found herself surprised and disappointed yet again.She knew that the Dread Ring had been injured—its weakness was apparent in the diminishment of Sylora’s fortress construct—but never had she imagined so dramatic a change as this.Where once had been a field of death, a black ashen scar tingling with nether energy, now seemed more a place that had, perhaps, been witness to a recent fire.The blackness remained, the stench of ash hung thick in the air, but nothing like before, with nowhere near the intensity that promised power to challenge Herzgo Alegni’s forces.Arunika strode onto the scarred ground, something she would not have dared just a couple of days previous.
He didn’t like having Cavus Dun around, for they were too much of a wild card, but he had to admit—to himself, of course, for he would never speak aloud any such thing!—that there were indeed a very troubling number of moving parts.Dahlia was formidable, and much more so, apparently, with this drow companion fighting beside her.And Barrabus?He put his hand on the pommel of his great blade, taking comfort in its obvious energy.Claw reassured him.The sword remained alert.Barrabus the Gray remained Claw’s to command.Still, too many moving parts spun like a giant gear works above him.He thought of the clever Arunika, his lover, his ally with the foolish settlers, and likely his enemy.Whenever he thought of the night he had spent with the woman, and the many more he intended to spend lying beside her, he had to remind himself that she was much more than she seemed, that she, this supposedly innocent woman, was also friend to Valindra Shadowmantle, and was actually helping the lich clear her jumbled mind.With Sylora dead, Valindra seemed to stand as Alegni’s greatest rival.What did that make Arunika?The tiefling grinned as he considered the possibilities.He was Herzgo Alegni, after all, Lord of Neverwinter.He would take them, any of them, as he wished, and kill any of them as needed, Effron included.“Greeth, Greeth,” Arunika muttered as she walked through the forest, and she shook her head in disgust.She had hoped that the Sovereignty ambassador had used its influence with Valindra to prepare the lich to take over where Sylora Salm had left off.The Thayans might again serve as foil to the Netherese threat, but this time with a leader who was, ultimately, under control of the ambassador.Thus, Arunika’s disappointment had been paramount upon meeting up with Valindra at the remains of Ashenglade, Sylora’s fortress created out of the magical coalescing ash of the Dread Ring.As Ashenglade had diminished, its binding forces dissipating, its ashen walls crumbling, so, too, had Valindra’s clarity diminished.Just a short meeting with the confused lich had shown Arunika the truth: The aboleth had abandoned Valindra, had perhaps even thrown in an added bit of jumble to the lich’s already-scrambled brains for good measure.Certainly Valindra had regressed.She seemed less lucid than when Arunika had first met her, and that was before Arunika had arranged the introduction between the lich and the aboleth.“Ark-lem!Greeth!Greeth!” Valindra had shouted, the name of her mentor, Arunika believed, or a long-lost lover, or both, perhaps.The succubus let the thoughts of Valindra melt away as she came to her destination.Standing on the edge of Sylora’s Dread Ring, Arunika found herself surprised and disappointed yet again.She knew that the Dread Ring had been injured—its weakness was apparent in the diminishment of Sylora’s fortress construct—but never had she imagined so dramatic a change as this.Where once had been a field of death, a black ashen scar tingling with nether energy, now seemed more a place that had, perhaps, been witness to a recent fire.The blackness remained, the stench of ash hung thick in the air, but nothing like before, with nowhere near the intensity that promised power to challenge Herzgo Alegni’s forces.Arunika strode onto the scarred ground, something she would not have dared just a couple of days previous.
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dnd356
For then the ring had teemed with palpable necromancy, and then the ring had served Sylora and Szass Tam.Arunika was schooled enough in the Thayan manipulation of the thin veil between life and death to understand that such a functional Dread Ring could accomplish many tasks for its masters, not just in granted power to raise a fortress or raise and control undead, or even to create implements of channeling energy to draw the life force of enemies, but the power of scrying and manipulation.For Arunika to enter Sylora Salm’s functional Dread Ring was to grant Sylora and Szass Tam true knowledge of Arunika, perhaps even to strike forcefully into Arunika’s mind in a manner similar to the intrusions the aboleth had waged on Valindra.But not now, the succubus knew with confidence.There was residual power, but it posed no threat to a being as powerful as she.She continued her walk through the blackened patch until a scrabbling sound caught her attention.On her guard, Arunika cautiously approached.It took her a moment to decipher the curious sight, for before her lay a female, dressed in torn but once-magnificent robes.Arunika gasped as she recognized Sylora Salm, or what was left of the sorceress.Several brutal wounds showed on the corpse, burns and blasted holes, but even those mortal injuries paled compared to the greater image.For Sylora had been bent in half backward, folded at the waist in reverse!It seemed as if some powerful creature, a giant or major devil, perhaps, had simply folded the woman’s body over backward.Arunika couldn’t contain a giggle as Sylora moved, trying ridiculously to crawl.She got only a few inches before toppling over onto her side once more, and so the scrabbling began anew as the zombie—a pathetic undead thing animated by the residual power of the Dread Ring—tried to prepare itself for another short dash.Arunika nodded and considered Valindra’s present mental state in light of this new information.She thought to destroy the undead Sylora, out of mercy, but then scoffed at the notion and simply walked off, shaking her head.As a creature of the lower planes, Arunika had little sense of, or care for, the concept of justice, but she did have a soft spot for the notion of cosmic karma.To see Sylora Salm, who had raised so many dead into a state of undead slavery, scrabbling so pathetically on the ground, pleased the succubus.Whatever the greater implications to the succubus’s overall designs, good or bad, Sylora’s demise, this part of it … pleased her.The devil walked from the grotesque crablike zombie and turned reflexively toward Neverwinter, considering the now-dominant Herzgo Alegni.Perhaps the Thayans would return in force.Perhaps Szass Tam would appoint another powerful sorcerer, or even oversee the rebuilding of his Dread Ring personally.Arunika shook her head, thinking that doubtful, and realizing that even if such an event were to come to fruition, it would not be in any timely manner, considering how fast things were moving in Neverwinter.The foil for Alegni was no more.What did that mean?What did it mean for her?She thought of the many possibilities and potential roads before her.“It is weaker,” came a raspy and familiar voice behind her.“Invidoo,” Arunika replied, speaking the true name of the imp, a name that gave her great power over the nasty little creature.She turned to face the imp and shook her head, smiling knowingly, as she considered the open sores and torn flaps of skin that still covered the diminutive devil’s form, wounds suffered at the hand of Sylora Salm.“She is defeated.”“She’s dead,” Arunika corrected.“Yesss!” Invidoo replied with a satisfied hiss.“Sylora Salm is defeated and dead and gone, and Invidoo killed her.”Arunika stared at the imp doubtfully.“I took her wand!” Invidoo insisted.
For then the ring had teemed with palpable necromancy, and then the ring had served Sylora and Szass Tam.Arunika was schooled enough in the Thayan manipulation of the thin veil between life and death to understand that such a functional Dread Ring could accomplish many tasks for its masters, not just in granted power to raise a fortress or raise and control undead, or even to create implements of channeling energy to draw the life force of enemies, but the power of scrying and manipulation.For Arunika to enter Sylora Salm’s functional Dread Ring was to grant Sylora and Szass Tam true knowledge of Arunika, perhaps even to strike forcefully into Arunika’s mind in a manner similar to the intrusions the aboleth had waged on Valindra.But not now, the succubus knew with confidence.There was residual power, but it posed no threat to a being as powerful as she.She continued her walk through the blackened patch until a scrabbling sound caught her attention.On her guard, Arunika cautiously approached.It took her a moment to decipher the curious sight, for before her lay a female, dressed in torn but once-magnificent robes.Arunika gasped as she recognized Sylora Salm, or what was left of the sorceress.Several brutal wounds showed on the corpse, burns and blasted holes, but even those mortal injuries paled compared to the greater image.For Sylora had been bent in half backward, folded at the waist in reverse!It seemed as if some powerful creature, a giant or major devil, perhaps, had simply folded the woman’s body over backward.Arunika couldn’t contain a giggle as Sylora moved, trying ridiculously to crawl.She got only a few inches before toppling over onto her side once more, and so the scrabbling began anew as the zombie—a pathetic undead thing animated by the residual power of the Dread Ring—tried to prepare itself for another short dash.Arunika nodded and considered Valindra’s present mental state in light of this new information.She thought to destroy the undead Sylora, out of mercy, but then scoffed at the notion and simply walked off, shaking her head.As a creature of the lower planes, Arunika had little sense of, or care for, the concept of justice, but she did have a soft spot for the notion of cosmic karma.To see Sylora Salm, who had raised so many dead into a state of undead slavery, scrabbling so pathetically on the ground, pleased the succubus.Whatever the greater implications to the succubus’s overall designs, good or bad, Sylora’s demise, this part of it … pleased her.The devil walked from the grotesque crablike zombie and turned reflexively toward Neverwinter, considering the now-dominant Herzgo Alegni.Perhaps the Thayans would return in force.Perhaps Szass Tam would appoint another powerful sorcerer, or even oversee the rebuilding of his Dread Ring personally.Arunika shook her head, thinking that doubtful, and realizing that even if such an event were to come to fruition, it would not be in any timely manner, considering how fast things were moving in Neverwinter.The foil for Alegni was no more.What did that mean?What did it mean for her?She thought of the many possibilities and potential roads before her.“It is weaker,” came a raspy and familiar voice behind her.“Invidoo,” Arunika replied, speaking the true name of the imp, a name that gave her great power over the nasty little creature.She turned to face the imp and shook her head, smiling knowingly, as she considered the open sores and torn flaps of skin that still covered the diminutive devil’s form, wounds suffered at the hand of Sylora Salm.“She is defeated.”“She’s dead,” Arunika corrected.“Yesss!” Invidoo replied with a satisfied hiss.“Sylora Salm is defeated and dead and gone, and Invidoo killed her.”Arunika stared at the imp doubtfully.“I took her wand!” Invidoo insisted.
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dnd357
The imp began to gulp in air then, manipulating its torso, rolling its thin belly under its rib cage.Then with a cough and some gagging, Invidoo vomited into its own hand, and as the acidic bile flowed through, only a small discolored digit remained.Grinning widely, showing a grate of yellow, bile-soaked pointed teeth, Invidoo held up that trophy.“Took her wand, took her fingers!” the imp said triumphantly.“Have more, have another!” Invidoo assured Arunika, and it began to undulate and gag once more, until the succubus patted her hand in the air and bade Invidoo to stop.“Invidoo killed Sylora!” the imp announced proudly.Arunika didn’t know what to make of the seemingly absurd claim, and didn’t really care anyway.It mattered not at all to her how Sylora Salm had died, only that Sylora was dead.“You said when Sylora dead, Invidoo go home,” the imp reminded her.“Invidoo go home?”The question reminded Arunika of her suspicions regarding some of the imp’s other recent exploits, and her pretty face grew very tight as she stared hard at Invidoo.“Had you come to me directly upon Sylora’s death, I would have granted you leave,” she said slyly.Invidoo hopped into a back flip, then landed rocking back and forth from clawed foot to foot.“Had to heal.”The imp’s voice trailed off and it began to upchuck again, a panicked expression coming over the little creature’s face as Invidoo realized the telepathic intrusion of the succubus.For Arunika was not without some mind-reading powers of her own, particularly regarding an imp she had taken as her familiar.“Let me go!” Invidoo implored her.“Home!Home!Away from him!”“Him?” Arunika asked, and she moved nearer, towering over the imp.“The broken tiefling.”There it was, Arunika knew, her suspicions confirmed.She had guessed that Effron had played a role in informing Alegni of the recent dramatic events in Neverwinter Wood, and Invidoo’s admission had just clarified for her where Effron had gotten the information.“I should utterly destroy you,” the succubus warned.“Everyone say that!”Arunika laughed, and almost fell murderously over Invidoo.Almost, but she reminded herself that this one might still be of use to her, particularly since she now knew that Effron might utilize the imp for his own information—or misinformation, if she played it correctly.“You will go home,” Arunika said, and Invidoo leaped into another back flip, this time spinning over twice in mid-air with barely a flap of its small batlike wings before alighting dexterously on clawed feet.But the wretched little creature’s glee proved short-lived.“Without prejudice,” Arunika added matter-of-factly.Invidoo’s eyes popped open wide and his jaw hung slack, his small wings drooping.“No!” he cried.“No, no, no, no, no!” For “without prejudice” meant that it was not being dismissed from this duty, that it had not completed the terms of its indenture, and that Arunika retained the right to recall it to her side at her whim.“You say …”“And you will return to me when I call,” Arunika informed it.“No fair!” Invidoo argued.“Appeal to Glasya!”Arunika narrowed her eyes at the threat.She knew it to be a hollow one, for Glasya, Lord of the Sixth Layer, would never side with the likes of Invidoo against her.But still, in devil society, a breach of contract was no minor issue, and even though Glasya wouldn’t overrule her, likely, she might not look favorably on being bothered over so minor a detail as the indenture of an imp.“Do you truly wish to play this game against me?” the succubus asked quietly, her tone revealing an overt threat.“A summary task!” Invidoo insisted, meaning that Arunika should give it a way to complete its indenture without having to return to the Prime Material Plane and her side.“Invidoo demands a summary—”“Done,” Arunika agreed, smiling once more now that any thought of Invidoo going with its complaint to Glasya was off the table.All she had to do now was be a bit cleverer than the imp, and that seemed no difficult task.
The imp began to gulp in air then, manipulating its torso, rolling its thin belly under its rib cage.Then with a cough and some gagging, Invidoo vomited into its own hand, and as the acidic bile flowed through, only a small discolored digit remained.Grinning widely, showing a grate of yellow, bile-soaked pointed teeth, Invidoo held up that trophy.“Took her wand, took her fingers!” the imp said triumphantly.“Have more, have another!” Invidoo assured Arunika, and it began to undulate and gag once more, until the succubus patted her hand in the air and bade Invidoo to stop.“Invidoo killed Sylora!” the imp announced proudly.Arunika didn’t know what to make of the seemingly absurd claim, and didn’t really care anyway.It mattered not at all to her how Sylora Salm had died, only that Sylora was dead.“You said when Sylora dead, Invidoo go home,” the imp reminded her.“Invidoo go home?”The question reminded Arunika of her suspicions regarding some of the imp’s other recent exploits, and her pretty face grew very tight as she stared hard at Invidoo.“Had you come to me directly upon Sylora’s death, I would have granted you leave,” she said slyly.Invidoo hopped into a back flip, then landed rocking back and forth from clawed foot to foot.“Had to heal.”The imp’s voice trailed off and it began to upchuck again, a panicked expression coming over the little creature’s face as Invidoo realized the telepathic intrusion of the succubus.For Arunika was not without some mind-reading powers of her own, particularly regarding an imp she had taken as her familiar.“Let me go!” Invidoo implored her.“Home!Home!Away from him!”“Him?” Arunika asked, and she moved nearer, towering over the imp.“The broken tiefling.”There it was, Arunika knew, her suspicions confirmed.She had guessed that Effron had played a role in informing Alegni of the recent dramatic events in Neverwinter Wood, and Invidoo’s admission had just clarified for her where Effron had gotten the information.“I should utterly destroy you,” the succubus warned.“Everyone say that!”Arunika laughed, and almost fell murderously over Invidoo.Almost, but she reminded herself that this one might still be of use to her, particularly since she now knew that Effron might utilize the imp for his own information—or misinformation, if she played it correctly.“You will go home,” Arunika said, and Invidoo leaped into another back flip, this time spinning over twice in mid-air with barely a flap of its small batlike wings before alighting dexterously on clawed feet.But the wretched little creature’s glee proved short-lived.“Without prejudice,” Arunika added matter-of-factly.Invidoo’s eyes popped open wide and his jaw hung slack, his small wings drooping.“No!” he cried.“No, no, no, no, no!” For “without prejudice” meant that it was not being dismissed from this duty, that it had not completed the terms of its indenture, and that Arunika retained the right to recall it to her side at her whim.“You say …”“And you will return to me when I call,” Arunika informed it.“No fair!” Invidoo argued.“Appeal to Glasya!”Arunika narrowed her eyes at the threat.She knew it to be a hollow one, for Glasya, Lord of the Sixth Layer, would never side with the likes of Invidoo against her.But still, in devil society, a breach of contract was no minor issue, and even though Glasya wouldn’t overrule her, likely, she might not look favorably on being bothered over so minor a detail as the indenture of an imp.“Do you truly wish to play this game against me?” the succubus asked quietly, her tone revealing an overt threat.“A summary task!” Invidoo insisted, meaning that Arunika should give it a way to complete its indenture without having to return to the Prime Material Plane and her side.“Invidoo demands a summary—”“Done,” Arunika agreed, smiling once more now that any thought of Invidoo going with its complaint to Glasya was off the table.All she had to do now was be a bit cleverer than the imp, and that seemed no difficult task.
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dnd358
“Find me a replacement.”“Easy!” Invidoo said without hesitation, and with a snap of skinny, clawed fingers.“A replacement who knows of this new force,” Arunika finished.Invidoo seemed to deflate once again, and stood staring at her.“Who knows of …?”“Drizzt Do’Urden,” Arunika remarked, nodding as she formulated the plan.“Find me a replacement familiar with …” She paused and looked at Invidoo suspiciously, knowing full well where it would take that edict.“Nay,” she corrected.“Find me a replacement intimately familiar with Drizzt Do’Urden, and you may transfer your binding to it.”Invidoo shook its catlike face so furiously that it nearly threw itself from its feet—indeed, only a last-moment flap of wings prevented it from toppling right over!“Cannot!Intimately?How possible?”Arunika shrugged as if that hardly mattered to her, which it did not.“That is your summary task.You asked for one and I complied.”“Glasya will hear of this!” the imp warned.“Do tell,” Arunika replied, calling the impotent bluff.Invidoo growled and stamped its clawed foot.“Intimately,” Arunika repeated.“Now be gone before I destroy you for betraying me, for even speaking to that wretched Effron creature.”Arunika thrust her arm out to the side and a bolt of fire flew from her hand, striking the ground and catching hold, a sizzling, wildly dancing flame gate.“Be gone!”Invidoo squealed in fear and half-ran, half-flew to the fire, then dived in head first.As if expecting the imp to deceive her and slip back out, Arunika was fast with her next invocation, blowing out the flames with a ferocious wave of her hand.She considered the spot on the ground, a second dark scar atop the wider carnage of the Dread Ring.She would have to concoct some elaborate ruse for when Invidoo returned to her side, she knew, for of course she expected that the imp would fail in its task.She would have to be ready to match wits with this Effron creature, and he was one she would not underestimate.But that plotting had to wait, she told herself, for more immediate concerns pressed in on her, not the least of which was the obvious damage done to her relationship with the dangerous Alegni.She started for home but moved slowly, letting her thoughts carry her along every avenue of possibility.Even though she meandered for half the night, Arunika was still quite surprised to find Brother Anthus waiting for her at her small house south of the city.His visits with the ambassador usually lasted much longer.More surprising was the expression on Anthus’s face, a look of complete confusion and even fear, as if something had truly unnerved the young man.“They’re gone,” he said, barely getting the words out, before Arunika could begin to question him.“Gone?”“The Sovereignty,” the monk explained.He rubbed his face red.“The ambassador is gone?Has it been replaced?”“All of them,” Brother Anthus replied.“The ambassador and all of its minions.All of them have gone.”“Relocated, then,” Arunika reasoned.“Perhaps they believed themselves vulnerable since Sylora’s fall, and so moved to—”“Gone!” Brother Anthus shouted, and Brother Anthus rarely raised his voice.
“Find me a replacement.”“Easy!” Invidoo said without hesitation, and with a snap of skinny, clawed fingers.“A replacement who knows of this new force,” Arunika finished.Invidoo seemed to deflate once again, and stood staring at her.“Who knows of …?”“Drizzt Do’Urden,” Arunika remarked, nodding as she formulated the plan.“Find me a replacement familiar with …” She paused and looked at Invidoo suspiciously, knowing full well where it would take that edict.“Nay,” she corrected.“Find me a replacement intimately familiar with Drizzt Do’Urden, and you may transfer your binding to it.”Invidoo shook its catlike face so furiously that it nearly threw itself from its feet—indeed, only a last-moment flap of wings prevented it from toppling right over!“Cannot!Intimately?How possible?”Arunika shrugged as if that hardly mattered to her, which it did not.“That is your summary task.You asked for one and I complied.”“Glasya will hear of this!” the imp warned.“Do tell,” Arunika replied, calling the impotent bluff.Invidoo growled and stamped its clawed foot.“Intimately,” Arunika repeated.“Now be gone before I destroy you for betraying me, for even speaking to that wretched Effron creature.”Arunika thrust her arm out to the side and a bolt of fire flew from her hand, striking the ground and catching hold, a sizzling, wildly dancing flame gate.“Be gone!”Invidoo squealed in fear and half-ran, half-flew to the fire, then dived in head first.As if expecting the imp to deceive her and slip back out, Arunika was fast with her next invocation, blowing out the flames with a ferocious wave of her hand.She considered the spot on the ground, a second dark scar atop the wider carnage of the Dread Ring.She would have to concoct some elaborate ruse for when Invidoo returned to her side, she knew, for of course she expected that the imp would fail in its task.She would have to be ready to match wits with this Effron creature, and he was one she would not underestimate.But that plotting had to wait, she told herself, for more immediate concerns pressed in on her, not the least of which was the obvious damage done to her relationship with the dangerous Alegni.She started for home but moved slowly, letting her thoughts carry her along every avenue of possibility.Even though she meandered for half the night, Arunika was still quite surprised to find Brother Anthus waiting for her at her small house south of the city.His visits with the ambassador usually lasted much longer.More surprising was the expression on Anthus’s face, a look of complete confusion and even fear, as if something had truly unnerved the young man.“They’re gone,” he said, barely getting the words out, before Arunika could begin to question him.“Gone?”“The Sovereignty,” the monk explained.He rubbed his face red.“The ambassador is gone?Has it been replaced?”“All of them,” Brother Anthus replied.“The ambassador and all of its minions.All of them have gone.”“Relocated, then,” Arunika reasoned.“Perhaps they believed themselves vulnerable since Sylora’s fall, and so moved to—”“Gone!” Brother Anthus shouted, and Brother Anthus rarely raised his voice.
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dnd359
He was frantic, though, thoroughly flustered and agitated.“They have departed the region.The ambassador left this behind.” He pulled a small cloth off a vial beside him and held it aloft.Arunika looked at it curiously.“A thought bottle,” Brother Anthus explained.He held the opened vial up before his nose, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply, then shook his head as if listening to a sad song, finally ending again with a simple, “Gone.”Arunika took the vial from him and similarly inhaled.She didn’t exactly hear a voice in her head, but the message left behind was clear enough.The situation was too unstable, the Sovereignty had decided.The fall of Sylora Salm might well introduce more powerful minions of Szass Tam, or even Szass Tam himself, into the region, and that might bring a corresponding response from the Netheril Empire.Most prominent of all of the thoughts imparted was the notion that this was not the time for the Sovereignty to move on the region.“They are not mortal in the sense that you are,” Arunika explained to Brother Anthus.“They play the long game,” the monk agreed.“They can afford to.”“As can you,” the monk retorted rather harshly, and Arunika found herself surprised by his declaration.“What does it matter to you?” he asked rather flippantly, and the succubus feared then that the monk had figured it out and knew of her true identity.Had the aboleths informed him?“Or to them?” he quickly added, seeing the devil’s dangerous scowl.“What is a score of years to beings who measure their lifetime in centuries, or even millennia?What is a century?”“Aboleths are not eternal.”“But their thoughts are.Their collective understanding, their meld, will continue through generations yet unborn.”“And you will be dead,” Arunika said, somewhat callously.Brother Anthus looked at her plaintively.“I gave them everything,” he whined.“I let them into my every thought.I stood naked before them as never before, even to myself.”“Could you have stopped them from so stripping you, had you tried?” Arunika tossed out, but Anthus, wound up in his tirade, seemed to not hear.“I believed in them!” the monk roared on.“I forsook my own order, my kin and kind.I made few inroads among the citizens of Neverwinter, gave not a thought to Sylora Salm, and have not even spoken directly with the new Netherese Lord of Neverwinter.And now they have abandoned me!
He was frantic, though, thoroughly flustered and agitated.“They have departed the region.The ambassador left this behind.” He pulled a small cloth off a vial beside him and held it aloft.Arunika looked at it curiously.“A thought bottle,” Brother Anthus explained.He held the opened vial up before his nose, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply, then shook his head as if listening to a sad song, finally ending again with a simple, “Gone.”Arunika took the vial from him and similarly inhaled.She didn’t exactly hear a voice in her head, but the message left behind was clear enough.The situation was too unstable, the Sovereignty had decided.The fall of Sylora Salm might well introduce more powerful minions of Szass Tam, or even Szass Tam himself, into the region, and that might bring a corresponding response from the Netheril Empire.Most prominent of all of the thoughts imparted was the notion that this was not the time for the Sovereignty to move on the region.“They are not mortal in the sense that you are,” Arunika explained to Brother Anthus.“They play the long game,” the monk agreed.“They can afford to.”“As can you,” the monk retorted rather harshly, and Arunika found herself surprised by his declaration.“What does it matter to you?” he asked rather flippantly, and the succubus feared then that the monk had figured it out and knew of her true identity.Had the aboleths informed him?“Or to them?” he quickly added, seeing the devil’s dangerous scowl.“What is a score of years to beings who measure their lifetime in centuries, or even millennia?What is a century?”“Aboleths are not eternal.”“But their thoughts are.Their collective understanding, their meld, will continue through generations yet unborn.”“And you will be dead,” Arunika said, somewhat callously.Brother Anthus looked at her plaintively.“I gave them everything,” he whined.“I let them into my every thought.I stood naked before them as never before, even to myself.”“Could you have stopped them from so stripping you, had you tried?” Arunika tossed out, but Anthus, wound up in his tirade, seemed to not hear.“I believed in them!” the monk roared on.“I forsook my own order, my kin and kind.I made few inroads among the citizens of Neverwinter, gave not a thought to Sylora Salm, and have not even spoken directly with the new Netherese Lord of Neverwinter.And now they have abandoned me!
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dnd360
And I am left with … what?”“And myself?” Arunika asked, trying to get a full admission from the man.“What do you care?” he shot back.“You did not throw in with the Sovereignty as I did.Arunika will thrive, whichever lord claims stewardship of Neverwinter.”Arunika quietly breathed a sigh of relief, now thinking that Anthus’s comments referred to the little she had to lose, and not the millennia she had to live.“Szass Tam will not come,” she assured him.“I have visited his Dread Ring, and there is little left of it worth his troubles.With the Netherese strong in the region, the cost would prove too great.He’ll keep his Ashmadai fools here, likely, and there remains Valindra—though believe me when I tell you that she is missing the Sovereignty more than you ever could.But Szass Tam will make no further concerted move against the region.”“There remain the Shadovar.”“With the fall of the Thayans, Alegni will get no further help from Netheril.”“He will not need it.”Arunika smiled at him slyly.“That remains to be seen.”“What do you know?” the monk asked hopefully.“If Herzgo Alegni is to be Lord of Neverwinter, then who will come to join the settlers?What man or elf or dwarf or halfling or any other race will come in to join the glorious rebuilding of Neverwinter when it is under the domination of the likes of a Netherese tiefling barbarian like Lord Alegni?”“What Shadovar, then?” the suddenly-cynical Brother Anthus said.“Or orcs.He will attract orcs, no doubt!”“And invite the Lords of Waterdeep to turn their eyes and arms to the north?” Arunika replied with a laugh.“Alegni thinks he achieved a great victory with the death of Sylora Salm, but in truth, his power came from the fear of an enemy.As that enemy diminishes, so will he, do not doubt.Soon enough, he will grow bored and fly away.Or his Netherese masters will send him back into the forest in search of the artifacts, as was his original mission.Or he will overstep and invite war with Waterdeep, and he will lose.”She nodded solemnly at Brother Anthus, even rubbed the forlorn monk on the shoulder.“The Sovereignty will return in a decade or two, fear not.Few understand them, but their pattern is not to abandon a place once they have laid the base of a new home.Use these years wisely, my young friend,” she advised.“Make of Brother Anthus a great name in Neverwinter, so that when the aboleths return, they will see in you a powerful ally.”The monk looked up at her and tried to nod, albeit unsuccessfully.“I will help you,” Arunika promised.“You are staying?”“To watch the downfall of Alegni?
And I am left with … what?”“And myself?” Arunika asked, trying to get a full admission from the man.“What do you care?” he shot back.“You did not throw in with the Sovereignty as I did.Arunika will thrive, whichever lord claims stewardship of Neverwinter.”Arunika quietly breathed a sigh of relief, now thinking that Anthus’s comments referred to the little she had to lose, and not the millennia she had to live.“Szass Tam will not come,” she assured him.“I have visited his Dread Ring, and there is little left of it worth his troubles.With the Netherese strong in the region, the cost would prove too great.He’ll keep his Ashmadai fools here, likely, and there remains Valindra—though believe me when I tell you that she is missing the Sovereignty more than you ever could.But Szass Tam will make no further concerted move against the region.”“There remain the Shadovar.”“With the fall of the Thayans, Alegni will get no further help from Netheril.”“He will not need it.”Arunika smiled at him slyly.“That remains to be seen.”“What do you know?” the monk asked hopefully.“If Herzgo Alegni is to be Lord of Neverwinter, then who will come to join the settlers?What man or elf or dwarf or halfling or any other race will come in to join the glorious rebuilding of Neverwinter when it is under the domination of the likes of a Netherese tiefling barbarian like Lord Alegni?”“What Shadovar, then?” the suddenly-cynical Brother Anthus said.“Or orcs.He will attract orcs, no doubt!”“And invite the Lords of Waterdeep to turn their eyes and arms to the north?” Arunika replied with a laugh.“Alegni thinks he achieved a great victory with the death of Sylora Salm, but in truth, his power came from the fear of an enemy.As that enemy diminishes, so will he, do not doubt.Soon enough, he will grow bored and fly away.Or his Netherese masters will send him back into the forest in search of the artifacts, as was his original mission.Or he will overstep and invite war with Waterdeep, and he will lose.”She nodded solemnly at Brother Anthus, even rubbed the forlorn monk on the shoulder.“The Sovereignty will return in a decade or two, fear not.Few understand them, but their pattern is not to abandon a place once they have laid the base of a new home.Use these years wisely, my young friend,” she advised.“Make of Brother Anthus a great name in Neverwinter, so that when the aboleths return, they will see in you a powerful ally.”The monk looked up at her and tried to nod, albeit unsuccessfully.“I will help you,” Arunika promised.“You are staying?”“To watch the downfall of Alegni?
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dnd361
Surely!” She laughed, uncomfortably perhaps, but she was indeed feeling quite jovial at that moment, for in trying to bolster Anthus, Arunika had herself found a new way to view the recent dramatic developments.She wasn’t sure that everything, or anything, of what she had predicted would come to pass—perhaps Alegni would remain as Lord of Neverwinter for fifty years.But her hopes of his demise were quite plausible, even probable, she had come to realize.And there remained an even more immediate solution, a powerful group allayed against Alegni, the same trio who had defeated Sylora, who seemed every bit the Netherese lord’s equal.Perhaps they would rid Arunika of the troublesome shade.Perhaps Arunika would find a way to help facilitate that.As she considered the delicious possibilities, the succubus found herself feeling even more jubilant.She would survive this, as Anthus had predicted.She would survive and she would thrive, whoever proved victorious in the struggles for Neverwinter.She looked Brother Anthus in the eye, her grin from ear to ear.“What?” he managed to ask in the heartbeat before Arunika fell over him passionately.Not long after, Arunika walked the quiet and dark streets of Neverwinter, her edginess hardly smoothed, her passion hardly sated.Arunika hailed from the Nine Hells, not the Abyss, and though a place no less evil, the distinction between demon and devil rested mostly in the contrast between chaos and order.Arunika liked an orderly society.Lawful by heritage, by nurture, by the very essence that gave her form and substance, uncertainty unsettled her.It made her edgy.It made her itchy.Poor Brother Anthus.For all of his youthful enthusiasm, he could not match or sate the passionate succubus.She had thought the Sovereignty would give her the pleasure of order here in Neverwinter.Perfect order, demanded internally and externally.But now they were gone and so many roads had opened.Too many roads for Arunika’s comfort, but she knew that it would pass as she came to better command the ultimate destination.The agitated devil shook her head repeatedly as she followed every potential turn to its logical conclusion.What of Valindra?What of Szass Tam?What of the trio now hunting Alegni?And most of all, what of Alegni and the Netheril Empire?Even with the potential pitfalls opening all around him, it seemed to Arunika that Alegni held the upper hand.Despite her assurances to Brother Anthus, Arunika understood that if Alegni survived the near future, he would become Lord of Neverwinter, perhaps for many years.Her meeting with Valindra had shown her the truth of the Thayans, and they would not threaten the power of Alegni and his Shadovar.This likely outcome was not to Arunika’s taste, of course, but she was of the Nine Hells.The strong imposed the rule, and the rule was more important than the ruler.Her preference, thus, seemed irrelevant.She glanced back to the south, where Anthus lay on her floor, exhausted beyond consciousness, then shifted her gaze just a bit to the west, to an inn on a small hill, and a room looking back toward the river and the Herzgo Alegni Bridge.Arunika did not like the uncertainty, but she knew what she must do if she wished to remain in the region, and more importantly, if she wished to help shape those rules that would govern this tumultuous area.Now she walked with purpose, along the boulevards running south and west.She could battle uncertainty by situating herself properly for all potential outcomes.That was her litany, and it did help to calm her a bit as she passed by the darkened windows of sleeping Neverwinter.
Surely!” She laughed, uncomfortably perhaps, but she was indeed feeling quite jovial at that moment, for in trying to bolster Anthus, Arunika had herself found a new way to view the recent dramatic developments.She wasn’t sure that everything, or anything, of what she had predicted would come to pass—perhaps Alegni would remain as Lord of Neverwinter for fifty years.But her hopes of his demise were quite plausible, even probable, she had come to realize.And there remained an even more immediate solution, a powerful group allayed against Alegni, the same trio who had defeated Sylora, who seemed every bit the Netherese lord’s equal.Perhaps they would rid Arunika of the troublesome shade.Perhaps Arunika would find a way to help facilitate that.As she considered the delicious possibilities, the succubus found herself feeling even more jubilant.She would survive this, as Anthus had predicted.She would survive and she would thrive, whoever proved victorious in the struggles for Neverwinter.She looked Brother Anthus in the eye, her grin from ear to ear.“What?” he managed to ask in the heartbeat before Arunika fell over him passionately.Not long after, Arunika walked the quiet and dark streets of Neverwinter, her edginess hardly smoothed, her passion hardly sated.Arunika hailed from the Nine Hells, not the Abyss, and though a place no less evil, the distinction between demon and devil rested mostly in the contrast between chaos and order.Arunika liked an orderly society.Lawful by heritage, by nurture, by the very essence that gave her form and substance, uncertainty unsettled her.It made her edgy.It made her itchy.Poor Brother Anthus.For all of his youthful enthusiasm, he could not match or sate the passionate succubus.She had thought the Sovereignty would give her the pleasure of order here in Neverwinter.Perfect order, demanded internally and externally.But now they were gone and so many roads had opened.Too many roads for Arunika’s comfort, but she knew that it would pass as she came to better command the ultimate destination.The agitated devil shook her head repeatedly as she followed every potential turn to its logical conclusion.What of Valindra?What of Szass Tam?What of the trio now hunting Alegni?And most of all, what of Alegni and the Netheril Empire?Even with the potential pitfalls opening all around him, it seemed to Arunika that Alegni held the upper hand.Despite her assurances to Brother Anthus, Arunika understood that if Alegni survived the near future, he would become Lord of Neverwinter, perhaps for many years.Her meeting with Valindra had shown her the truth of the Thayans, and they would not threaten the power of Alegni and his Shadovar.This likely outcome was not to Arunika’s taste, of course, but she was of the Nine Hells.The strong imposed the rule, and the rule was more important than the ruler.Her preference, thus, seemed irrelevant.She glanced back to the south, where Anthus lay on her floor, exhausted beyond consciousness, then shifted her gaze just a bit to the west, to an inn on a small hill, and a room looking back toward the river and the Herzgo Alegni Bridge.Arunika did not like the uncertainty, but she knew what she must do if she wished to remain in the region, and more importantly, if she wished to help shape those rules that would govern this tumultuous area.Now she walked with purpose, along the boulevards running south and west.She could battle uncertainty by situating herself properly for all potential outcomes.That was her litany, and it did help to calm her a bit as she passed by the darkened windows of sleeping Neverwinter.
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dnd362
Emotionally, at least, though there remained the physical agitation, which Brother Anthus could not calm.As she neared the inn, Arunika glanced around to ensure that there were no witnesses.Leathery wings appeared on her back as she willfully minimized her disguise, and then her wings spread wide.As much a hop as flight put the succubus on the balcony of a particular room at that fine inn, and there she folded her wings once more and leaned on the railing, her back to the darkened city, her eyes watching the darkened room beyond the wood and glass door before her.A long while passed, but she did not mind, as she worked even harder to clarify the possibilities and her potential within each.Finally, she heard the lock click and a few moments later, the balcony door swung open and Herzgo Alegni stood before her, his expression a mixture of sly anticipation and hardened resolve.Most of all, Arunika recognized, he was not surprised to see her.She stood on a balcony some thirty feet from the ground, with no stairway and only a locked door providing access, and yet, he was not surprised to see her.His twisted warlock minion had extracted much from Invidoo, Arunika knew then more clearly, as she had suspected.She answered Alegni’s hard look with a disarming smile.“Keep your enemies closer,” Alegni remarked, the second half of a common warrior litany.“Enemy?” Arunika asked innocently—so much so that she made it obvious to Alegni that she was denying nothing.Alegni couldn’t resist her expression, her posture, her playful retort, and a grin spread on his broad face.“You have won, Herzgo Alegni,” Arunika stated flatly.“What enemies remain?”“Indeed,” he replied unconvincingly.Arunika smiled all the wider, coyly, and let her wings spread wide once more as she walked deliberately toward the hulking tiefling.“How close would you like your enemies?” she asked quietly, her voice husky and promising, and her devil wings embraced him.“Close enough to kill,” Alegni answered.Arunika couldn’t resist that tease.Where Brother Anthus failed, Herzgo Alegni excelled.THE SPELLSPINNERIT IS NOT THE DWARF HOMELAND, JEARTH’S FINGERS FLASHED TO RAVEL XORLARRIN.The forward scouts of the expedition, a tenday and a half out of Menzoberranzan, had come upon a vast cavern, its walls tiered and worked.First word back along the lines had been promising that this might be a lower barracks or undercity of some sorts, something with which Jearth apparently did not agree.You know definitively?Jearth nodded, then nodded again to indicate the approach of Tiago Baenre on Byok, his famed lizard mount.“These are orc dwellings,” he said aloud, including Tiago into the conversation.“The place is filthy with them, and with bugbears.”“Then we are likely nearer the surface than we believed,” Ravel reasoned, and he cast a quick look to acknowledge Tiago’s arrival before turning back to directly address Jearth.“We should send scouts—perhaps your friend here—along any ascending tunnels we find to see if we might break free of the caverns.”The reference to Tiago Baenre, a noble of the First House of Menzoberranzan and very likely soon to be named the weapons master of that most important drow family, as a scout drew a thin grin from Tiago.It was sourced, Ravel knew, less in amusement than in the young Baenre’s desire to let him know that the comment had been appropriately marked and would be appropriately remembered.The proud Ravel wanted to retort, but the sensible Ravel suppressed that foolish urge.“We have scouts suited to the mission,” the wiser and older Jearth replied, “already seeking such boulevards.”When Ravel started to respond, Jearth flashed him a warning stare.Ravel hated this, hated having a Baenre along.For, like many of his family, he hated House Baenre above all.The Xorlarrins rarely admitted that, of course, usually reserving their public venom for Barrison Del’Armgo, the Second House of Menzoberranzan, and indeed, Matron Mother Zeerith’s most vociferous fights at the Council of Eight usually involved the matron of Barrison Del’Armgo.For who would dare openly speak against Quenthel Baenre?And this young Baenre was very much cut of that one’s cloth, Ravel knew.He watched Tiago closely as the young warrior gracefully dismounted, straightening his perfect clothing and silvery chain armor before he was even fully clear of the beast.His short-cut white hair was perfectly and stylishly coifed, as everything about his appearance—the bone structure of his slender face, the set and sparkle of his eyes, even the whisper of a thin white mustache, something very uncommon among the drow—showed that Baenre perfection.It was rumored that much of House Baenre’s magical energies of late had been preempted for superficial reasons, to create beauty among the House’s inner circle, but if such magical intervention had been the case with Tiago, it had happened long ago, at the time of his birth.For this one had always seemed to have “the right side of the mushroom in his face,” as the old drow saying about luck went.Tiago came up in a casual, easy posture, fully in control in his own mind, Ravel assumed.His hands rested easily on the hilts of the twin swords sheathed at his hips—no doubt among the most fabulous weapons in all of Menzoberranzan.The spellspinner would have loved to cast a dweomer then to determine the no-doubt abundance of magical items and implements carried by this privileged noble, and he made a note to secretly enact such a spell next time he saw Tiago coming.He pulled his gaze from the handsome young warrior and turned back to Jearth.
Emotionally, at least, though there remained the physical agitation, which Brother Anthus could not calm.As she neared the inn, Arunika glanced around to ensure that there were no witnesses.Leathery wings appeared on her back as she willfully minimized her disguise, and then her wings spread wide.As much a hop as flight put the succubus on the balcony of a particular room at that fine inn, and there she folded her wings once more and leaned on the railing, her back to the darkened city, her eyes watching the darkened room beyond the wood and glass door before her.A long while passed, but she did not mind, as she worked even harder to clarify the possibilities and her potential within each.Finally, she heard the lock click and a few moments later, the balcony door swung open and Herzgo Alegni stood before her, his expression a mixture of sly anticipation and hardened resolve.Most of all, Arunika recognized, he was not surprised to see her.She stood on a balcony some thirty feet from the ground, with no stairway and only a locked door providing access, and yet, he was not surprised to see her.His twisted warlock minion had extracted much from Invidoo, Arunika knew then more clearly, as she had suspected.She answered Alegni’s hard look with a disarming smile.“Keep your enemies closer,” Alegni remarked, the second half of a common warrior litany.“Enemy?” Arunika asked innocently—so much so that she made it obvious to Alegni that she was denying nothing.Alegni couldn’t resist her expression, her posture, her playful retort, and a grin spread on his broad face.“You have won, Herzgo Alegni,” Arunika stated flatly.“What enemies remain?”“Indeed,” he replied unconvincingly.Arunika smiled all the wider, coyly, and let her wings spread wide once more as she walked deliberately toward the hulking tiefling.“How close would you like your enemies?” she asked quietly, her voice husky and promising, and her devil wings embraced him.“Close enough to kill,” Alegni answered.Arunika couldn’t resist that tease.Where Brother Anthus failed, Herzgo Alegni excelled.THE SPELLSPINNERIT IS NOT THE DWARF HOMELAND, JEARTH’S FINGERS FLASHED TO RAVEL XORLARRIN.The forward scouts of the expedition, a tenday and a half out of Menzoberranzan, had come upon a vast cavern, its walls tiered and worked.First word back along the lines had been promising that this might be a lower barracks or undercity of some sorts, something with which Jearth apparently did not agree.You know definitively?Jearth nodded, then nodded again to indicate the approach of Tiago Baenre on Byok, his famed lizard mount.“These are orc dwellings,” he said aloud, including Tiago into the conversation.“The place is filthy with them, and with bugbears.”“Then we are likely nearer the surface than we believed,” Ravel reasoned, and he cast a quick look to acknowledge Tiago’s arrival before turning back to directly address Jearth.“We should send scouts—perhaps your friend here—along any ascending tunnels we find to see if we might break free of the caverns.”The reference to Tiago Baenre, a noble of the First House of Menzoberranzan and very likely soon to be named the weapons master of that most important drow family, as a scout drew a thin grin from Tiago.It was sourced, Ravel knew, less in amusement than in the young Baenre’s desire to let him know that the comment had been appropriately marked and would be appropriately remembered.The proud Ravel wanted to retort, but the sensible Ravel suppressed that foolish urge.“We have scouts suited to the mission,” the wiser and older Jearth replied, “already seeking such boulevards.”When Ravel started to respond, Jearth flashed him a warning stare.Ravel hated this, hated having a Baenre along.For, like many of his family, he hated House Baenre above all.The Xorlarrins rarely admitted that, of course, usually reserving their public venom for Barrison Del’Armgo, the Second House of Menzoberranzan, and indeed, Matron Mother Zeerith’s most vociferous fights at the Council of Eight usually involved the matron of Barrison Del’Armgo.For who would dare openly speak against Quenthel Baenre?And this young Baenre was very much cut of that one’s cloth, Ravel knew.He watched Tiago closely as the young warrior gracefully dismounted, straightening his perfect clothing and silvery chain armor before he was even fully clear of the beast.His short-cut white hair was perfectly and stylishly coifed, as everything about his appearance—the bone structure of his slender face, the set and sparkle of his eyes, even the whisper of a thin white mustache, something very uncommon among the drow—showed that Baenre perfection.It was rumored that much of House Baenre’s magical energies of late had been preempted for superficial reasons, to create beauty among the House’s inner circle, but if such magical intervention had been the case with Tiago, it had happened long ago, at the time of his birth.For this one had always seemed to have “the right side of the mushroom in his face,” as the old drow saying about luck went.Tiago came up in a casual, easy posture, fully in control in his own mind, Ravel assumed.His hands rested easily on the hilts of the twin swords sheathed at his hips—no doubt among the most fabulous weapons in all of Menzoberranzan.The spellspinner would have loved to cast a dweomer then to determine the no-doubt abundance of magical items and implements carried by this privileged noble, and he made a note to secretly enact such a spell next time he saw Tiago coming.He pulled his gaze from the handsome young warrior and turned back to Jearth.
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dnd363
“Can we circumvent the chamber?”As Jearth began to answer yes, Tiago interrupted with a resounding “no,” and both Xorlarrins turned to regard him with surprise.“Why would we?” Tiago asked.“True enough,” Jearth interjected before Ravel could speak.“No doubt the orcs and bugbears will cower before our march and would not dare try to hinder us.”“And why would we let them do that?” Tiago asked.Ravel looked from one to the other, crinkling his face in disapproval and incredulity that they would dare have such a discussion around him, as if he was not even there.“It is true,” Jearth insisted, the weapons master obviously catching the growing and dangerous ire of the spellspinner.“We should demand a tithing of fodder for our inconvenience of even having to ask,” Ravel replied.“No,” Tiago again unexpectedly interrupted, and again, both Xorlarrins looked at him in surprise.“It is past time for a fight,” the young Baenre explained.“We have had fights,” Jearth reminded.“With a pack of displacer beasts and a few random creatures,” Tiago explained.“Nothing against an entrenched enemy, the likes of which we will surely find when we do at last come upon this place called Gauntlgrym.This is a great opportunity for us to witness the coordination of our various factions.Let our warriors see the power of Ravel and his spellspinners.”Ravel narrowed his eyes just a bit at that remark, wondering if what Tiago really meant was that he personally wanted to see how formidable an enemy Ravel might truly prove to be.“Let us all, warrior and spellspinner alike, witness the tactics, power, and boundaries of these damned driders we have towed along,” Tiago finished.Ravel continued to stare hard at him, while Jearth gave an agreeing nod, apparently easily swayed by the young warrior’s argument.Or was it that Jearth was easily swayed by any argument put forth by a Baenre?Ravel wondered.“We need such a fight, spellspinner,” Tiago said directly to Ravel, and the deference in his tone caught the Xorlarrin off guard a bit.“It will bolster morale and hone our tactics.Besides,” he added with an irresistible and mischievous grin, “it will be fun.”Despite his reservations, suspicions, and general distaste for the Baenre noble, Ravel found himself believing in Tiago’s sincerity.So surprising was that to him that the spellspinner briefly wondered if one of Tiago’s magical items had secretly cast a dweomer upon him to enamor him of the young warrior.“Well enough,” Ravel heard himself saying, to his surprise.“Coordinate it.”Tiago flashed him a shining smile and motioned for Jearth to follow, then turned to his mount.“I will lead the first assault,” Ravel demanded, his tone changing abruptly.“I and my spellspinners will cast the first stones.”Tiago bowed respectfully and mounted Byok, then waited as Jearth retrieved his own lizard mount.In the few moments he had alone with Tiago, Ravel found that their discussion was not quite at its end.Free yourself of your envy, Xorlarrin son, Tiago’s fingers flashed at him.Ravel looked at him suspiciously, then answered, I know not what you mean, presumptuous Baenre son.Don’t you?came the response, but it was flashed with an expression of honest curiosity and not consternation, minimizing the accusation.Tiago’s fingers flashed emphatically, and quickly, since Jearth was even then climbing into the saddle, and soon to return.When our elders speak of the promising young males of Menzoberranzan, two names are most often mentioned, are they not?Tiago Baenre and Ravel Xorlarrin.Promising young students, respective leaders of their academies.Perhaps we are doomed to be rivals, bitter and ultimately fatal to one.His grin as he signaled this showed which of them Tiago expected that to be.Or stronger, perhaps, would we both become, if we found common gain here.If you uncover this Gauntlgrym and tame the beast of the place, House Xorlarrin will flee Menzoberranzan.We all know this, he added against Ravel’s widening eyes.
“Can we circumvent the chamber?”As Jearth began to answer yes, Tiago interrupted with a resounding “no,” and both Xorlarrins turned to regard him with surprise.“Why would we?” Tiago asked.“True enough,” Jearth interjected before Ravel could speak.“No doubt the orcs and bugbears will cower before our march and would not dare try to hinder us.”“And why would we let them do that?” Tiago asked.Ravel looked from one to the other, crinkling his face in disapproval and incredulity that they would dare have such a discussion around him, as if he was not even there.“It is true,” Jearth insisted, the weapons master obviously catching the growing and dangerous ire of the spellspinner.“We should demand a tithing of fodder for our inconvenience of even having to ask,” Ravel replied.“No,” Tiago again unexpectedly interrupted, and again, both Xorlarrins looked at him in surprise.“It is past time for a fight,” the young Baenre explained.“We have had fights,” Jearth reminded.“With a pack of displacer beasts and a few random creatures,” Tiago explained.“Nothing against an entrenched enemy, the likes of which we will surely find when we do at last come upon this place called Gauntlgrym.This is a great opportunity for us to witness the coordination of our various factions.Let our warriors see the power of Ravel and his spellspinners.”Ravel narrowed his eyes just a bit at that remark, wondering if what Tiago really meant was that he personally wanted to see how formidable an enemy Ravel might truly prove to be.“Let us all, warrior and spellspinner alike, witness the tactics, power, and boundaries of these damned driders we have towed along,” Tiago finished.Ravel continued to stare hard at him, while Jearth gave an agreeing nod, apparently easily swayed by the young warrior’s argument.Or was it that Jearth was easily swayed by any argument put forth by a Baenre?Ravel wondered.“We need such a fight, spellspinner,” Tiago said directly to Ravel, and the deference in his tone caught the Xorlarrin off guard a bit.“It will bolster morale and hone our tactics.Besides,” he added with an irresistible and mischievous grin, “it will be fun.”Despite his reservations, suspicions, and general distaste for the Baenre noble, Ravel found himself believing in Tiago’s sincerity.So surprising was that to him that the spellspinner briefly wondered if one of Tiago’s magical items had secretly cast a dweomer upon him to enamor him of the young warrior.“Well enough,” Ravel heard himself saying, to his surprise.“Coordinate it.”Tiago flashed him a shining smile and motioned for Jearth to follow, then turned to his mount.“I will lead the first assault,” Ravel demanded, his tone changing abruptly.“I and my spellspinners will cast the first stones.”Tiago bowed respectfully and mounted Byok, then waited as Jearth retrieved his own lizard mount.In the few moments he had alone with Tiago, Ravel found that their discussion was not quite at its end.Free yourself of your envy, Xorlarrin son, Tiago’s fingers flashed at him.Ravel looked at him suspiciously, then answered, I know not what you mean, presumptuous Baenre son.Don’t you?came the response, but it was flashed with an expression of honest curiosity and not consternation, minimizing the accusation.Tiago’s fingers flashed emphatically, and quickly, since Jearth was even then climbing into the saddle, and soon to return.When our elders speak of the promising young males of Menzoberranzan, two names are most often mentioned, are they not?Tiago Baenre and Ravel Xorlarrin.Promising young students, respective leaders of their academies.Perhaps we are doomed to be rivals, bitter and ultimately fatal to one.His grin as he signaled this showed which of them Tiago expected that to be.Or stronger, perhaps, would we both become, if we found common gain here.If you uncover this Gauntlgrym and tame the beast of the place, House Xorlarrin will flee Menzoberranzan.We all know this, he added against Ravel’s widening eyes.
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dnd364
Do you believe the designs of Zeerith a secret to Matron Mother Quenthel?His reference to Ravel’s matron without use of her title, coupled with his own reference to House Baenre’s matron mother, raised Ravel’s doubts and his anger, but he suppressed both as he focused on this surprising young warrior’s hints and designs.Perhaps Baenre, Barrison Del’Armgo, and the other five of the eight ruling Houses will see this as treachery, and will summarily obliterate Xorlarrin and all associated with her.You might be wise to foster relationships with some in Bregan D’aerthe to facilitate your escape in that instance, he added flippantly, for so intricate was the drow sign language that it allowed for such inflection.Or perhaps not, and in that instance, Ravel Xorlarrin would do well to have a friend within the noble ranks of House Baenre, Tiago finished, as Jearth came riding up.“Come, my friend,” Tiago said to Jearth, teasing Ravel with the wording as he turned and started away.Ravel watched the young man go and even whispered “well-played” under his breath.For indeed, Tiago’s presentation had been believable.The young Baenre hadn’t begun to indicate that he would be anything other than an enemy if House Baenre and the others decided to come after House Xorlarrin.After all, though his reference to the mercenary band of Bregan D’aerthe was more than a bit intriguing, Tiago was a Baenre.Bregan D’aerthe worked for, above all others, House Baenre.Was there a hint, then, that should war befall House Xorlarrin, Tiago might stand as Ravel’s only chance of escape?The spellspinner couldn’t be sure.Well played, indeed.Ravel and his fellow spellspinners could hear the murmurs beyond the wall of blackness that separated them from the main area of the immense underground chamber.Not darkness like the near absence of light so typical in the Underdark, but overlapping magical globes, visually impenetrable and absolutely void of light.The noble spellspinners of House Xorlarrin had enacted these globes, this visual wall, just inside one of the chamber’s more nondescript entrances.Another wizard had created a floating eye and directed it up above the wall of blackness, so he could function as lookout.In went the goblin fodder, disciplined because to veer astray was to die, and to utter a sound, any sound, was to die.The ugly little creatures lined up shoulder to shoulder, forming a semicircle within the room, a living shield, while the drow spellspinners silently moved into the clear area behind them and began their work.Nineteen sets of Xorlarrin hands lifted up high, fingers wiggling, wizards slowly turning and quietly chanting.This ritual had been Ravel’s greatest achievement, a particularly Xorlarrin manner of combining the powers of multiple spellspinners.From those reaching, wiggling fingers came filaments of light, reaching out to fellow wizards precisely positioned, equidistant to others within their particular ring, with four in the innermost, six in the middle, and eight in the outer.In the very center of the formation stood Ravel, his hands upraised and holding a sphere almost as large as his head.The filaments crossed with near-perfect angles, reaching out and about, drow to drow, like the spokes of a wheel, and when this skeletal structure was completed, those casters in the innermost ring turned their attention to Ravel and sent anchoring beams to the strange sphere, which caught their ends and held them taut.The eighteen went fast to their weaving, running filaments across those anchoring spokes.White drow hair tingled and rose up in the growing energy of the creation.Ravel breathed deeply, inhaling the power he felt mounting in his anchor sphere, glorious reams of energy tickling his fingers and palms, and seeping into his bare forearms so that his muscles tightened and stood rigid.He gritted his teeth and stubbornly held on.This was the moment that distinguished him from the other promising spellspinners, Ravel knew.He accepted the mounting energy into his body and soul.He merged with this, becoming one, adapting rather than battling, like an elf walking lightly over a new fallen snow, while a less nimble, less graceful human might plod through it.For Ravel instinctively understood the nature of magic.He was both receptacle and anchor, and as the web completed, the energy mounted even more swiftly and powerfully.But Ravel was ready for it.He heard his lessers scrambling around, glimpsed drow fingers flashing furiously, relaying commands and preparations.He was not distracted.
Do you believe the designs of Zeerith a secret to Matron Mother Quenthel?His reference to Ravel’s matron without use of her title, coupled with his own reference to House Baenre’s matron mother, raised Ravel’s doubts and his anger, but he suppressed both as he focused on this surprising young warrior’s hints and designs.Perhaps Baenre, Barrison Del’Armgo, and the other five of the eight ruling Houses will see this as treachery, and will summarily obliterate Xorlarrin and all associated with her.You might be wise to foster relationships with some in Bregan D’aerthe to facilitate your escape in that instance, he added flippantly, for so intricate was the drow sign language that it allowed for such inflection.Or perhaps not, and in that instance, Ravel Xorlarrin would do well to have a friend within the noble ranks of House Baenre, Tiago finished, as Jearth came riding up.“Come, my friend,” Tiago said to Jearth, teasing Ravel with the wording as he turned and started away.Ravel watched the young man go and even whispered “well-played” under his breath.For indeed, Tiago’s presentation had been believable.The young Baenre hadn’t begun to indicate that he would be anything other than an enemy if House Baenre and the others decided to come after House Xorlarrin.After all, though his reference to the mercenary band of Bregan D’aerthe was more than a bit intriguing, Tiago was a Baenre.Bregan D’aerthe worked for, above all others, House Baenre.Was there a hint, then, that should war befall House Xorlarrin, Tiago might stand as Ravel’s only chance of escape?The spellspinner couldn’t be sure.Well played, indeed.Ravel and his fellow spellspinners could hear the murmurs beyond the wall of blackness that separated them from the main area of the immense underground chamber.Not darkness like the near absence of light so typical in the Underdark, but overlapping magical globes, visually impenetrable and absolutely void of light.The noble spellspinners of House Xorlarrin had enacted these globes, this visual wall, just inside one of the chamber’s more nondescript entrances.Another wizard had created a floating eye and directed it up above the wall of blackness, so he could function as lookout.In went the goblin fodder, disciplined because to veer astray was to die, and to utter a sound, any sound, was to die.The ugly little creatures lined up shoulder to shoulder, forming a semicircle within the room, a living shield, while the drow spellspinners silently moved into the clear area behind them and began their work.Nineteen sets of Xorlarrin hands lifted up high, fingers wiggling, wizards slowly turning and quietly chanting.This ritual had been Ravel’s greatest achievement, a particularly Xorlarrin manner of combining the powers of multiple spellspinners.From those reaching, wiggling fingers came filaments of light, reaching out to fellow wizards precisely positioned, equidistant to others within their particular ring, with four in the innermost, six in the middle, and eight in the outer.In the very center of the formation stood Ravel, his hands upraised and holding a sphere almost as large as his head.The filaments crossed with near-perfect angles, reaching out and about, drow to drow, like the spokes of a wheel, and when this skeletal structure was completed, those casters in the innermost ring turned their attention to Ravel and sent anchoring beams to the strange sphere, which caught their ends and held them taut.The eighteen went fast to their weaving, running filaments across those anchoring spokes.White drow hair tingled and rose up in the growing energy of the creation.Ravel breathed deeply, inhaling the power he felt mounting in his anchor sphere, glorious reams of energy tickling his fingers and palms, and seeping into his bare forearms so that his muscles tightened and stood rigid.He gritted his teeth and stubbornly held on.This was the moment that distinguished him from the other promising spellspinners, Ravel knew.He accepted the mounting energy into his body and soul.He merged with this, becoming one, adapting rather than battling, like an elf walking lightly over a new fallen snow, while a less nimble, less graceful human might plod through it.For Ravel instinctively understood the nature of magic.He was both receptacle and anchor, and as the web completed, the energy mounted even more swiftly and powerfully.But Ravel was ready for it.He heard his lessers scrambling around, glimpsed drow fingers flashing furiously, relaying commands and preparations.He was not distracted.
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dnd365
Slowly Ravel began to wind his hands around, and the magical web responded by beginning a slow and steady spin, the bright strands becoming indistinct as they left glowing trails behind their movement.Ravel heard commotion beyond the wall of summoned blackness, as he had expected.Quiet as goblinkin might be, they sounded quite clumsy and raucous to the dark elves.The globes of darkness began to dissipate, and the wider cavern reappeared to the noble spellspinner, beyond the semicircle of goblin fodder, and beyond that line, barely fifty paces away, stood ranks of orcs interspersed with taller, hulking bugbears.Several raised voices in protest at the sight of the goblins, with the drow still mostly obscured, but with that glowing, spinning web up high above the goblin line and in clear sight.Despite his discomfort and needed concentration, Ravel managed a smile at the stupefied reactions he noted among the humanoids.Only for a moment, though, for then the spellspinner threw all of his energy and his concentration into the rotating web.He turned with it, a complete circuit, then another and a third, and as he came around, Ravel pulled back his left arm and threw forth his right, launching forth the web in a lazy spin.It floated out past the goblins, continuing its rotation, and without the anchor that was Ravel, the magical energies contained within it began to escape the spidery structure.The web reached forth, floating, rotating, lines of white lightning shooting down to split the stone beneath it.Orcs and bugbears, eyes widened in shock, scrambled and tangled, falling all over each other to get out of the way.The web rolled over them.A lightning blast hit an orc full force and the creature burst into flames, screaming and flailing among its scrambling kin.The whole cavern reverberated in the thunderous reports, one after another, drowning out the screams of the terrified orcs and bugbears.The drow spellspinners moved aside of the cavern entrance in an orderly fashion, while the goblins scrambled frantically, and less effectively—so clumsily, indeed, that as the next wave of attackers entered, several of the unfortunate goblins got trampled under clacking appendages.Ravel held his ground, not even looking back with concern, confident that the melee battalion, Yerrininae and his warrior driders, would not dare even brush him.And they didn’t.With great agility considering their ungainly forms, the driders charged past the noble spellspinner, chitin clattering against the stone.Any stumbling goblin fodder were less fortunate, the driders taking great pleasure in stomping them down as they charged out into the cavern.To a surface-dwelling human general, this group might have seemed akin to the heavy cavalry he would employ to dissolve the integrity of his enemy’s front line defense, and given the confusion already caused by the dissipating lightning web, the driders proved incredibly effective in this role.With their bulk and multitude of hard-shelled legs cracking against the stone, the stampede alone might have sent the whole of the opposing force running, but adding in the sheer ferocity of the cursed drow creations, and armed with tridents and long spears of exquisite drow craftsmanship, the cavern’s front-line defense was quickly and easily overwhelmed and scattered.So terrified of the horrid driders, some of the orcs and bugbears retreated straightaway, inadvertently running back under the still floating energy web, running right into the midst of the continuing lightning barrage.Ravel heard himself laughing aloud as one bugbear flew backward from the jolt of such a bolt, which split the stone floor right before it.The flailing creature never touched back down, for powerful Yerrininae thrust forth his great trident and caught it in mid-flight, skewering it cleanly and easily holding the three-hundred-pound creature aloft with but one muscled arm.Using that trophy as his banner, the drider leader rallied his forces around him and charged in deeper, breaking ranks perfectly to circumvent the lightning web, and coming together once more on the other side, in perfect, tumultuous formation.Ravel lifted his hands so his companions could clearly view them.Find your place in the fight, he instructed the spellspinners.And what is Ravel’s place?a drow hand-signaled back.“Wherever he deems,” the spellspinner answered aloud, for he wanted Tiago Baenre to hear the imperiousness in his voice.Astride his lizard, Byok, Tiago merely grinned at that response and tipped his short-brimmed top hat to the spellspinner.Off the young Baenre rode beside Jearth and a host of mounted warriors, veering sharply to the side to go far off to the right of the thundering web.Let the brutish and ever-angry driders and the lesser fighters entangle themselves in that confusing maelstrom while the more skilled warriors strategically conquered the flanks.Shallow caves lined the side wall, with clear indications that these were barracks, some quite high above the floor, and with ladders defensively raised.Drow mounts could quite readily climb walls.The lack of ladders offered little defense.“It was an impressive web of power,” Ravel’s sister Saribel said, walking up beside him along with the other two Xorlarrin nobles, Berellip and Brack’thal, the latter looking quite miserable about it all.“It took too long to effectively create and launch,” the always-stern Berellip disagreed.“Had our enemies not been stupid thugs, they would have fallen over us before we could begin to defend.”“You deny its power?” Saribel asked skeptically.“I deny its efficacy against any serious enemy,” Berellip quickly replied, and she added a scowl at Ravel for good measure, one that stung the young spellspinner more deeply because of the added spectacle of a grinning Brack’thal staring at him over Berellip’s shoulder.“The region of devastation cannot be so easily dismissed, sister,” Saribel insisted.“So much of arcane magic is useless show,” Berellip interrupted.“Because it is not divinely inspired.”“Of course, sister,” Saribel agreed, for what priestess of Lolth would not accede before such a truth as that?
Slowly Ravel began to wind his hands around, and the magical web responded by beginning a slow and steady spin, the bright strands becoming indistinct as they left glowing trails behind their movement.Ravel heard commotion beyond the wall of summoned blackness, as he had expected.Quiet as goblinkin might be, they sounded quite clumsy and raucous to the dark elves.The globes of darkness began to dissipate, and the wider cavern reappeared to the noble spellspinner, beyond the semicircle of goblin fodder, and beyond that line, barely fifty paces away, stood ranks of orcs interspersed with taller, hulking bugbears.Several raised voices in protest at the sight of the goblins, with the drow still mostly obscured, but with that glowing, spinning web up high above the goblin line and in clear sight.Despite his discomfort and needed concentration, Ravel managed a smile at the stupefied reactions he noted among the humanoids.Only for a moment, though, for then the spellspinner threw all of his energy and his concentration into the rotating web.He turned with it, a complete circuit, then another and a third, and as he came around, Ravel pulled back his left arm and threw forth his right, launching forth the web in a lazy spin.It floated out past the goblins, continuing its rotation, and without the anchor that was Ravel, the magical energies contained within it began to escape the spidery structure.The web reached forth, floating, rotating, lines of white lightning shooting down to split the stone beneath it.Orcs and bugbears, eyes widened in shock, scrambled and tangled, falling all over each other to get out of the way.The web rolled over them.A lightning blast hit an orc full force and the creature burst into flames, screaming and flailing among its scrambling kin.The whole cavern reverberated in the thunderous reports, one after another, drowning out the screams of the terrified orcs and bugbears.The drow spellspinners moved aside of the cavern entrance in an orderly fashion, while the goblins scrambled frantically, and less effectively—so clumsily, indeed, that as the next wave of attackers entered, several of the unfortunate goblins got trampled under clacking appendages.Ravel held his ground, not even looking back with concern, confident that the melee battalion, Yerrininae and his warrior driders, would not dare even brush him.And they didn’t.With great agility considering their ungainly forms, the driders charged past the noble spellspinner, chitin clattering against the stone.Any stumbling goblin fodder were less fortunate, the driders taking great pleasure in stomping them down as they charged out into the cavern.To a surface-dwelling human general, this group might have seemed akin to the heavy cavalry he would employ to dissolve the integrity of his enemy’s front line defense, and given the confusion already caused by the dissipating lightning web, the driders proved incredibly effective in this role.With their bulk and multitude of hard-shelled legs cracking against the stone, the stampede alone might have sent the whole of the opposing force running, but adding in the sheer ferocity of the cursed drow creations, and armed with tridents and long spears of exquisite drow craftsmanship, the cavern’s front-line defense was quickly and easily overwhelmed and scattered.So terrified of the horrid driders, some of the orcs and bugbears retreated straightaway, inadvertently running back under the still floating energy web, running right into the midst of the continuing lightning barrage.Ravel heard himself laughing aloud as one bugbear flew backward from the jolt of such a bolt, which split the stone floor right before it.The flailing creature never touched back down, for powerful Yerrininae thrust forth his great trident and caught it in mid-flight, skewering it cleanly and easily holding the three-hundred-pound creature aloft with but one muscled arm.Using that trophy as his banner, the drider leader rallied his forces around him and charged in deeper, breaking ranks perfectly to circumvent the lightning web, and coming together once more on the other side, in perfect, tumultuous formation.Ravel lifted his hands so his companions could clearly view them.Find your place in the fight, he instructed the spellspinners.And what is Ravel’s place?a drow hand-signaled back.“Wherever he deems,” the spellspinner answered aloud, for he wanted Tiago Baenre to hear the imperiousness in his voice.Astride his lizard, Byok, Tiago merely grinned at that response and tipped his short-brimmed top hat to the spellspinner.Off the young Baenre rode beside Jearth and a host of mounted warriors, veering sharply to the side to go far off to the right of the thundering web.Let the brutish and ever-angry driders and the lesser fighters entangle themselves in that confusing maelstrom while the more skilled warriors strategically conquered the flanks.Shallow caves lined the side wall, with clear indications that these were barracks, some quite high above the floor, and with ladders defensively raised.Drow mounts could quite readily climb walls.The lack of ladders offered little defense.“It was an impressive web of power,” Ravel’s sister Saribel said, walking up beside him along with the other two Xorlarrin nobles, Berellip and Brack’thal, the latter looking quite miserable about it all.“It took too long to effectively create and launch,” the always-stern Berellip disagreed.“Had our enemies not been stupid thugs, they would have fallen over us before we could begin to defend.”“You deny its power?” Saribel asked skeptically.“I deny its efficacy against any serious enemy,” Berellip quickly replied, and she added a scowl at Ravel for good measure, one that stung the young spellspinner more deeply because of the added spectacle of a grinning Brack’thal staring at him over Berellip’s shoulder.“The region of devastation cannot be so easily dismissed, sister,” Saribel insisted.“So much of arcane magic is useless show,” Berellip interrupted.“Because it is not divinely inspired.”“Of course, sister,” Saribel agreed, for what priestess of Lolth would not accede before such a truth as that?
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dnd366
She bowed gracefully before Berellip and followed the older Xorlarrin priestess away.“They will find more to kill,” Brack’thal decided, moving into the void beside Ravel.“Your favored ploy did little actual damage, after all.I count no more than five dead from it, and one to the spear of Yerrininae and not the lightning net.”Ravel slowly turned to regard Brack’thal, and he stared unblinkingly at the elder Xorlarrin’s smile until it at last faded.“If ever you doubt the effectiveness or power of my creations, do speak up, brother,” Ravel said.“I will gladly demonstrate more closely.”Brack’thal laughed at the threat.He could do that, Ravel understood, because Saribel and Berellip were nearby.That wouldn’t always be the case.For Ravel, coordinating the battle in the cavern quickly became more a matter of preventing Yerrininae and his drider battalion from slaughtering needed slaves than organizing any combat tactics.The four components of his strike force—spellspinner, drider, drow warrior, and goblin shock troops—hit the orc cavern so hard and so furiously that no semblance of organized defense ever materialized against them.The young spellspinner found this quite disappointing.He had wanted to test out his battle theories and had concocted some elaborate magic-melee coordination for wiping away stubborn defenses.Besides, any clever victories he might win against opponents who proved themselves worthy would only serve to impress his miserable sisters, and even more delicious, to frighten his broken father-brother.As the final bugbears and orcs were being rounded up for the continuing march, these creatures to serve alongside the goblins as battle fodder, Berellip took the moment to quip that the fight had hardly been worth the energy.She did so publicly, and loudly, and many eyes, including those of Yerrininae, focused on Ravel, whom she was clearly diminishing.“And not a single drow or drider lost,” Ravel countered, looking to Yerrininae as he spoke.“To mere orcs?” Berellip countered with a laugh, as if the thought of losing a drow to such a lesser creature was unthinkable.Her open levity attracted more drow around them, and Berellip played to them loudly.“To a combined force larger than our own,” the young spellspinner retorted, and he didn’t back down a bit, judging that the respect of his forces might be wavering a bit—and surely that seemed to be Berellip’s intent.Ravel looked at his older sister directly, matching her intense stare.Then he spun away with a laugh, taking center stage, commanding center stage.“Mere orcs?” he asked, addressing all around him now.“A most relative term, would you not agree?They are ‘mere’ only when measured against a superior force, and we are that, to both the orcs and the clever bugbears who ruled this cavern.And not simply superior, for if that, then surely we would have suffered losses, which we did not!They were overwhelmed from the start, because of preparation, dear sister.In a search of history, too many are quick to dismiss losers as inept, rather than attribute the crushing victory to the brilliance of the victors.”“Do tell,” Berellip said with a fair amount of sarcasm apparent in her tone.“Our easy victory here began with the selection of the force,” Ravel insisted.“We have found balance, magic to sword, finesse to sheer power.” He wanted to add, but didn’t need to—and didn’t think it wise, given Berellip’s apparent challenge to his authority—that he, of course, had been the one to select the expeditionary force.Still, Ravel couldn’t resist a bit of self-aggrandizing as he added, “Our enemies were broken before the fight even began.When at Sorcere, I envisioned such a usage of the lightning web, and had hoped that such an opportunity as we found this day would arise.”“Back to that?” Berellip asked, narrowing her eyes and tightening her jaw.“A few meager orcs killed for such an expense of power?”“A few killed and hundreds sent in flight, horrified,” Ravel replied.“Is not the threat of Lolth’s vengeance as effective a weapon for the priestesses as the actual manifestation of the Spider Queen?”Ravel could hardly believe the words as they left his mouth!To invoke the Spider Queen in an argument with a priestess of Lolth!For a moment, Ravel, like everyone around him, held his breath, staring unblinkingly at Berellip with an expectation that she would lash out at him, with her hand, her snake-headed whip, or even some of her devastating divine spells.She wanted to do just that, he could clearly see on her tightened face.Berellip would take great pleasure in torturing him for all to see.But the moment passed, and Berellip made no move, and only then did Ravel truly appreciate how important this expedition must be to Matron Mother Zeerith.
She bowed gracefully before Berellip and followed the older Xorlarrin priestess away.“They will find more to kill,” Brack’thal decided, moving into the void beside Ravel.“Your favored ploy did little actual damage, after all.I count no more than five dead from it, and one to the spear of Yerrininae and not the lightning net.”Ravel slowly turned to regard Brack’thal, and he stared unblinkingly at the elder Xorlarrin’s smile until it at last faded.“If ever you doubt the effectiveness or power of my creations, do speak up, brother,” Ravel said.“I will gladly demonstrate more closely.”Brack’thal laughed at the threat.He could do that, Ravel understood, because Saribel and Berellip were nearby.That wouldn’t always be the case.For Ravel, coordinating the battle in the cavern quickly became more a matter of preventing Yerrininae and his drider battalion from slaughtering needed slaves than organizing any combat tactics.The four components of his strike force—spellspinner, drider, drow warrior, and goblin shock troops—hit the orc cavern so hard and so furiously that no semblance of organized defense ever materialized against them.The young spellspinner found this quite disappointing.He had wanted to test out his battle theories and had concocted some elaborate magic-melee coordination for wiping away stubborn defenses.Besides, any clever victories he might win against opponents who proved themselves worthy would only serve to impress his miserable sisters, and even more delicious, to frighten his broken father-brother.As the final bugbears and orcs were being rounded up for the continuing march, these creatures to serve alongside the goblins as battle fodder, Berellip took the moment to quip that the fight had hardly been worth the energy.She did so publicly, and loudly, and many eyes, including those of Yerrininae, focused on Ravel, whom she was clearly diminishing.“And not a single drow or drider lost,” Ravel countered, looking to Yerrininae as he spoke.“To mere orcs?” Berellip countered with a laugh, as if the thought of losing a drow to such a lesser creature was unthinkable.Her open levity attracted more drow around them, and Berellip played to them loudly.“To a combined force larger than our own,” the young spellspinner retorted, and he didn’t back down a bit, judging that the respect of his forces might be wavering a bit—and surely that seemed to be Berellip’s intent.Ravel looked at his older sister directly, matching her intense stare.Then he spun away with a laugh, taking center stage, commanding center stage.“Mere orcs?” he asked, addressing all around him now.“A most relative term, would you not agree?They are ‘mere’ only when measured against a superior force, and we are that, to both the orcs and the clever bugbears who ruled this cavern.And not simply superior, for if that, then surely we would have suffered losses, which we did not!They were overwhelmed from the start, because of preparation, dear sister.In a search of history, too many are quick to dismiss losers as inept, rather than attribute the crushing victory to the brilliance of the victors.”“Do tell,” Berellip said with a fair amount of sarcasm apparent in her tone.“Our easy victory here began with the selection of the force,” Ravel insisted.“We have found balance, magic to sword, finesse to sheer power.” He wanted to add, but didn’t need to—and didn’t think it wise, given Berellip’s apparent challenge to his authority—that he, of course, had been the one to select the expeditionary force.Still, Ravel couldn’t resist a bit of self-aggrandizing as he added, “Our enemies were broken before the fight even began.When at Sorcere, I envisioned such a usage of the lightning web, and had hoped that such an opportunity as we found this day would arise.”“Back to that?” Berellip asked, narrowing her eyes and tightening her jaw.“A few meager orcs killed for such an expense of power?”“A few killed and hundreds sent in flight, horrified,” Ravel replied.“Is not the threat of Lolth’s vengeance as effective a weapon for the priestesses as the actual manifestation of the Spider Queen?”Ravel could hardly believe the words as they left his mouth!To invoke the Spider Queen in an argument with a priestess of Lolth!For a moment, Ravel, like everyone around him, held his breath, staring unblinkingly at Berellip with an expectation that she would lash out at him, with her hand, her snake-headed whip, or even some of her devastating divine spells.She wanted to do just that, he could clearly see on her tightened face.Berellip would take great pleasure in torturing him for all to see.But the moment passed, and Berellip made no move, and only then did Ravel truly appreciate how important this expedition must be to Matron Mother Zeerith.
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dnd367
He had pushed past all boundaries of protocol and would not be punished—not then, at least.Mark your words carefully, young spellspinner, Berellip signed to him, her hands in close so that few other than Ravel could read the threat.The priestess turned on her heel and walked away, Saribel in her wake.She wouldn’t even chastise him openly before his minions.Hardly believing his luck, or that it would hold, Ravel turned to the gathered drow and waved them off to their duties.He noticed Jearth as he did, the weapons master staring at him incredulously.And more than Jearth, Ravel noted Tiago Baenre, whose expression revealed the brash young Baenre’s intrigue, and even a bit of amusement.Ravel had no answers for any of that, for he was no less incredulous than the two warriors.“We will make our encampment here in this cavern,” he ordered, and started away.Jearth caught up to him soon after.“This area is quite open and vulnerable,” the weapons master explained.“No enemies will come upon us,” Ravel insisted.“You cannot know that.And if enemies do find us, smaller areas favor our smaller numbers.”“Set the camp.”“Or face Lolth’s vengeance?” Jearth remarked with a sly grin, and he was one of the few drow alive who could so tease young Ravel.The spellspinner merely shook his head and held his hands up helplessly in reply, as if to say that he, too, could not believe that he had so challenged Berellip, and on the foundation of her very existence.Tiago Baenre came to Ravel a short while later, to inform him that they had identified the bugbear king of the cave and had him waiting for an audience with his conquerors.“Does he wish to negotiate?” Ravel asked sarcastically.“To continue breathing, I would assume.”The Xorlarrin spellspinner stepped back and took a long look at the Baenre warrior.They were about the same age, he knew, and had been in their respective academies in overlapping years.They were rivals out of simple circumstance, as two of the most promising young drow males in Menzoberranzan.Or were they?Tiago moved to the front of the shallow cave and pointed out the abode across the cavern where the bugbear king was being held.“There is more that I would ask of you for my allegiance,” Tiago warned, and turned back to face Ravel.The spellspinner looked at the warrior suspiciously.“I travel with you to represent my family,” Tiago explained.“To report back to Matron Quenthel, favorably or unfavorably, on the progress of House Xorlarrin.”Ravel nodded.They had been through all of this before.“And I go for personal gain, and in more ways than reputation,” Tiago explained.As Ravel narrowed his eyes, Tiago balked.“Pretend not that you expected more of me,” he said sternly.“Perhaps some devotion to the greater good, or the glory of Lady Lolth, or some other such nonsense.Do not assign me such motives, for such a limited view of me would surely wound me, my friend, and never would I presume that Ravel would act outside the benefit of … Ravel.”Ravel had to nod his agreement of that assessment.What drow, after all, had ever achieved greatness without first seeking and demanding it?“Do tell,” he prompted.Tiago reached into a pocket in his piwafwi and produced a thin silver scroll tube.He held it up so that Ravel could clearly see the etching of a hammer, a bolt of lightning energy, and a pair of crossed swords, along with the name Gol’fanin.Ravel’s own decorated dagger, more a focus item than a weapon, bore that same signature, as did the weapons of many of the nobles of the ruling drow Houses.Given their destination, given the rumors of the magic powering the ancient forge, there was no need for Tiago to elaborate further.“I will meet you beside the prisoner,” Tiago said, and started away for the prison of the bugbear king.But Ravel called him back.“Go with me,” he said, and he took care with his tone to make it more of an offer than an order.Tiago nodded.Ravel took his time in crossing the large cavern.He wondered if he and Tiago Baenre might have much to discuss regarding the bugbear lord, the continuing expedition, and perhaps even beyond that.He reminded himself that this was a Baenre, after all, and so he knew he’d need to sweeten every subject with tinguin lal’o shrome’cak, or the promise of a fungal pie, as the drow saying went, in reference to a particular delicacy which could induce the most marvelous of daydreams.
He had pushed past all boundaries of protocol and would not be punished—not then, at least.Mark your words carefully, young spellspinner, Berellip signed to him, her hands in close so that few other than Ravel could read the threat.The priestess turned on her heel and walked away, Saribel in her wake.She wouldn’t even chastise him openly before his minions.Hardly believing his luck, or that it would hold, Ravel turned to the gathered drow and waved them off to their duties.He noticed Jearth as he did, the weapons master staring at him incredulously.And more than Jearth, Ravel noted Tiago Baenre, whose expression revealed the brash young Baenre’s intrigue, and even a bit of amusement.Ravel had no answers for any of that, for he was no less incredulous than the two warriors.“We will make our encampment here in this cavern,” he ordered, and started away.Jearth caught up to him soon after.“This area is quite open and vulnerable,” the weapons master explained.“No enemies will come upon us,” Ravel insisted.“You cannot know that.And if enemies do find us, smaller areas favor our smaller numbers.”“Set the camp.”“Or face Lolth’s vengeance?” Jearth remarked with a sly grin, and he was one of the few drow alive who could so tease young Ravel.The spellspinner merely shook his head and held his hands up helplessly in reply, as if to say that he, too, could not believe that he had so challenged Berellip, and on the foundation of her very existence.Tiago Baenre came to Ravel a short while later, to inform him that they had identified the bugbear king of the cave and had him waiting for an audience with his conquerors.“Does he wish to negotiate?” Ravel asked sarcastically.“To continue breathing, I would assume.”The Xorlarrin spellspinner stepped back and took a long look at the Baenre warrior.They were about the same age, he knew, and had been in their respective academies in overlapping years.They were rivals out of simple circumstance, as two of the most promising young drow males in Menzoberranzan.Or were they?Tiago moved to the front of the shallow cave and pointed out the abode across the cavern where the bugbear king was being held.“There is more that I would ask of you for my allegiance,” Tiago warned, and turned back to face Ravel.The spellspinner looked at the warrior suspiciously.“I travel with you to represent my family,” Tiago explained.“To report back to Matron Quenthel, favorably or unfavorably, on the progress of House Xorlarrin.”Ravel nodded.They had been through all of this before.“And I go for personal gain, and in more ways than reputation,” Tiago explained.As Ravel narrowed his eyes, Tiago balked.“Pretend not that you expected more of me,” he said sternly.“Perhaps some devotion to the greater good, or the glory of Lady Lolth, or some other such nonsense.Do not assign me such motives, for such a limited view of me would surely wound me, my friend, and never would I presume that Ravel would act outside the benefit of … Ravel.”Ravel had to nod his agreement of that assessment.What drow, after all, had ever achieved greatness without first seeking and demanding it?“Do tell,” he prompted.Tiago reached into a pocket in his piwafwi and produced a thin silver scroll tube.He held it up so that Ravel could clearly see the etching of a hammer, a bolt of lightning energy, and a pair of crossed swords, along with the name Gol’fanin.Ravel’s own decorated dagger, more a focus item than a weapon, bore that same signature, as did the weapons of many of the nobles of the ruling drow Houses.Given their destination, given the rumors of the magic powering the ancient forge, there was no need for Tiago to elaborate further.“I will meet you beside the prisoner,” Tiago said, and started away for the prison of the bugbear king.But Ravel called him back.“Go with me,” he said, and he took care with his tone to make it more of an offer than an order.Tiago nodded.Ravel took his time in crossing the large cavern.He wondered if he and Tiago Baenre might have much to discuss regarding the bugbear lord, the continuing expedition, and perhaps even beyond that.He reminded himself that this was a Baenre, after all, and so he knew he’d need to sweeten every subject with tinguin lal’o shrome’cak, or the promise of a fungal pie, as the drow saying went, in reference to a particular delicacy which could induce the most marvelous of daydreams.
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dnd368
Tiago hadn’t asked about this second bargain he had just revealed, but rather had stated it as a matter of fact, not to be argued or denied.So it would be in the presence of a Baenre, Ravel realized, and the more he might do to keep Tiago beside him, the better.It didn’t take the spellspinner long to determine which fungal pie might be given at this time and in this place.Tutugnik, the bugbear king, offered little to impress Ravel as anything other than ordinary.He was larger than most bugbears, particularly those clans which lived so deep in the Underdark, and even sitting strapped to a stone chair, he could look Ravel in the eye.Perhaps he was considered handsome for his race; to Ravel they all looked the same, other than the occasional garish scar, with their flat faces, bloodshot eyes, and broken yellow and brown teeth, all sharpened and crooked.Like all bugbears, Tutugnik’s hair was greasy and dirty, matted in no particular style.Nor was he impressive intellectually, answering Ravel’s pointed demand that Tutugnik and all his minions would now serve the drow, with an uninspired, “Tutugnik is leader.”Perhaps he meant that he wished to continue to serve as leader of the slave force.Perhaps, but Ravel didn’t care to find out.He convened an audience with the whole of the cavern, drow and drider, orc and bugbear.Standing on a high and well-lit ledge beside Jearth and Tutugnik, Ravel ordered the bugbear lord brought out to stand on the other side of his weapons master.Tiago Baenre accompanied the brutish creature.“You are conquered,” Ravel yelled out simply to the orcs and bugbears, his volume magnified by a simple dweomer so that his voice boomed off every stone in the cavern.“You will fight for me, or you will die, and if you fight well, perhaps I will allow you to fight for me again.” He nodded and started to turn away, as if there was really nothing more to be said, but then he paused and looked to the bugbear king.“Leader?” Ravel asked loudly, pointing to Tutugnik, who puffed out his massive chest with pride.Among the gathered orcs and bugbears, the response was muted, with the captives looking to one another for hints about how they should react.Gradually that direction led them to a tentative few affirmative stomps of heavy feet, even a huzzah or two.All of which evaporated in the blink of an eye as Ravel glanced at Tiago.The young Baenre leaped and spun, drawing one of his swords too quickly for anyone to realize it, including Tutugnik, who had barely begun to glance the leaping Baenre’s way before that sword sliced under Tutugnik’s chin, front to back.The bugbear’s expression never even changed as his head tumbled free of his neck, so swift was the blow.“Some of them cheered,” Ravel said to Tiago and Jearth.The warriors smiled and nodded, and started down from the ledge.Among the prisoners, the game was quite simple: any who told of another who had cheered Tutugnik would be pressed into service.Those pointed to as Tutugnik loyalists were dragged aside and tortured to death, in full view.“Am I to be beaten, or murdered?” Ravel asked when he answered his sister’s summons to a large cave that she had taken as her own.Berellip’s many goblin slaves had already cleared the place of bugbear debris and feces, scrubbing it dutifully.The drow priestess had not traveled light, with many pack lizards devoted entirely to her comforts.Though the expedition would remain in the caverns only for a couple of days, as scouts moved around the region to determine their exact position and plot the most likely trails to this sought-after dwarf homeland, Berellip’s well-trained goblins had turned the cave into a room fitting for a drow noble House.Tapestries covered nearly every wall, and plush pillows and blankets adorned every rock or ledge that could serve as bed or chair.Saribel lounged on one such stone, far to the side of her sister, but watching Ravel quite intently.Beyond the three Xorlarrins and a handful of meaningless goblin slaves, the cave was empty.“You ask lightheartedly, as if either would not be a distinct possibility, or quite legal, even fitting,” Berellip replied.“Because I wish to know which path you would take,” Ravel pressed.“If the former.…” He shrugged.“But if the latter, then I suppose that I would be wise to defend myself.”“You miss the third possibility,” Berellip said, her tone suddenly cold, “to join with Yerrininae.”Ravel laughed, but even though he was quite confident that Berellip was merely taunting him.The thought of becoming a drider was truly too awful for any honest levity.“Or the fourth,” he said suddenly.Berellip looked at him curiously, then glanced over at her sister, who shook her head and shrugged, obviously at a loss.“Do tell.”“You could accept that all of my actions, even those seeming disrespectful of your superior station—”“Seeming?”“They were disrespectful, I accept,” Ravel conceded, and he bowed deeply and slowly, exaggerating the movement.“But they were done with no disrespect intended, and for the benefit of House Xorlarrin.”“Sit down,” Berellip commanded, and Ravel turned for the nearest cushioned stone chair.“On the floor,” Berellip clarified.Ravel looked at her with incredulity, but wiped it from his face almost immediately and plopped down to the floor as quickly as he could manage.“For the benefit of House Xorlarrin?” the priestess asked.Ravel took a deep breath and lifted his hand to tap the side of his head, trying to phrase his explanation precisely and carefully.
Tiago hadn’t asked about this second bargain he had just revealed, but rather had stated it as a matter of fact, not to be argued or denied.So it would be in the presence of a Baenre, Ravel realized, and the more he might do to keep Tiago beside him, the better.It didn’t take the spellspinner long to determine which fungal pie might be given at this time and in this place.Tutugnik, the bugbear king, offered little to impress Ravel as anything other than ordinary.He was larger than most bugbears, particularly those clans which lived so deep in the Underdark, and even sitting strapped to a stone chair, he could look Ravel in the eye.Perhaps he was considered handsome for his race; to Ravel they all looked the same, other than the occasional garish scar, with their flat faces, bloodshot eyes, and broken yellow and brown teeth, all sharpened and crooked.Like all bugbears, Tutugnik’s hair was greasy and dirty, matted in no particular style.Nor was he impressive intellectually, answering Ravel’s pointed demand that Tutugnik and all his minions would now serve the drow, with an uninspired, “Tutugnik is leader.”Perhaps he meant that he wished to continue to serve as leader of the slave force.Perhaps, but Ravel didn’t care to find out.He convened an audience with the whole of the cavern, drow and drider, orc and bugbear.Standing on a high and well-lit ledge beside Jearth and Tutugnik, Ravel ordered the bugbear lord brought out to stand on the other side of his weapons master.Tiago Baenre accompanied the brutish creature.“You are conquered,” Ravel yelled out simply to the orcs and bugbears, his volume magnified by a simple dweomer so that his voice boomed off every stone in the cavern.“You will fight for me, or you will die, and if you fight well, perhaps I will allow you to fight for me again.” He nodded and started to turn away, as if there was really nothing more to be said, but then he paused and looked to the bugbear king.“Leader?” Ravel asked loudly, pointing to Tutugnik, who puffed out his massive chest with pride.Among the gathered orcs and bugbears, the response was muted, with the captives looking to one another for hints about how they should react.Gradually that direction led them to a tentative few affirmative stomps of heavy feet, even a huzzah or two.All of which evaporated in the blink of an eye as Ravel glanced at Tiago.The young Baenre leaped and spun, drawing one of his swords too quickly for anyone to realize it, including Tutugnik, who had barely begun to glance the leaping Baenre’s way before that sword sliced under Tutugnik’s chin, front to back.The bugbear’s expression never even changed as his head tumbled free of his neck, so swift was the blow.“Some of them cheered,” Ravel said to Tiago and Jearth.The warriors smiled and nodded, and started down from the ledge.Among the prisoners, the game was quite simple: any who told of another who had cheered Tutugnik would be pressed into service.Those pointed to as Tutugnik loyalists were dragged aside and tortured to death, in full view.“Am I to be beaten, or murdered?” Ravel asked when he answered his sister’s summons to a large cave that she had taken as her own.Berellip’s many goblin slaves had already cleared the place of bugbear debris and feces, scrubbing it dutifully.The drow priestess had not traveled light, with many pack lizards devoted entirely to her comforts.Though the expedition would remain in the caverns only for a couple of days, as scouts moved around the region to determine their exact position and plot the most likely trails to this sought-after dwarf homeland, Berellip’s well-trained goblins had turned the cave into a room fitting for a drow noble House.Tapestries covered nearly every wall, and plush pillows and blankets adorned every rock or ledge that could serve as bed or chair.Saribel lounged on one such stone, far to the side of her sister, but watching Ravel quite intently.Beyond the three Xorlarrins and a handful of meaningless goblin slaves, the cave was empty.“You ask lightheartedly, as if either would not be a distinct possibility, or quite legal, even fitting,” Berellip replied.“Because I wish to know which path you would take,” Ravel pressed.“If the former.…” He shrugged.“But if the latter, then I suppose that I would be wise to defend myself.”“You miss the third possibility,” Berellip said, her tone suddenly cold, “to join with Yerrininae.”Ravel laughed, but even though he was quite confident that Berellip was merely taunting him.The thought of becoming a drider was truly too awful for any honest levity.“Or the fourth,” he said suddenly.Berellip looked at him curiously, then glanced over at her sister, who shook her head and shrugged, obviously at a loss.“Do tell.”“You could accept that all of my actions, even those seeming disrespectful of your superior station—”“Seeming?”“They were disrespectful, I accept,” Ravel conceded, and he bowed deeply and slowly, exaggerating the movement.“But they were done with no disrespect intended, and for the benefit of House Xorlarrin.”“Sit down,” Berellip commanded, and Ravel turned for the nearest cushioned stone chair.“On the floor,” Berellip clarified.Ravel looked at her with incredulity, but wiped it from his face almost immediately and plopped down to the floor as quickly as he could manage.“For the benefit of House Xorlarrin?” the priestess asked.Ravel took a deep breath and lifted his hand to tap the side of his head, trying to phrase his explanation precisely and carefully.
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dnd369
But Berellip stole his thunder.“For the benefit of Tiago Baenre, you mean,” she remarked.Ravel had to take another deep breath—and pointedly remind himself that these sisters of his were priestesses of Lolth, and surely loved her more than they cared for him.They had attended Arach-Tinilith, the greatest of the Menzoberranzan academies, and Berellip, in particular, had excelled in that brutal environment.Ravel had to take care in dealing with these two.He fancied himself smarter than almost any drow, perhaps excepting Gromph Baenre, but in a moment like this, he understood that arrogance to be more a matter of determined attitude than a true belief.“If for Tiago Baenre, then surely for House Xorlarrin,” he answered.“That one might prove important to us.”“Which is why I will bed him this very night,” Berellip replied.“And I tomorrow,” Saribel quickly added.Ravel looked from one to the other, and truly was not surprised.“Tiago is intrigued with our House.”“He is an upstart male who does not like his place in life,” Berellip explained.“And so House Xorlarrin interests him,” said Ravel.“For it, above any others, expects achievement from its males, and rewards such achievement with respect.”“This is an advantage of House Xorlarrin throughout Menzoberranzan,” Berellip agreed.“For in Xorlarrin alone are males allowed some true measure of respect.”“Then you understand my disrespect,” Ravel said, or started to, for somewhere between the first word and the fifth, a snake-headed whip appeared in Berellip’s hand.She lashed out at him, the three heads of her weapon snapping forth, fangs bared, tearing the flesh of his face.He threw himself backward and to the floor, but Berellip pursued and struck him again and again.His main robes were enchanted, of course, and offered him some protection, but those wicked snakes found their way around it, tearing his shirt and skin alike.He felt the agonizing poison coursing through his veins almost, even as new eruptions of fire from fresh bites assailed him.Saribel was there then, her own whip in hand, adding two more serpent heads to the vicious beating.It went on and on, Ravel’s senses stolen by the sheer agony of it.At last they stopped striking him, but still he writhed, poison assaulting his nerves and muscles, forcing him into spasms of sheer agony.Sometime later, a bloody Ravel dared to sit up again, to find Berellip sitting comfortably in her chair, with Saribel off to the side as if nothing had happened.“So ends our advantage with Tiago Baenre,” the mage managed to gasp.Berellip smiled and nodded to a nearby goblin, who rushed over with an armful of clothes—clothing to exactly match the now-tattered nonmagical garments.“The end of this chamber is silenced, and you will look the same.Tiago will know nothing of this,” Berellip assured him.“Dress!”Ravel grunted repeatedly as he struggled to his feet, his joints still aflame from the wicked whip poison.“Dear sister,” Berellip teased as Ravel slipped out of his blood-soaked and ripped robes, “we are but a tenday from Menzoberranzan, and have only four more sets of replacement clothing for our dear brother.Whatever shall we do?”Ravel’s hateful stare might have carried some threat with it had he not been so wobbly, even falling back over to the ground at one point.A COLLISIONHE WAS NOT A MAN PRONE TO FITS OF NOSTALGIA, NOT A MAN WHOSE thoughts filled with wistful images of what had gone before, mostly because most of what had gone before wasn’t worth replaying.But the small human assassin with grayish skin found himself in a strange, for him, emotional place one afternoon outside of Neverwinter.“Artemis Entreri,” he whispered, and not for the first time this day.It was a name that had once struck fear throughout the city of Calimport, throughout most of the southland.The name itself had once offered him great advantage in battle, for the reputation it carried often overwhelmed the sensibilities of his enemies.Employers would throw extra gold his way as much because of their fear of angering him as because they knew he was the best man for the job.That notion brought a rare smile to Entreri’s face.Angering him?
But Berellip stole his thunder.“For the benefit of Tiago Baenre, you mean,” she remarked.Ravel had to take another deep breath—and pointedly remind himself that these sisters of his were priestesses of Lolth, and surely loved her more than they cared for him.They had attended Arach-Tinilith, the greatest of the Menzoberranzan academies, and Berellip, in particular, had excelled in that brutal environment.Ravel had to take care in dealing with these two.He fancied himself smarter than almost any drow, perhaps excepting Gromph Baenre, but in a moment like this, he understood that arrogance to be more a matter of determined attitude than a true belief.“If for Tiago Baenre, then surely for House Xorlarrin,” he answered.“That one might prove important to us.”“Which is why I will bed him this very night,” Berellip replied.“And I tomorrow,” Saribel quickly added.Ravel looked from one to the other, and truly was not surprised.“Tiago is intrigued with our House.”“He is an upstart male who does not like his place in life,” Berellip explained.“And so House Xorlarrin interests him,” said Ravel.“For it, above any others, expects achievement from its males, and rewards such achievement with respect.”“This is an advantage of House Xorlarrin throughout Menzoberranzan,” Berellip agreed.“For in Xorlarrin alone are males allowed some true measure of respect.”“Then you understand my disrespect,” Ravel said, or started to, for somewhere between the first word and the fifth, a snake-headed whip appeared in Berellip’s hand.She lashed out at him, the three heads of her weapon snapping forth, fangs bared, tearing the flesh of his face.He threw himself backward and to the floor, but Berellip pursued and struck him again and again.His main robes were enchanted, of course, and offered him some protection, but those wicked snakes found their way around it, tearing his shirt and skin alike.He felt the agonizing poison coursing through his veins almost, even as new eruptions of fire from fresh bites assailed him.Saribel was there then, her own whip in hand, adding two more serpent heads to the vicious beating.It went on and on, Ravel’s senses stolen by the sheer agony of it.At last they stopped striking him, but still he writhed, poison assaulting his nerves and muscles, forcing him into spasms of sheer agony.Sometime later, a bloody Ravel dared to sit up again, to find Berellip sitting comfortably in her chair, with Saribel off to the side as if nothing had happened.“So ends our advantage with Tiago Baenre,” the mage managed to gasp.Berellip smiled and nodded to a nearby goblin, who rushed over with an armful of clothes—clothing to exactly match the now-tattered nonmagical garments.“The end of this chamber is silenced, and you will look the same.Tiago will know nothing of this,” Berellip assured him.“Dress!”Ravel grunted repeatedly as he struggled to his feet, his joints still aflame from the wicked whip poison.“Dear sister,” Berellip teased as Ravel slipped out of his blood-soaked and ripped robes, “we are but a tenday from Menzoberranzan, and have only four more sets of replacement clothing for our dear brother.Whatever shall we do?”Ravel’s hateful stare might have carried some threat with it had he not been so wobbly, even falling back over to the ground at one point.A COLLISIONHE WAS NOT A MAN PRONE TO FITS OF NOSTALGIA, NOT A MAN WHOSE thoughts filled with wistful images of what had gone before, mostly because most of what had gone before wasn’t worth replaying.But the small human assassin with grayish skin found himself in a strange, for him, emotional place one afternoon outside of Neverwinter.“Artemis Entreri,” he whispered, and not for the first time this day.It was a name that had once struck fear throughout the city of Calimport, throughout most of the southland.The name itself had once offered him great advantage in battle, for the reputation it carried often overwhelmed the sensibilities of his enemies.Employers would throw extra gold his way as much because of their fear of angering him as because they knew he was the best man for the job.That notion brought a rare smile to Entreri’s face.Angering him?
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dnd370
“Anger” implied a heightened level of agitation, a state of personal maddening.Was Artemis Entreri ever really angry?Or then again, had he ever been not angry?As he looked back over the years, Entreri recalled a moment he had been more than angry, when he had been outraged.He still remembered the man’s name, Principal Cleric Yinochek, for it seemed more than a name to him.The title, the man, all of this creature who was Yinochek gave body and soul to the anger that was within Artemis Entreri, and for that one brief moment after he had cut Yinochek down, and after he and his companion had burned the vile man’s church down, Entreri had known a taste of freedom.In that freedom, on a cliff overlooking the city of Memnon and the burning Protector’s House, Artemis Entreri had at long last looked back at himself, at his life, at his anger, and had managed to cast it aside.Albeit briefly.He thought of Gositek, the priest he had spared, the man he had ordered to go out and live according to the principles of his espoused religion, and not to use that religion as a front to cover his own foibles, as was so often the case with priests in Faerûn.Gositek had followed that command, Entreri had learned in subsequent visits to the rebuilt Protector’s House.Entreri’s uncharacteristic mercy had been paid forward.How had he lost those moments, those brief few years of freedom, he wondered now, staring at Neverwinter’s battered, but still formidable wall?How fleeting it all seemed to him.And how enticing.For what might he find when he was free of Herzgo Alegni?Entreri cast aside the memories, for he had no time for them now.Drizzt and Dahlia were coming for Alegni.He needed to find a way to get far from this place, physically and emotionally, and far from Alegni, before their arrival, for surely Entreri’s undeniable anticipation would tip off Charon’s Claw—and thus Alegni—to the coming attack.He urged his nightmare steed toward the city but had gone only a couple of strides before pulling up the reins once more.He considered then Charon’s Claw and its intrusion into his thoughts—no, not an intrusion, he realized, for his years wielding the diabolical blade had made it more than that.Claw’s scouring of Entreri’s thoughts was more a melding than an intrusion, and so subtle at times that Entreri had no idea the blade was watching.He couldn’t fool the sword, and thinking otherwise was a delusion as surely as when he deluded himself into thinking he could get at Alegni if he just struck reflexively, without thinking.That day on the coveted bridge when Alegni had learned that the folk of Neverwinter had named it after Barrabus, Alegni had tortured him severely, laying him low on the stones, writhing in pure agony.Entreri had struck back at the Netherese warlord, without thinking, too fast, he had thought, for Claw to intervene.He had been wrong.Claw had known.He couldn’t fool the sword.And now he was about to walk into Neverwinter to face Alegni, to face that sword, and without doubt, to reveal that Drizzt and Dahlia were on their way.Perhaps he had already done exactly that.Perhaps the distance out in Neverwinter Wood had not protected him from the intrusions of the sword.Not really knowing—and that was the worst thing of all—Entreri turned his hellish steed around and galloped away from the city.Drizzt and Dahlia walked quietly through the morning forest, though the occasional crunch of the light snow cover, the crackle of leaves and twigs beneath, sometimes marked their passage.The ground was uneven, brush and deciduous trees dotting the landscape around them in no discernible pattern.They would make the north road by midday, and there they’d bring in Andahar for the swift run to Neverwinter—right through the city’s gate and onto her avenues.As rash as that frontal assault sounded, it might prove their best chance at getting anywhere near Herzgo Alegni.Still, to Drizzt, the idea seemed preposterous.He and Dahlia hadn’t yet discussed the specifics, other than “kill Herzgo Alegni,” but they’d need to come up with something, he knew.The warlord was on his guard, no doubt, if Entreri had returned to his side.The couple had gone only a few hundred yards, though, before the hairs on the back of the drow’s neck began to tingle and all of his warrior sensibilities had him measuring his strides.The forest was quiet—too quiet to the trained ear of Drizzt Do’Urden.Dahlia sensed it, too, and so said nothing as she looked curiously to Drizzt.The drow motioned her to the side and slowly slid Taulmaril the Heartseeker off his shoulder.Likely it was just a hunting cat, or a bear, perhaps, he expected, but enemies were ever near in this dangerous land and so he wanted to take no chances.A soft clicking sound had him glancing at Dahlia, as she carefully broke her staff down into twin poles and then into flails, which she casually sent into slow spins to either side.The drow crouched lower, narrowing his gaze to focus on the space between underbrush and canopy.Something had caught his attention, he wasn’t quite sure yet what it might be.Slowly he brought his bow around, his free hand moving almost imperceptibly over his shoulder toward the quiver strapped to his back.A tall strand of a bush was moving, but not in concert with the flutters of the morning breeze.
“Anger” implied a heightened level of agitation, a state of personal maddening.Was Artemis Entreri ever really angry?Or then again, had he ever been not angry?As he looked back over the years, Entreri recalled a moment he had been more than angry, when he had been outraged.He still remembered the man’s name, Principal Cleric Yinochek, for it seemed more than a name to him.The title, the man, all of this creature who was Yinochek gave body and soul to the anger that was within Artemis Entreri, and for that one brief moment after he had cut Yinochek down, and after he and his companion had burned the vile man’s church down, Entreri had known a taste of freedom.In that freedom, on a cliff overlooking the city of Memnon and the burning Protector’s House, Artemis Entreri had at long last looked back at himself, at his life, at his anger, and had managed to cast it aside.Albeit briefly.He thought of Gositek, the priest he had spared, the man he had ordered to go out and live according to the principles of his espoused religion, and not to use that religion as a front to cover his own foibles, as was so often the case with priests in Faerûn.Gositek had followed that command, Entreri had learned in subsequent visits to the rebuilt Protector’s House.Entreri’s uncharacteristic mercy had been paid forward.How had he lost those moments, those brief few years of freedom, he wondered now, staring at Neverwinter’s battered, but still formidable wall?How fleeting it all seemed to him.And how enticing.For what might he find when he was free of Herzgo Alegni?Entreri cast aside the memories, for he had no time for them now.Drizzt and Dahlia were coming for Alegni.He needed to find a way to get far from this place, physically and emotionally, and far from Alegni, before their arrival, for surely Entreri’s undeniable anticipation would tip off Charon’s Claw—and thus Alegni—to the coming attack.He urged his nightmare steed toward the city but had gone only a couple of strides before pulling up the reins once more.He considered then Charon’s Claw and its intrusion into his thoughts—no, not an intrusion, he realized, for his years wielding the diabolical blade had made it more than that.Claw’s scouring of Entreri’s thoughts was more a melding than an intrusion, and so subtle at times that Entreri had no idea the blade was watching.He couldn’t fool the sword, and thinking otherwise was a delusion as surely as when he deluded himself into thinking he could get at Alegni if he just struck reflexively, without thinking.That day on the coveted bridge when Alegni had learned that the folk of Neverwinter had named it after Barrabus, Alegni had tortured him severely, laying him low on the stones, writhing in pure agony.Entreri had struck back at the Netherese warlord, without thinking, too fast, he had thought, for Claw to intervene.He had been wrong.Claw had known.He couldn’t fool the sword.And now he was about to walk into Neverwinter to face Alegni, to face that sword, and without doubt, to reveal that Drizzt and Dahlia were on their way.Perhaps he had already done exactly that.Perhaps the distance out in Neverwinter Wood had not protected him from the intrusions of the sword.Not really knowing—and that was the worst thing of all—Entreri turned his hellish steed around and galloped away from the city.Drizzt and Dahlia walked quietly through the morning forest, though the occasional crunch of the light snow cover, the crackle of leaves and twigs beneath, sometimes marked their passage.The ground was uneven, brush and deciduous trees dotting the landscape around them in no discernible pattern.They would make the north road by midday, and there they’d bring in Andahar for the swift run to Neverwinter—right through the city’s gate and onto her avenues.As rash as that frontal assault sounded, it might prove their best chance at getting anywhere near Herzgo Alegni.Still, to Drizzt, the idea seemed preposterous.He and Dahlia hadn’t yet discussed the specifics, other than “kill Herzgo Alegni,” but they’d need to come up with something, he knew.The warlord was on his guard, no doubt, if Entreri had returned to his side.The couple had gone only a few hundred yards, though, before the hairs on the back of the drow’s neck began to tingle and all of his warrior sensibilities had him measuring his strides.The forest was quiet—too quiet to the trained ear of Drizzt Do’Urden.Dahlia sensed it, too, and so said nothing as she looked curiously to Drizzt.The drow motioned her to the side and slowly slid Taulmaril the Heartseeker off his shoulder.Likely it was just a hunting cat, or a bear, perhaps, he expected, but enemies were ever near in this dangerous land and so he wanted to take no chances.A soft clicking sound had him glancing at Dahlia, as she carefully broke her staff down into twin poles and then into flails, which she casually sent into slow spins to either side.The drow crouched lower, narrowing his gaze to focus on the space between underbrush and canopy.Something had caught his attention, he wasn’t quite sure yet what it might be.Slowly he brought his bow around, his free hand moving almost imperceptibly over his shoulder toward the quiver strapped to his back.A tall strand of a bush was moving, but not in concert with the flutters of the morning breeze.
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dnd371
Something, someone, had jostled it.Drizzt froze, every muscle in his body preparing for the next moment, only his eyes shifting left and right, scanning, waiting.He was not one to be caught by surprise, but when the ground beside him, the ground between him and Dahlia, lifted and lurched, a wave of energy rolling out through the brush and new-fallen snow in every direction like the ripples on a pond, neither Drizzt nor Dahlia had any response except to go with the inevitable push.Suddenly they were twenty paces apart, rolling and dodging trees and stones, Drizzt trying to hold the Heartseeker free of any tangle.And as the magical energy dissipated, the enemy came on with brutal abandon.Two lightly armored shade warriors, human and tiefling, leaped from a spot very near to where Drizzt had landed.Clearly, this ambush was carefully planned, and the earth-shaking spell meticulously aimed.They came in for a quick kill with their spears, planting the weapons in the ground and vaulting high to kick out, spinning and stabbing as they flew at their prey.Drizzt could have taken one down with his bow, perhaps, but he drew blades instead, meeting the furious attacks with circling parries and defensive counter thrusts.Within the first heartbeats of the encounter, he knew that these were not mere highwaymen, nor even mere warriors of Shadowfell, for these two worked in brilliant concert, much as he had done with Entreri or with Dahlia.The monks started to widen their approach, as if intending to flank Drizzt to either side, but when Drizzt turned his shoulders and came with a roundhouse left-hand slash, the human monk blocked it with his spear, but fell with the weight of the blow back in toward the center.Down he went in a sidelong roll, while his tiefling companion leaped up high and back the other way, clearing him, so that now the tiefling stood on Drizzt’s left and the human, rolling right back to his feet, came in from the right.The tiefling’s spear thrust almost got through, picked off at the last second by a desperate backhand of that same scimitar.Drizzt used his enchanted anklets as well—not in a sudden rush, but in a wise retreat.With her melee weapons already in hand, Dahlia was more prepared for the close-quarters ambush than Drizzt had been, but still found herself nearly overwhelmed by the power and coordination of the two opponents who burst from the nearby brush.On came an enormously fat tiefling male, heavily armored and whipping a flail that seemed sized for a giant in wild circles above his head as he charged.He hardly cared for the branches as he rushed for Dahlia, barreling through, his weapon not slowing in its spin, but just snapping the obstacles into flying splinters.From the other side came a woman, tall and strong and working a hand-and-a-half broadsword with practiced ease.Dahlia glanced back and forth, trying to determine her best course.She knew immediately that she couldn’t begin to parry or block the tiefling’s gigantic flail, so she had to use her speed to avoid any thunderous swings.A single staff would give her that mobility, but she didn’t prefer that weapon against a long-bladed sword, where her tactics were typically to get inside the arc of any swing to strike fast with the flails.Her thought process got no further, though, for Dahlia had no choice but to trust in her improvisation and hope it would sort out.She darted for the woman, flails spinning, but cut back the other way as the woman pulled up short.Dahlia dived into a forward roll, gathering momentum, and went in at the huge tiefling hard, falling low as she closed in to avoid a high swing of his flail.Strangely high, she thought briefly, but she didn’t question her luck and unloaded a flurry of sharp cracks against the belly and legs of the shade.She still didn’t understand why the tiefling had put the flail across above her head—and it likely would have missed her skull even if she hadn’t easily ducked—until she started back the other way, to find a pair of thin but strong filaments stretching along before her, then catching on her hip and shin.She spotted the spiders, huge, pony-sized, and hairy, to her left and right, completing the box around her.She had to duck again as the tiefling swung even more furiously, and this time just a bit lower, forcing Dahlia down.In a move of sheer stubborn defiance, the elf slapped up with one flail, cracking it against the massive flail, which didn’t veer in the least from its determined course.Dahlia hadn’t expected it to, and was already turning as her flail spun free from the huge weapon.She worked her left hand fast, cracking her spinning pole against the warrior-woman’s broad sword repeatedly.It took Dahlia three such strikes to realize that she wasn’t parrying the woman’s blade, for her opponent wasn’t actually trying to hit her.The angle of the warrior woman’s strikes seemed more an effort to contain than to kill.Dahlia understood that, and was not surprised to see the spiders spinning their webbing her way, filling the air around her with filaments.She felt the profound tug on her leg from one as she tried to scamper aside, then had to dive low once more as the heavy flail spun low to high to block her escape.Dahlia worked her flails quickly, spinning them so their flying poles collided repeatedly, and she called out for help from her companion, who suddenly seemed so very far away.From the nearby brush, Ratsis watched the encounter, Jermander and the Shifter beside him, Ambergris hidden before them in reserve to either of the two fighting groups.As soon as the Shifter had separated the couple with the initial, earth-rolling dweomer, Ratsis had called forth his pets.Convinced that he had Dahlia tied up enough for Bol and Horrible to control her movements, Ratsis telepathically ordered his spiders to shift their angles of attack.The next filaments that came forth fired out to anchor on trees some distance behind Bol, and thus between Dahlia’s fight and Drizzt’s.“You need not do that,” the Shifter remarked.Ratsis studied the fight between the three to the other side.He knew that Parbid and Afafrenfere were quite skilled, despite their almost buffoonish pride, and their companionship and coordinated movements were the stuff of legend and jokes in certain circles.Each was formidable on his own, but together, they were better than any three of equal skill.Yet, this drow ranger’s reputation, so formidable indeed, seemed to pale against his movements now.He leaped and spun, turning every which way as the situation demanded, but always did his curved blades dart out at precise angles, and with adequate power to not only repel an attack, but to send one or the other monks diving aside.“The monks will not hold him,” Ratsis started to protest to the Shifter.“I never thought they would, but contingencies are in place,” the Shifter assured him.As Ratsis turned to look at the shade, the Shifter motioned back the other way, directing the gaze.Dahlia was doing much better than Ratsis had expected.Every spin of her flail produced a solid strike—as often as not on the other flail—and despite the webbing grabbing at her legs, she retained enough mobility to sting Bol and his mate repeatedly—and if they backed off at all from keeping her occupied, the stubborn elf managed to wriggle looser from the few webs binding her.
Something, someone, had jostled it.Drizzt froze, every muscle in his body preparing for the next moment, only his eyes shifting left and right, scanning, waiting.He was not one to be caught by surprise, but when the ground beside him, the ground between him and Dahlia, lifted and lurched, a wave of energy rolling out through the brush and new-fallen snow in every direction like the ripples on a pond, neither Drizzt nor Dahlia had any response except to go with the inevitable push.Suddenly they were twenty paces apart, rolling and dodging trees and stones, Drizzt trying to hold the Heartseeker free of any tangle.And as the magical energy dissipated, the enemy came on with brutal abandon.Two lightly armored shade warriors, human and tiefling, leaped from a spot very near to where Drizzt had landed.Clearly, this ambush was carefully planned, and the earth-shaking spell meticulously aimed.They came in for a quick kill with their spears, planting the weapons in the ground and vaulting high to kick out, spinning and stabbing as they flew at their prey.Drizzt could have taken one down with his bow, perhaps, but he drew blades instead, meeting the furious attacks with circling parries and defensive counter thrusts.Within the first heartbeats of the encounter, he knew that these were not mere highwaymen, nor even mere warriors of Shadowfell, for these two worked in brilliant concert, much as he had done with Entreri or with Dahlia.The monks started to widen their approach, as if intending to flank Drizzt to either side, but when Drizzt turned his shoulders and came with a roundhouse left-hand slash, the human monk blocked it with his spear, but fell with the weight of the blow back in toward the center.Down he went in a sidelong roll, while his tiefling companion leaped up high and back the other way, clearing him, so that now the tiefling stood on Drizzt’s left and the human, rolling right back to his feet, came in from the right.The tiefling’s spear thrust almost got through, picked off at the last second by a desperate backhand of that same scimitar.Drizzt used his enchanted anklets as well—not in a sudden rush, but in a wise retreat.With her melee weapons already in hand, Dahlia was more prepared for the close-quarters ambush than Drizzt had been, but still found herself nearly overwhelmed by the power and coordination of the two opponents who burst from the nearby brush.On came an enormously fat tiefling male, heavily armored and whipping a flail that seemed sized for a giant in wild circles above his head as he charged.He hardly cared for the branches as he rushed for Dahlia, barreling through, his weapon not slowing in its spin, but just snapping the obstacles into flying splinters.From the other side came a woman, tall and strong and working a hand-and-a-half broadsword with practiced ease.Dahlia glanced back and forth, trying to determine her best course.She knew immediately that she couldn’t begin to parry or block the tiefling’s gigantic flail, so she had to use her speed to avoid any thunderous swings.A single staff would give her that mobility, but she didn’t prefer that weapon against a long-bladed sword, where her tactics were typically to get inside the arc of any swing to strike fast with the flails.Her thought process got no further, though, for Dahlia had no choice but to trust in her improvisation and hope it would sort out.She darted for the woman, flails spinning, but cut back the other way as the woman pulled up short.Dahlia dived into a forward roll, gathering momentum, and went in at the huge tiefling hard, falling low as she closed in to avoid a high swing of his flail.Strangely high, she thought briefly, but she didn’t question her luck and unloaded a flurry of sharp cracks against the belly and legs of the shade.She still didn’t understand why the tiefling had put the flail across above her head—and it likely would have missed her skull even if she hadn’t easily ducked—until she started back the other way, to find a pair of thin but strong filaments stretching along before her, then catching on her hip and shin.She spotted the spiders, huge, pony-sized, and hairy, to her left and right, completing the box around her.She had to duck again as the tiefling swung even more furiously, and this time just a bit lower, forcing Dahlia down.In a move of sheer stubborn defiance, the elf slapped up with one flail, cracking it against the massive flail, which didn’t veer in the least from its determined course.Dahlia hadn’t expected it to, and was already turning as her flail spun free from the huge weapon.She worked her left hand fast, cracking her spinning pole against the warrior-woman’s broad sword repeatedly.It took Dahlia three such strikes to realize that she wasn’t parrying the woman’s blade, for her opponent wasn’t actually trying to hit her.The angle of the warrior woman’s strikes seemed more an effort to contain than to kill.Dahlia understood that, and was not surprised to see the spiders spinning their webbing her way, filling the air around her with filaments.She felt the profound tug on her leg from one as she tried to scamper aside, then had to dive low once more as the heavy flail spun low to high to block her escape.Dahlia worked her flails quickly, spinning them so their flying poles collided repeatedly, and she called out for help from her companion, who suddenly seemed so very far away.From the nearby brush, Ratsis watched the encounter, Jermander and the Shifter beside him, Ambergris hidden before them in reserve to either of the two fighting groups.As soon as the Shifter had separated the couple with the initial, earth-rolling dweomer, Ratsis had called forth his pets.Convinced that he had Dahlia tied up enough for Bol and Horrible to control her movements, Ratsis telepathically ordered his spiders to shift their angles of attack.The next filaments that came forth fired out to anchor on trees some distance behind Bol, and thus between Dahlia’s fight and Drizzt’s.“You need not do that,” the Shifter remarked.Ratsis studied the fight between the three to the other side.He knew that Parbid and Afafrenfere were quite skilled, despite their almost buffoonish pride, and their companionship and coordinated movements were the stuff of legend and jokes in certain circles.Each was formidable on his own, but together, they were better than any three of equal skill.Yet, this drow ranger’s reputation, so formidable indeed, seemed to pale against his movements now.He leaped and spun, turning every which way as the situation demanded, but always did his curved blades dart out at precise angles, and with adequate power to not only repel an attack, but to send one or the other monks diving aside.“The monks will not hold him,” Ratsis started to protest to the Shifter.“I never thought they would, but contingencies are in place,” the Shifter assured him.As Ratsis turned to look at the shade, the Shifter motioned back the other way, directing the gaze.Dahlia was doing much better than Ratsis had expected.Every spin of her flail produced a solid strike—as often as not on the other flail—and despite the webbing grabbing at her legs, she retained enough mobility to sting Bol and his mate repeatedly—and if they backed off at all from keeping her occupied, the stubborn elf managed to wriggle looser from the few webs binding her.
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dnd372
Neither of the warrior shades were taking it well, Ratsis recognized, given Bol’s ferocious reputation and propensity to kill people as a matter of first resort.Ratsis turned his spiders back to the main prey, needing to properly tie up the troublesome Dahlia, for her own sake.Despite the frenetic movements of his very active opponents, Drizzt was not oblivious to the plight of his companion.He noted the spiders and caught the sunlit reflection of the few filaments between himself and Dahlia’s battle, obstacles he expected he could slice with little trouble.A spear thrust in from his right, and at the same moment, front and left, the human monk went up into the air and double-kicked.Drizzt threw his hip out to the left, barely avoiding the stab, and twisted to lurch back and right.He heard the snap of air just before his face as the leaping monk’s fast-kicking feet missed by less than a finger’s breadth.The drow straightened, turning both his scimitars against the thrusting spear, even though the kicking monk leaped once again, and this time with his weapon planted in the ground nearer to Drizzt so he could extend his attack.Drizzt let him.He had to break this dance quickly and get to Dahlia.He drove his blades down in a cross, catching the thrust with Twinkle in his left hand, driving through with Icingdeath, and as he expected and hoped, the fine diamond-edged blade sheared through the edge of the wooden spear.Drizzt threw his left arm up and finally started his lurch to the right, albeit far too late.He was surprised by the weight of the monk’s blow.For one so slight, this trained fighter could hit like an ogre!But Drizzt was also already surrendering the ground when the monk connected, intending to fly away to the right, and so he did, throwing himself as far as he could, tumbling and rolling, deftly tucking his right shoulder and reaching back with his left hand as he did.He came out of the roll without his scimitars and facing back to his previous position and on his knees, but far from helpless as the tiefling with the broken spear charged in close pursuit.Drizzt had left those scimitars on purpose, instead retrieving his bow and an arrow, and with the precision wrought by hundreds of hours of practice, of endless repetition and measurement, of pure muscle memory, he came to his knees, facing back with the Heartseeker leveled crosswise before him, an arrow nocked and ready.The tiefling monk leaped, but not soon enough, and a lightning arrow lived up to the bow’s name, blasting into the monk’s chest and hurling him back the way he had come, with his feet leading as the arrow’s mighty momentum laid him out.He landed flat on his face, without so much as a groan.The second monk was in the air, though, right over his falling companion.Perhaps Drizzt, so fast and so skilled, could get another arrow in place, perhaps not.He didn’t try.He scrambled forward and dived under the leaping monk, and as the small human extended his legs to touch down more quickly, Drizzt slapped Taulmaril up over the flying monk’s feet, hooking him between bow shaft and string.The drow dug in and planted firmly, and tugged with all his strength, sending the monk tumbling away, though Taulmaril was torn from his grasp and went flying with his enemy.Without the slightest hesitation, the drow improvised.Above all else, he had to get to Dahlia, and so he went that way with all speed, scooping Twinkle and Icingdeath as he passed.A shimmer of light in the air before him warned him.He thought it spidery web tendrils, and so brought his blades slashing before him.At the very last moment and with no time to change course, Drizzt noted that the edges of that shimmer didn’t quite match the flora immediately before him.He fell through the extra-dimensional gate, the Shifter’s trap, reappearing near the edge of a high bluff far to the other side of Dahlia.He managed to skid to a stop before falling over, but only got his head and shoulders back around in time to see a tall female shade smiling widely and with her arm extended toward him.From that extended fist, from a ring on her finger, came the ghostly, nearly translucent head of a ram, rushing through the air.Drizzt tried to tuck and turn, but got slammed on the side, and found himself flying from the ledge into the open air.“Go with him.Kill the drow,” Jermander said to Ambergris as the enraged Afafrenfere rushed past their position, slowing only to vault the spidery filaments between him and the drow, barriers impeding his rush to avenge his partner’s death.The dwarf nodded and sped out to the right, toward the ledge from which Drizzt had flown.“She is not yet secured,” the Shifter said, nodding toward the surprisingly resilient Dahlia, who, despite a continuing filament barrage, had managed to wriggle one leg free, and despite the efforts of Bol and Horrible, continued to duck and dodge and lash out with stinging hits.“These are the hirelings to whom you promised a full share?” the Shifter asked, her sarcasm heightened by her accent, which bit off the words in a sharp manner.“Bol and Horrible are hindered by their orders,” Jermander sharply replied.“Their weapons are lethal, their tactics designed to kill, and yet we have forbidden them from even injuring Dahlia.”“Who is formidable in her own right,” Ratsis added.“You promised me that she would be caught easily if separated from her drow companion,” the Shifter reminded.“I have done so, quite expertly.”Ratsis glanced to Jermander, who rolled his eyes, then nodded toward the nearest of the huge spiders.Taking the cue, Ratsis redoubled the efforts of his minions, prodding them on with telepathic commands.The agitated arachnids stamped their many legs and more filaments shot out at the dodging elf warrior as she continued to lash out with those metallic flails.Lashing out wildly, Ratsis noted, her spinning weapons more often than not getting nowhere near to Bol or Horrible … but never hitting only air, Ratsis noted.Dahlia always seemed to twist those spinning weapons in line with each other, and every attack routine ended with them smacking together, throwing sparks.More sparks with each hit, Ratsis realized, as if they were building energy.“Clever woman,” he started to say, but abruptly stopped as Dahlia played her hand.Bol’s heavy flail head swung around above her once more, and up slapped the woman’s flail, a blow that should have barely diverted the heavy flail ball.
Neither of the warrior shades were taking it well, Ratsis recognized, given Bol’s ferocious reputation and propensity to kill people as a matter of first resort.Ratsis turned his spiders back to the main prey, needing to properly tie up the troublesome Dahlia, for her own sake.Despite the frenetic movements of his very active opponents, Drizzt was not oblivious to the plight of his companion.He noted the spiders and caught the sunlit reflection of the few filaments between himself and Dahlia’s battle, obstacles he expected he could slice with little trouble.A spear thrust in from his right, and at the same moment, front and left, the human monk went up into the air and double-kicked.Drizzt threw his hip out to the left, barely avoiding the stab, and twisted to lurch back and right.He heard the snap of air just before his face as the leaping monk’s fast-kicking feet missed by less than a finger’s breadth.The drow straightened, turning both his scimitars against the thrusting spear, even though the kicking monk leaped once again, and this time with his weapon planted in the ground nearer to Drizzt so he could extend his attack.Drizzt let him.He had to break this dance quickly and get to Dahlia.He drove his blades down in a cross, catching the thrust with Twinkle in his left hand, driving through with Icingdeath, and as he expected and hoped, the fine diamond-edged blade sheared through the edge of the wooden spear.Drizzt threw his left arm up and finally started his lurch to the right, albeit far too late.He was surprised by the weight of the monk’s blow.For one so slight, this trained fighter could hit like an ogre!But Drizzt was also already surrendering the ground when the monk connected, intending to fly away to the right, and so he did, throwing himself as far as he could, tumbling and rolling, deftly tucking his right shoulder and reaching back with his left hand as he did.He came out of the roll without his scimitars and facing back to his previous position and on his knees, but far from helpless as the tiefling with the broken spear charged in close pursuit.Drizzt had left those scimitars on purpose, instead retrieving his bow and an arrow, and with the precision wrought by hundreds of hours of practice, of endless repetition and measurement, of pure muscle memory, he came to his knees, facing back with the Heartseeker leveled crosswise before him, an arrow nocked and ready.The tiefling monk leaped, but not soon enough, and a lightning arrow lived up to the bow’s name, blasting into the monk’s chest and hurling him back the way he had come, with his feet leading as the arrow’s mighty momentum laid him out.He landed flat on his face, without so much as a groan.The second monk was in the air, though, right over his falling companion.Perhaps Drizzt, so fast and so skilled, could get another arrow in place, perhaps not.He didn’t try.He scrambled forward and dived under the leaping monk, and as the small human extended his legs to touch down more quickly, Drizzt slapped Taulmaril up over the flying monk’s feet, hooking him between bow shaft and string.The drow dug in and planted firmly, and tugged with all his strength, sending the monk tumbling away, though Taulmaril was torn from his grasp and went flying with his enemy.Without the slightest hesitation, the drow improvised.Above all else, he had to get to Dahlia, and so he went that way with all speed, scooping Twinkle and Icingdeath as he passed.A shimmer of light in the air before him warned him.He thought it spidery web tendrils, and so brought his blades slashing before him.At the very last moment and with no time to change course, Drizzt noted that the edges of that shimmer didn’t quite match the flora immediately before him.He fell through the extra-dimensional gate, the Shifter’s trap, reappearing near the edge of a high bluff far to the other side of Dahlia.He managed to skid to a stop before falling over, but only got his head and shoulders back around in time to see a tall female shade smiling widely and with her arm extended toward him.From that extended fist, from a ring on her finger, came the ghostly, nearly translucent head of a ram, rushing through the air.Drizzt tried to tuck and turn, but got slammed on the side, and found himself flying from the ledge into the open air.“Go with him.Kill the drow,” Jermander said to Ambergris as the enraged Afafrenfere rushed past their position, slowing only to vault the spidery filaments between him and the drow, barriers impeding his rush to avenge his partner’s death.The dwarf nodded and sped out to the right, toward the ledge from which Drizzt had flown.“She is not yet secured,” the Shifter said, nodding toward the surprisingly resilient Dahlia, who, despite a continuing filament barrage, had managed to wriggle one leg free, and despite the efforts of Bol and Horrible, continued to duck and dodge and lash out with stinging hits.“These are the hirelings to whom you promised a full share?” the Shifter asked, her sarcasm heightened by her accent, which bit off the words in a sharp manner.“Bol and Horrible are hindered by their orders,” Jermander sharply replied.“Their weapons are lethal, their tactics designed to kill, and yet we have forbidden them from even injuring Dahlia.”“Who is formidable in her own right,” Ratsis added.“You promised me that she would be caught easily if separated from her drow companion,” the Shifter reminded.“I have done so, quite expertly.”Ratsis glanced to Jermander, who rolled his eyes, then nodded toward the nearest of the huge spiders.Taking the cue, Ratsis redoubled the efforts of his minions, prodding them on with telepathic commands.The agitated arachnids stamped their many legs and more filaments shot out at the dodging elf warrior as she continued to lash out with those metallic flails.Lashing out wildly, Ratsis noted, her spinning weapons more often than not getting nowhere near to Bol or Horrible … but never hitting only air, Ratsis noted.Dahlia always seemed to twist those spinning weapons in line with each other, and every attack routine ended with them smacking together, throwing sparks.More sparks with each hit, Ratsis realized, as if they were building energy.“Clever woman,” he started to say, but abruptly stopped as Dahlia played her hand.Bol’s heavy flail head swung around above her once more, and up slapped the woman’s flail, a blow that should have barely diverted the heavy flail ball.
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dnd373
But when the pole struck, there came a flash of lightning, a great release of energy, greater, even, than the tremendous momentum of the swinging ball.That ball shot straight up suddenly, and the surprised Bol couldn’t react other than to instinctively hold on tight to his jolted weapon.He should have let it go, for as the ball reached the end of its chain, it continued over backward and down.Ratsis’s eyes widened as the big man’s head snapped forward, Bol’s face a mask of confusion.The burly warrior stumbled a step to the side, then toppled over, flail handle falling underneath him so that when he landed, the pull on the handle and chain yanked his head around, leaving him lying on his side, but face down in the dirt.The flail’s ball remained on the back of his head, secured by the spikes that had driven through his skull.It had all happened in the blink of an eye, but now time seemed to slow greatly, so that Horrible’s outraged, shocked scream went on and on, as the woman, her orders overruled by her rage, leaped in to cut down the webbed Dahlia.Dahlia managed to turn and block that initial strike, but even then, more filaments fell over her, further enwrapping and hindering her.One arm was down now, caught fast, and though she parried brilliantly with her remaining flail, there was no energy charge remaining there, and none to be built.Jermander shouted out for Horrible to stop, but the furious woman would not relent.“Stop her!” Ratsis said to the Shifter, who was already lifting her fist and grinning.Horrible leaped back from Dahlia, out of reach of the spinning flail.As Dahlia’s arm came around behind her, it, too, got tangled in the webbing, leaving the woman twisted awkwardly at the hip.With both arms pinned, Dahlia stood helpless as Horrible swung her sword up over her head for a killing chop.But Horrible jerked weirdly, then a ghostly ram’s head appeared at her side and slammed her, throwing her many strides to the side.She kept moving forward when she landed, almost reflexively, and even tried to continue her overhead swing.But that long blade tangled in the branches of a tree even as she stumbled face-first into the trunk.She fell to the side, to the ground, and lay very still.“The spiders!” the Shifter yelled at Ratsis when he turned to her in surprise.“The spiders!Catch her fast!”He landed with his typical grace, and might have even managed to keep his footing long enough to scamper down the steep slope and relieve some of the weight of the fall.But Drizzt’s descent took him in line with the short and stabbing, sharp-edged branches of a dead tree.He touched down on the sandy hillside, the light snows and early cold having done nothing yet to solidify the loose soil, and had to throw himself around backward, desperately dodging those deadly branches.And as he did, spinning around and throwing himself forward and low to try to catch himself, the soil gave way beneath him and in his slide, his leg hooked under an exposed tree root.Drizzt’s momentum threw him backward over that root with tremendous force.His leg bent in half as he slammed hard to the ground, and there he lay, hooked and caught and barely conscious, fully dazed by the weight of the crash.Both of his blades had flown from his hands, though he was hardly aware of it, and his leg wrapped back under him, bent tightly at the knee, the hook of it being even more pronounced and painful because of the steep slope, where Drizzt’s head was much lower than his knee.Drizzt searched for points of clarity, for anchors of consciousness through which he could grab on and hold on.Two realities came clear to him: he was in trouble, and Dahlia was in serious trouble.That latter thought inspired him to force some clarity.He felt the keen pain in his leg, and understood instinctively that it would take him some time and great effort to extract himself, if he could even do so at all.He brought his hand to his belt pouch, to find it open and empty.He glanced around, then back over his head, lower down the hillside, where he spotted the black shape.“Guenhwyvar!’ he called.“I need you!”Ambergris could only hope that Jermander and Ratsis hadn’t noticed her spell, her waggling fingers creating a translucent hammer in the air behind Horrible, striking hard, right through the woman’s skull just an instant before the Shifter had stopped the warrior woman’s killing blow even more effectively with the ram’s head attack.Running on after Afafrenfere, she took some comfort in knowing for certain that the monk hadn’t noted her treachery.His vision and course narrowed by sheer outrage, Afafrenfere was seeing nothing but the straight line path that would take him to the drow.And the dwarf wouldn’t get there before him, or even with him, she realized.She slowed her pace just enough to cast a second spell, a whispered command to “halt” that had the weight of divine power behind it.Despite his urgency and rage, Afafrenfere skidded to a stop, momentarily only, but enough for Ambergris to catch up.“He dies!” the monk insisted.“Yeah, yeah, don’ we all?” Ambergris replied, and she grabbed Afafrenfere’s arm so that he could not sprint out ahead of her.“Hurry!” the monk urged.“Be easy,” the dwarf countered.“If ye’re wantin’ to jump into this dark one’s face, then ye’re wantin’ to be dead!”Afafrenfere tried to pull away anyway, but Ambergris had a grip to make a stone giant proud, and he wasn’t wriggling free.
But when the pole struck, there came a flash of lightning, a great release of energy, greater, even, than the tremendous momentum of the swinging ball.That ball shot straight up suddenly, and the surprised Bol couldn’t react other than to instinctively hold on tight to his jolted weapon.He should have let it go, for as the ball reached the end of its chain, it continued over backward and down.Ratsis’s eyes widened as the big man’s head snapped forward, Bol’s face a mask of confusion.The burly warrior stumbled a step to the side, then toppled over, flail handle falling underneath him so that when he landed, the pull on the handle and chain yanked his head around, leaving him lying on his side, but face down in the dirt.The flail’s ball remained on the back of his head, secured by the spikes that had driven through his skull.It had all happened in the blink of an eye, but now time seemed to slow greatly, so that Horrible’s outraged, shocked scream went on and on, as the woman, her orders overruled by her rage, leaped in to cut down the webbed Dahlia.Dahlia managed to turn and block that initial strike, but even then, more filaments fell over her, further enwrapping and hindering her.One arm was down now, caught fast, and though she parried brilliantly with her remaining flail, there was no energy charge remaining there, and none to be built.Jermander shouted out for Horrible to stop, but the furious woman would not relent.“Stop her!” Ratsis said to the Shifter, who was already lifting her fist and grinning.Horrible leaped back from Dahlia, out of reach of the spinning flail.As Dahlia’s arm came around behind her, it, too, got tangled in the webbing, leaving the woman twisted awkwardly at the hip.With both arms pinned, Dahlia stood helpless as Horrible swung her sword up over her head for a killing chop.But Horrible jerked weirdly, then a ghostly ram’s head appeared at her side and slammed her, throwing her many strides to the side.She kept moving forward when she landed, almost reflexively, and even tried to continue her overhead swing.But that long blade tangled in the branches of a tree even as she stumbled face-first into the trunk.She fell to the side, to the ground, and lay very still.“The spiders!” the Shifter yelled at Ratsis when he turned to her in surprise.“The spiders!Catch her fast!”He landed with his typical grace, and might have even managed to keep his footing long enough to scamper down the steep slope and relieve some of the weight of the fall.But Drizzt’s descent took him in line with the short and stabbing, sharp-edged branches of a dead tree.He touched down on the sandy hillside, the light snows and early cold having done nothing yet to solidify the loose soil, and had to throw himself around backward, desperately dodging those deadly branches.And as he did, spinning around and throwing himself forward and low to try to catch himself, the soil gave way beneath him and in his slide, his leg hooked under an exposed tree root.Drizzt’s momentum threw him backward over that root with tremendous force.His leg bent in half as he slammed hard to the ground, and there he lay, hooked and caught and barely conscious, fully dazed by the weight of the crash.Both of his blades had flown from his hands, though he was hardly aware of it, and his leg wrapped back under him, bent tightly at the knee, the hook of it being even more pronounced and painful because of the steep slope, where Drizzt’s head was much lower than his knee.Drizzt searched for points of clarity, for anchors of consciousness through which he could grab on and hold on.Two realities came clear to him: he was in trouble, and Dahlia was in serious trouble.That latter thought inspired him to force some clarity.He felt the keen pain in his leg, and understood instinctively that it would take him some time and great effort to extract himself, if he could even do so at all.He brought his hand to his belt pouch, to find it open and empty.He glanced around, then back over his head, lower down the hillside, where he spotted the black shape.“Guenhwyvar!’ he called.“I need you!”Ambergris could only hope that Jermander and Ratsis hadn’t noticed her spell, her waggling fingers creating a translucent hammer in the air behind Horrible, striking hard, right through the woman’s skull just an instant before the Shifter had stopped the warrior woman’s killing blow even more effectively with the ram’s head attack.Running on after Afafrenfere, she took some comfort in knowing for certain that the monk hadn’t noted her treachery.His vision and course narrowed by sheer outrage, Afafrenfere was seeing nothing but the straight line path that would take him to the drow.And the dwarf wouldn’t get there before him, or even with him, she realized.She slowed her pace just enough to cast a second spell, a whispered command to “halt” that had the weight of divine power behind it.Despite his urgency and rage, Afafrenfere skidded to a stop, momentarily only, but enough for Ambergris to catch up.“He dies!” the monk insisted.“Yeah, yeah, don’ we all?” Ambergris replied, and she grabbed Afafrenfere’s arm so that he could not sprint out ahead of her.“Hurry!” the monk urged.“Be easy,” the dwarf countered.“If ye’re wantin’ to jump into this dark one’s face, then ye’re wantin’ to be dead!”Afafrenfere tried to pull away anyway, but Ambergris had a grip to make a stone giant proud, and he wasn’t wriggling free.
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dnd374
Together they came to the edge of the cliff.Down below lay Drizzt, in clear sight, still caught and bent over backward awkwardly on the root.Below him and to the side, a gray mist was forming.“Fly away!” Ambergris cried to the monk, shoving him to the side.Afafrenfere tried to protest, but Ambergris shoulder-blocked him hard, and both went rushing down the side of the hill, a slope not as steep as that near Drizzt, but one that still left the pair scrambling simply to keep their feet under them.“Fly away!” Ambergris kept saying, and whenever the monk tried to argue or to slow down, the dwarf barreled into him, buckler leading, and kept him moving along.Finally, many yards down the side, Afafrenfere managed to catch a hold on a tree as he passed and pull himself out of the insistent dwarf’s way.Ambergris skidded to a stop.“What are you doing?” a flustered and sputtering Afafrenfere yelled at her.“Keepin’ ye alive!” she shouted back at him.Afafrenfere responded with a growl and started to shove past her.Up came Ambergris’s Skullbreaker, smacking the monk in the face and laying him low.“Shut up, ye fool.Ye’re feedin’ the worms were meself not wanting a bit o’ company, and to be sure yerself’s th’only one o’ that bunch I e’er could stomach.”She grabbed the dazed and disoriented monk roughly by the collar and tossed him up over her shoulders, then trotted off into the forest.With Bol and Horrible out of the way, Ratsis’s spiders increased their barrage, lines of webbing flying all around Dahlia, and despite her protests and frantic movements, she was becoming inexorably wrapped and trapped.One of her arms became pinned to her side, and she lost the flail in her other hand, unable to pull it free of the webbing.With all of her considerable strength, Dahlia could not twist the weapon free, nor yank her wrapped arm free, nor could she get her legs free of the piling webs.“Well done,” Jermander congratulated and he started forward from the brush, sword in hand.He was almost to Dahlia when a form appeared, leaping down from the branches of the same tree where Horrible had fallen.The agile newcomer hit the ground with a second leap, one that lifted him right atop one of Ratsis’s arachnids.He came down hard, sword set tip-down, and with expert precision, he drove the weapon right through the pony-sized spider’s bulbous eye.The eight-legged beast thrashed and shrieked as goo bubbled up around the blade, but only for a moment before it crumbled down and lay still.Jermander eyed the newcomer.Behind him, Ratsis screamed in protest over the demise of one of his treasured pets.The newcomer, a smallish but well-muscled man, jerked the sword free and started Jermander’s way.Ichor dripped from his long blade.He held a smaller dirk in his left hand.Jermander was no cowardly commander hiding in the bushes, however.Noted for his skilled blade work, the shade didn’t shy from many fights.He brought his fine silver sword up in a salute and stalked in.“You are with Dahlia, then?” he asked as he neared, his sword waving before him.“No,” came the curt reply, the small man’s sword slapping hard across to drive Jermander’s leading thrust aside.Jermander rolled his blade free deftly, re-angled, and went straight back in with the sword—only to have a backhand roll of the dirk move the strike harmlessly aside.Which Jermander had expected, of course, and so he worked fast, suddenly—retract and stab, retract and stab, retract once more, turning the sword up and over in a diagonal downward slice.He didn’t expect to land a blow, and he didn’t come close, but was merely trying to get a measure of this unexpected and unknown opponent.“Yet you leaped in to defend her?” the shade remarked.“I don’t like spiders.”“How do you feel about elf women?” Jermander said with a light grin—one that was wiped away immediately as this newcomer raged forward suddenly, his feet moving fast, his blades a blur of circling and stabbing.Jermander worked furiously with his fine sword, and more so with his feet as he found himself in the unusual position of full retreat!This warrior of Cavus Dun was well known in many regions of the Shadowfell.Long and lanky, deceptively fast and carrying a light and thin mithral blade that glowed with magical energy, Jermander had risen high in the ranks of the hireling hunters as much for his fighting skills as his organization and leadership qualities—and more so in the beginning.He needed every bit of that skill now to fend the speeding strikes of his adversary, and though he could hardly take the time to sit back and consider the moment, or his opponent, a thought did occur to him.“You are Alegni’s man!” he shouted between the ring of metal on metal.As he spoke the words, he knew them to be true; this one’s complexion and reputation had indeed preceded him.Artemis Entreri didn’t even smile in response, just kept up his impeccable offensive barrage, kept Jermander on his heels.Ratsis was just about to order his remaining spider to shift its webbing attack to the newcomer when he and the Shifter heard Jermander’s claim that this unexpected addition to the fight was Alegni’s man.The two glanced at each other and Ratsis swallowed hard.“We are not in accordance with the wishes of a Netherese Lord?” the Shifter whispered breathlessly.Her answer had to wait as a low feline growl filled the air.The Shifter’s eyes widened as she looked past Ratsis, her expression prompting Ratsis to turn likewise, affording them both the view of a large black panther standing atop the ledge where the drow had flown.
Together they came to the edge of the cliff.Down below lay Drizzt, in clear sight, still caught and bent over backward awkwardly on the root.Below him and to the side, a gray mist was forming.“Fly away!” Ambergris cried to the monk, shoving him to the side.Afafrenfere tried to protest, but Ambergris shoulder-blocked him hard, and both went rushing down the side of the hill, a slope not as steep as that near Drizzt, but one that still left the pair scrambling simply to keep their feet under them.“Fly away!” Ambergris kept saying, and whenever the monk tried to argue or to slow down, the dwarf barreled into him, buckler leading, and kept him moving along.Finally, many yards down the side, Afafrenfere managed to catch a hold on a tree as he passed and pull himself out of the insistent dwarf’s way.Ambergris skidded to a stop.“What are you doing?” a flustered and sputtering Afafrenfere yelled at her.“Keepin’ ye alive!” she shouted back at him.Afafrenfere responded with a growl and started to shove past her.Up came Ambergris’s Skullbreaker, smacking the monk in the face and laying him low.“Shut up, ye fool.Ye’re feedin’ the worms were meself not wanting a bit o’ company, and to be sure yerself’s th’only one o’ that bunch I e’er could stomach.”She grabbed the dazed and disoriented monk roughly by the collar and tossed him up over her shoulders, then trotted off into the forest.With Bol and Horrible out of the way, Ratsis’s spiders increased their barrage, lines of webbing flying all around Dahlia, and despite her protests and frantic movements, she was becoming inexorably wrapped and trapped.One of her arms became pinned to her side, and she lost the flail in her other hand, unable to pull it free of the webbing.With all of her considerable strength, Dahlia could not twist the weapon free, nor yank her wrapped arm free, nor could she get her legs free of the piling webs.“Well done,” Jermander congratulated and he started forward from the brush, sword in hand.He was almost to Dahlia when a form appeared, leaping down from the branches of the same tree where Horrible had fallen.The agile newcomer hit the ground with a second leap, one that lifted him right atop one of Ratsis’s arachnids.He came down hard, sword set tip-down, and with expert precision, he drove the weapon right through the pony-sized spider’s bulbous eye.The eight-legged beast thrashed and shrieked as goo bubbled up around the blade, but only for a moment before it crumbled down and lay still.Jermander eyed the newcomer.Behind him, Ratsis screamed in protest over the demise of one of his treasured pets.The newcomer, a smallish but well-muscled man, jerked the sword free and started Jermander’s way.Ichor dripped from his long blade.He held a smaller dirk in his left hand.Jermander was no cowardly commander hiding in the bushes, however.Noted for his skilled blade work, the shade didn’t shy from many fights.He brought his fine silver sword up in a salute and stalked in.“You are with Dahlia, then?” he asked as he neared, his sword waving before him.“No,” came the curt reply, the small man’s sword slapping hard across to drive Jermander’s leading thrust aside.Jermander rolled his blade free deftly, re-angled, and went straight back in with the sword—only to have a backhand roll of the dirk move the strike harmlessly aside.Which Jermander had expected, of course, and so he worked fast, suddenly—retract and stab, retract and stab, retract once more, turning the sword up and over in a diagonal downward slice.He didn’t expect to land a blow, and he didn’t come close, but was merely trying to get a measure of this unexpected and unknown opponent.“Yet you leaped in to defend her?” the shade remarked.“I don’t like spiders.”“How do you feel about elf women?” Jermander said with a light grin—one that was wiped away immediately as this newcomer raged forward suddenly, his feet moving fast, his blades a blur of circling and stabbing.Jermander worked furiously with his fine sword, and more so with his feet as he found himself in the unusual position of full retreat!This warrior of Cavus Dun was well known in many regions of the Shadowfell.Long and lanky, deceptively fast and carrying a light and thin mithral blade that glowed with magical energy, Jermander had risen high in the ranks of the hireling hunters as much for his fighting skills as his organization and leadership qualities—and more so in the beginning.He needed every bit of that skill now to fend the speeding strikes of his adversary, and though he could hardly take the time to sit back and consider the moment, or his opponent, a thought did occur to him.“You are Alegni’s man!” he shouted between the ring of metal on metal.As he spoke the words, he knew them to be true; this one’s complexion and reputation had indeed preceded him.Artemis Entreri didn’t even smile in response, just kept up his impeccable offensive barrage, kept Jermander on his heels.Ratsis was just about to order his remaining spider to shift its webbing attack to the newcomer when he and the Shifter heard Jermander’s claim that this unexpected addition to the fight was Alegni’s man.The two glanced at each other and Ratsis swallowed hard.“We are not in accordance with the wishes of a Netherese Lord?” the Shifter whispered breathlessly.Her answer had to wait as a low feline growl filled the air.The Shifter’s eyes widened as she looked past Ratsis, her expression prompting Ratsis to turn likewise, affording them both the view of a large black panther standing atop the ledge where the drow had flown.
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dnd375
A large black panther seeming very intent on them.“Guenhwyvar!” Dahlia cried, her voice somewhat muffled by the stubborn webbing.Ratsis’s gaze darted from the cat to Dahlia to Jermander and Alegni’s man and back to the Shifter, who was shaking her head.“I will expect my payment in full,” she said, and she hustled away into the shadows—and back to her homeworld.Ratsis glanced around again.Three of his mercenary group lay dead, and the value of Dahlia had therefore increased to him personally.But caught between health and wallet, Ratsis soon enough realized the price he would almost surely pay if he tried to follow the enticing course of his greed.He sent his remaining spider to intercept the cat, but held no reasonable hope that the arachnid would slow this powerful beast.He glanced again at Dahlia, wrapped and ready for delivery.So close.But not now, Ratsis realized, and he was glad that he, too, had learned the difficult art of shadow-stepping.“Alegni’s man!” Jermander yelled again, barely dodging a sword thrust that got past his own blade and almost took him in the hip.“You keep saying that as if you know what it means,” Entreri teased and taunted.“I know Alegni!”“You know what he wishes you to know.” Across came the sword, taking Jermander’s blocking weapon aside, and in stepped the small killer with a halfturn and wide slash of his dagger, and then a backhanded stab back across which almost got Jermander in the face as he tried to counter.“Effron employed me!” Jermander argued, and he tried to keep the panic out of his voice—though unsuccessfully, he realized by the grin on the face of Alegni’s champion.“Effron employed me as well,” said his opponent, “to kill you.”Jermander stared at him dumbfounded, but not before wisely backing out of reach.“He is in love with Dahlia,” Entreri explained and leaped forward, leading with a wild, circular flurry of his long sword which had Jermander flailing all around to keep up.And the small man tossed his dirk—he didn’t throw it at Jermander, but merely tossed it up before him, close enough for Jermander to snatch it from the air.The shade warrior almost did just that, but realized the diversion for what it was and protected against a sword thrust instead.He should have protected from something else, though he couldn’t know it, for indeed Entreri came forward with the expected thrust, half-turning once more, but only, Jermander soon realized, so that he could hide the movement of his free hand, down to his belt buckle and suddenly forward.At first, Jermander thought he had been punched in the chest, and he staggered back a few steps, working his sword defensively.Only when he realized that Entreri wasn’t pursuing, only when he noted the smug look on the small man’s face, did he begin to understand, and he glanced down at his chest to see a small knife buried up to its hilt.He tried to speak out, but found that he had no air in his lungs.Jermander fought against the dizziness and breathlessness.Strangely, he felt no pain.He steadied himself and assumed a posture to continue, but as he expanded his focus once more and looked to his opponent, he saw that the man had his dirk in hand once more—had he caught it before it had ever hit the ground?—and now cocked his arm, ready to throw.Jermander tried to clutch up into a smaller target and readied his sword for a block.Entreri pumped his arm and the warrior dodged, then dodged again with a second fake.Each movement brought on more dizziness, waves of disorientation.Jermander told himself that it was time to flee, and he, too, started that shadowshift, to return to the other world, the Shadowfell.But shadowshifting took concentration, and this time, Entreri didn’t fake.Jermander felt the profound thud as the dirk plunged in beside the knife.He saw the man stalking in at him as his body went numb, and then a gray mist filled his vision.For a moment, Jermander thought he was slipping away into the Shadowfell.The sensation and the view seemed much the same.A blinding flash ended that thought, ended all thought, as a sword creased his skull.THE GENDER OPPRESSEDDRIDERS ARE NOT THE QUIETEST OF CREATURES, PARTICULARLY WHEN A SCORE of them, armed and armored and anxious for battle, scrabble along rocky cavern floors and walls.Something was afoot, Yerrininae believed.He could feel it, and it was a tangible sensation, not just a gut instinct.The air was colder—unnaturally colder.The drider leader drove his charges on, rushing around blind bends in the corridor recklessly.He had sent two scouts up front, and he knew now—he just knew—that the pair were soon to encounter … something.So focused was the large mutant that he nearly passed through a remarkable juncture in the otherwise unremarkable corridor.Yerrininae skidded to a stop, his eight legs clacking and scraping on the stone.Behind him, several driders pulled up fast, frantic to avoid a collision with their merciless leader.“What is it, my commander?” one dared ask, as the others wandered around in confusion.Yerrininae continued to look to the wall instead of the open corridor ahead.He moved over slowly, almost reverently, and eased his great spear out wide with his left hand, the other reaching tentatively for a peculiar crease in the wall.A smile widened upon his face as the drider ran his fingers along that peculiar groove.“My commander?” the other drider asked again.“This is no natural crease in the stone,” Yerrininae explained.“This is a worked juncture—once, long ago, likely a portal … a door of some sort.”The other drider dared move up, and on Yerrininae’s bidding, lifted his hand to also feel the straight lines of the worked stone.“What does it mean?” he asked.Yerrininae straightened and looked all around, considering the caverns and corridors they had traversed that day.“It means that this was the outer waypoint.”“Of?”Yerrininae looked at the drider and grinned.A shriek stole the moment, echoing off the stones, bouncing all around them as if a hundred drider warriors were suddenly under great duress.Yerrininae leaped sidelong down the corridor, legs working perfectly to spin him as he landed in full stride, charging along, spear at the ready.Only a few bends later, they found their scouts, though the driders were only barely visible beneath a mound of flailing semi-translucent ghostly dwarves.No, not ghostly, but actual spirits, Yerrininae realized, and he commanded his charges forward, into the morass.The large drider led the way.Yerrininae was never one to view a battle from afar.
A large black panther seeming very intent on them.“Guenhwyvar!” Dahlia cried, her voice somewhat muffled by the stubborn webbing.Ratsis’s gaze darted from the cat to Dahlia to Jermander and Alegni’s man and back to the Shifter, who was shaking her head.“I will expect my payment in full,” she said, and she hustled away into the shadows—and back to her homeworld.Ratsis glanced around again.Three of his mercenary group lay dead, and the value of Dahlia had therefore increased to him personally.But caught between health and wallet, Ratsis soon enough realized the price he would almost surely pay if he tried to follow the enticing course of his greed.He sent his remaining spider to intercept the cat, but held no reasonable hope that the arachnid would slow this powerful beast.He glanced again at Dahlia, wrapped and ready for delivery.So close.But not now, Ratsis realized, and he was glad that he, too, had learned the difficult art of shadow-stepping.“Alegni’s man!” Jermander yelled again, barely dodging a sword thrust that got past his own blade and almost took him in the hip.“You keep saying that as if you know what it means,” Entreri teased and taunted.“I know Alegni!”“You know what he wishes you to know.” Across came the sword, taking Jermander’s blocking weapon aside, and in stepped the small killer with a halfturn and wide slash of his dagger, and then a backhanded stab back across which almost got Jermander in the face as he tried to counter.“Effron employed me!” Jermander argued, and he tried to keep the panic out of his voice—though unsuccessfully, he realized by the grin on the face of Alegni’s champion.“Effron employed me as well,” said his opponent, “to kill you.”Jermander stared at him dumbfounded, but not before wisely backing out of reach.“He is in love with Dahlia,” Entreri explained and leaped forward, leading with a wild, circular flurry of his long sword which had Jermander flailing all around to keep up.And the small man tossed his dirk—he didn’t throw it at Jermander, but merely tossed it up before him, close enough for Jermander to snatch it from the air.The shade warrior almost did just that, but realized the diversion for what it was and protected against a sword thrust instead.He should have protected from something else, though he couldn’t know it, for indeed Entreri came forward with the expected thrust, half-turning once more, but only, Jermander soon realized, so that he could hide the movement of his free hand, down to his belt buckle and suddenly forward.At first, Jermander thought he had been punched in the chest, and he staggered back a few steps, working his sword defensively.Only when he realized that Entreri wasn’t pursuing, only when he noted the smug look on the small man’s face, did he begin to understand, and he glanced down at his chest to see a small knife buried up to its hilt.He tried to speak out, but found that he had no air in his lungs.Jermander fought against the dizziness and breathlessness.Strangely, he felt no pain.He steadied himself and assumed a posture to continue, but as he expanded his focus once more and looked to his opponent, he saw that the man had his dirk in hand once more—had he caught it before it had ever hit the ground?—and now cocked his arm, ready to throw.Jermander tried to clutch up into a smaller target and readied his sword for a block.Entreri pumped his arm and the warrior dodged, then dodged again with a second fake.Each movement brought on more dizziness, waves of disorientation.Jermander told himself that it was time to flee, and he, too, started that shadowshift, to return to the other world, the Shadowfell.But shadowshifting took concentration, and this time, Entreri didn’t fake.Jermander felt the profound thud as the dirk plunged in beside the knife.He saw the man stalking in at him as his body went numb, and then a gray mist filled his vision.For a moment, Jermander thought he was slipping away into the Shadowfell.The sensation and the view seemed much the same.A blinding flash ended that thought, ended all thought, as a sword creased his skull.THE GENDER OPPRESSEDDRIDERS ARE NOT THE QUIETEST OF CREATURES, PARTICULARLY WHEN A SCORE of them, armed and armored and anxious for battle, scrabble along rocky cavern floors and walls.Something was afoot, Yerrininae believed.He could feel it, and it was a tangible sensation, not just a gut instinct.The air was colder—unnaturally colder.The drider leader drove his charges on, rushing around blind bends in the corridor recklessly.He had sent two scouts up front, and he knew now—he just knew—that the pair were soon to encounter … something.So focused was the large mutant that he nearly passed through a remarkable juncture in the otherwise unremarkable corridor.Yerrininae skidded to a stop, his eight legs clacking and scraping on the stone.Behind him, several driders pulled up fast, frantic to avoid a collision with their merciless leader.“What is it, my commander?” one dared ask, as the others wandered around in confusion.Yerrininae continued to look to the wall instead of the open corridor ahead.He moved over slowly, almost reverently, and eased his great spear out wide with his left hand, the other reaching tentatively for a peculiar crease in the wall.A smile widened upon his face as the drider ran his fingers along that peculiar groove.“My commander?” the other drider asked again.“This is no natural crease in the stone,” Yerrininae explained.“This is a worked juncture—once, long ago, likely a portal … a door of some sort.”The other drider dared move up, and on Yerrininae’s bidding, lifted his hand to also feel the straight lines of the worked stone.“What does it mean?” he asked.Yerrininae straightened and looked all around, considering the caverns and corridors they had traversed that day.“It means that this was the outer waypoint.”“Of?”Yerrininae looked at the drider and grinned.A shriek stole the moment, echoing off the stones, bouncing all around them as if a hundred drider warriors were suddenly under great duress.Yerrininae leaped sidelong down the corridor, legs working perfectly to spin him as he landed in full stride, charging along, spear at the ready.Only a few bends later, they found their scouts, though the driders were only barely visible beneath a mound of flailing semi-translucent ghostly dwarves.No, not ghostly, but actual spirits, Yerrininae realized, and he commanded his charges forward, into the morass.The large drider led the way.Yerrininae was never one to view a battle from afar.
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dnd376
He crashed into a small horde of the ghosts, his fine drow great spear stabbing and slashing every which way.But to little effect, for these creatures were only partially bound to the material plane.He could barely hit them, with weapon or with appendage.Similarly, their reciprocating swings did not connect solidly.When a dozen other ghosts leaped away from one of the unfortunate scouts to charge his direction, though, Yerrininae understood that those seemingly insubstantial attacks could surely combine to great effect, for that drider scout from which they had crawled slumped right to the floor, its face a ghastly mask of missing eyes and torn lips, its head all twisted around as if it had been squeezed between heavy stones.The creature lolled around, propped by the symmetry of its eight legs, but hardly alive.“Close ranks!” the drider leader demanded.As the valuable drider warriors fell back, Jearth ordered his shock troops past them and into the enemy.Goblins, orcs, and bugbears surged forward along the corridor and into the wider cavern beyond, fighting every instinct in them which told them to turn around and flee—for those who did so, those who even hesitated slightly, felt the bite of a drow crossbow bolt.“Dwarf ghosts!” Ravel said happily from the back.“Gauntlgrym!It must be!Right before us.We have found the dwarven city.”“We cannot be certain,” Berellip said beside him.“I can feel the power of the place,” Ravel argued.“Primordial power.” He wasn’t bluffing, nor was he imagining anything due to the appearance of dwarf ghosts.The sense of bound magic was powerful and primal.He could feel it under his feet.Ravel had done a lot of work with elementals during his tenure in Sorcere.Gromph Baenre was quite fond of summoning them by the dozen, all different types, merely to torment them.He thought to confer with his brother Brack’thal, who had reputedly been supremely skilled in the elemental arts in the years before the Spellplague.Only briefly, though, for he did not want to give Brack’thal the satisfaction.Even without that confirmation, Ravel knew the feeling of elemental magic, and such was the tingling energy he felt in the floors and walls now, a deep resonance of the purest energy.Along the wall to the left came Tiago Baenre, charging his lizard above the heads of the many drow crowding the area.“The goblinkin will be of little effect,” he told Ravel and the others.“These ghostly defenders are quite beyond them.”“Shall you throw a lightning net upon them, dear brother?” Berellip remarked, and behind her, Saribel giggled.“It might prove quite potent,” Ravel replied, ignoring the sarcasm.Berellip gave an exasperated sigh and moved past him, Saribel and the other priestesses of Lolth in tow.As soon as they had moved past Tiago, the young Baenre signaled to Ravel, Shall I gather your wizards that you can enact a second lightning net?The question caught Ravel off guard, so much so that he balked and even moved back a step.He stared at Tiago for a few moments, ensuring that the warrior was serious.He glanced down the corridor; the sounds alone convinced him that his goblinkin fodder were indeed being slaughtered.Ravel nodded.He wouldn’t give his sisters the satisfaction of being saviors.“They are a stubborn bunch,” Berellip admitted to Saribel.They had hit the dwarves with a vast repertoire of spells, from shining beams of unholy light to waves of biting flames.They had used their allegiance to Lolth to compel the ghosts away and had even tried to harness the spirits to their will, to dominate them and turn some against the others.But this was a stubborn group indeed, much more so than typical for such undead creatures.“They are fighting for their most ancient homeland,” Berellip continued, reasoning it out as she went along.
He crashed into a small horde of the ghosts, his fine drow great spear stabbing and slashing every which way.But to little effect, for these creatures were only partially bound to the material plane.He could barely hit them, with weapon or with appendage.Similarly, their reciprocating swings did not connect solidly.When a dozen other ghosts leaped away from one of the unfortunate scouts to charge his direction, though, Yerrininae understood that those seemingly insubstantial attacks could surely combine to great effect, for that drider scout from which they had crawled slumped right to the floor, its face a ghastly mask of missing eyes and torn lips, its head all twisted around as if it had been squeezed between heavy stones.The creature lolled around, propped by the symmetry of its eight legs, but hardly alive.“Close ranks!” the drider leader demanded.As the valuable drider warriors fell back, Jearth ordered his shock troops past them and into the enemy.Goblins, orcs, and bugbears surged forward along the corridor and into the wider cavern beyond, fighting every instinct in them which told them to turn around and flee—for those who did so, those who even hesitated slightly, felt the bite of a drow crossbow bolt.“Dwarf ghosts!” Ravel said happily from the back.“Gauntlgrym!It must be!Right before us.We have found the dwarven city.”“We cannot be certain,” Berellip said beside him.“I can feel the power of the place,” Ravel argued.“Primordial power.” He wasn’t bluffing, nor was he imagining anything due to the appearance of dwarf ghosts.The sense of bound magic was powerful and primal.He could feel it under his feet.Ravel had done a lot of work with elementals during his tenure in Sorcere.Gromph Baenre was quite fond of summoning them by the dozen, all different types, merely to torment them.He thought to confer with his brother Brack’thal, who had reputedly been supremely skilled in the elemental arts in the years before the Spellplague.Only briefly, though, for he did not want to give Brack’thal the satisfaction.Even without that confirmation, Ravel knew the feeling of elemental magic, and such was the tingling energy he felt in the floors and walls now, a deep resonance of the purest energy.Along the wall to the left came Tiago Baenre, charging his lizard above the heads of the many drow crowding the area.“The goblinkin will be of little effect,” he told Ravel and the others.“These ghostly defenders are quite beyond them.”“Shall you throw a lightning net upon them, dear brother?” Berellip remarked, and behind her, Saribel giggled.“It might prove quite potent,” Ravel replied, ignoring the sarcasm.Berellip gave an exasperated sigh and moved past him, Saribel and the other priestesses of Lolth in tow.As soon as they had moved past Tiago, the young Baenre signaled to Ravel, Shall I gather your wizards that you can enact a second lightning net?The question caught Ravel off guard, so much so that he balked and even moved back a step.He stared at Tiago for a few moments, ensuring that the warrior was serious.He glanced down the corridor; the sounds alone convinced him that his goblinkin fodder were indeed being slaughtered.Ravel nodded.He wouldn’t give his sisters the satisfaction of being saviors.“They are a stubborn bunch,” Berellip admitted to Saribel.They had hit the dwarves with a vast repertoire of spells, from shining beams of unholy light to waves of biting flames.They had used their allegiance to Lolth to compel the ghosts away and had even tried to harness the spirits to their will, to dominate them and turn some against the others.But this was a stubborn group indeed, much more so than typical for such undead creatures.“They are fighting for their most ancient homeland,” Berellip continued, reasoning it out as she went along.
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dnd377
“They are bound here as guardians, singular in their devotion.”“They will not be easily turned, nor easily destroyed,” Saribel agreed.“Fight on,” Berellip instructed Saribel and the others, and she fell into her next spellcasting but stopped abruptly, startled when Tiago Baenre, Jearth Xorlarrin, and a host of lizard riders charged past her.The cavalry swept into the cavern, veering to the right as they extended their line.In came Yerrininae and the driders on their heels, reinforcing that line as it began to sweep back to the left, effectively clearing the nearest right hand corner of the cavern.Into that void went Ravel and his spellspinners.Berellip spat on the stone and urged her priestesses on with more powerful spells.She began casting her own bursts of brilliant devastation, focused lines of unholy light, as Ravel and his wizards took their places and began their web-spinning.Now it was a competition as priestess and wizard vied for the top honors in the ghostly slaughter.“Damn you,” Berellip cursed Tiago when he called for a retreat at precisely the right moment, drow rider and drider alike running back to the opposite flank just in time for the spinning lightning net to cross above them harmlessly.The dwarf ghosts did not flee as the orcs had back in the cavern city, and a host of them fell under that net.The sparking, biting filaments crackled as it battered them.Berellip and many other drow averted their sensitive eyes from the bright white energy.When all finally settled, the number of ghosts was greatly diminished.The few remaining drifted back to narrower halls, moaning all the way.“Secure the cavern!” Jearth’s voice rang out above the din.“Huzzah for Ravel!” A great cheer went up, and Berellip seethed.Her visage did not soften as Tiago Baenre rode up beside her and Saribel.“You chose sides,” Berellip warned.“You chose wrongly.”“Not so,” Tiago flippantly replied.“It was a coordinated effort and you and your priestesses played no small role.It would seem that I was wrong, and that priestesses have a place, after all.Other than in the bedroom, I mean.”“Blasphemy,” Saribel mouthed, and Berellip stared at the upstart male incredulously.“It was quite a beating you put on your brother over such an innocuous, and indeed a worthwhile, slight,” said the confident young Baenre, who was ever so full of surprises.“Are the Baenre sisters so used to you speaking in such a manner?” Berellip warned.“Of course not!” Tiago said with a laugh.“You dare?” Saribel said.“My dear Berellip,” Tiago said, unwilling to even acknowledge Saribel, other than to toss her a lewd wink, “you are a priestess of Lolth.” He gave a shallow bow, hindered as he was by sitting astride his lizard mount.“And I am the son of House Baenre.”“You are a male,” Berellip said, as if that alone should humble Tiago.But he only sat straighter and laughed at her.“I understand,” Tiago said with a nod.“By all conventions, you are my superior, and so you believe that to be the case.But consider, upon whose side in our battle would Matron Mother Quenthel stand?In customary terms, you are correct in your indignation, but in practical terms?”“You’re a long way from House Baenre,” Berellip warned.“Do you believe that I was selected to go along with you at random?”That gave Berellip pause.“Selected,” Tiago said again, emphatically.“House Baenre knows your every movement, and every intention.Understand now that I alone will determine if House Baenre will allow Xorlarrin the room you desire to found your city.I alone.A bad word from me will doom Xorlarrin to a noble—excepting perhaps some spellspinners, as their powers have intrigued Matron Mother Quenthel of late.Since Gromph has retired mostly to his room at Sorcere and meddles little in Baenre business, Quenthel has come to see a growing gap in the armada of House Baenre, one that would be nicely filled by absorbing some of Xorlarrin’s skilled spellspinners.”“Then she would want them obedient!” Berellip argued, and her tone made her sound desperate, and so clearly revealed that she had lost the initiative in this argument.Tiago had easily gained the upper hand, and he wasn’t about to let it go.
“They are bound here as guardians, singular in their devotion.”“They will not be easily turned, nor easily destroyed,” Saribel agreed.“Fight on,” Berellip instructed Saribel and the others, and she fell into her next spellcasting but stopped abruptly, startled when Tiago Baenre, Jearth Xorlarrin, and a host of lizard riders charged past her.The cavalry swept into the cavern, veering to the right as they extended their line.In came Yerrininae and the driders on their heels, reinforcing that line as it began to sweep back to the left, effectively clearing the nearest right hand corner of the cavern.Into that void went Ravel and his spellspinners.Berellip spat on the stone and urged her priestesses on with more powerful spells.She began casting her own bursts of brilliant devastation, focused lines of unholy light, as Ravel and his wizards took their places and began their web-spinning.Now it was a competition as priestess and wizard vied for the top honors in the ghostly slaughter.“Damn you,” Berellip cursed Tiago when he called for a retreat at precisely the right moment, drow rider and drider alike running back to the opposite flank just in time for the spinning lightning net to cross above them harmlessly.The dwarf ghosts did not flee as the orcs had back in the cavern city, and a host of them fell under that net.The sparking, biting filaments crackled as it battered them.Berellip and many other drow averted their sensitive eyes from the bright white energy.When all finally settled, the number of ghosts was greatly diminished.The few remaining drifted back to narrower halls, moaning all the way.“Secure the cavern!” Jearth’s voice rang out above the din.“Huzzah for Ravel!” A great cheer went up, and Berellip seethed.Her visage did not soften as Tiago Baenre rode up beside her and Saribel.“You chose sides,” Berellip warned.“You chose wrongly.”“Not so,” Tiago flippantly replied.“It was a coordinated effort and you and your priestesses played no small role.It would seem that I was wrong, and that priestesses have a place, after all.Other than in the bedroom, I mean.”“Blasphemy,” Saribel mouthed, and Berellip stared at the upstart male incredulously.“It was quite a beating you put on your brother over such an innocuous, and indeed a worthwhile, slight,” said the confident young Baenre, who was ever so full of surprises.“Are the Baenre sisters so used to you speaking in such a manner?” Berellip warned.“Of course not!” Tiago said with a laugh.“You dare?” Saribel said.“My dear Berellip,” Tiago said, unwilling to even acknowledge Saribel, other than to toss her a lewd wink, “you are a priestess of Lolth.” He gave a shallow bow, hindered as he was by sitting astride his lizard mount.“And I am the son of House Baenre.”“You are a male,” Berellip said, as if that alone should humble Tiago.But he only sat straighter and laughed at her.“I understand,” Tiago said with a nod.“By all conventions, you are my superior, and so you believe that to be the case.But consider, upon whose side in our battle would Matron Mother Quenthel stand?In customary terms, you are correct in your indignation, but in practical terms?”“You’re a long way from House Baenre,” Berellip warned.“Do you believe that I was selected to go along with you at random?”That gave Berellip pause.“Selected,” Tiago said again, emphatically.“House Baenre knows your every movement, and every intention.Understand now that I alone will determine if House Baenre will allow Xorlarrin the room you desire to found your city.I alone.A bad word from me will doom Xorlarrin to a noble—excepting perhaps some spellspinners, as their powers have intrigued Matron Mother Quenthel of late.Since Gromph has retired mostly to his room at Sorcere and meddles little in Baenre business, Quenthel has come to see a growing gap in the armada of House Baenre, one that would be nicely filled by absorbing some of Xorlarrin’s skilled spellspinners.”“Then she would want them obedient!” Berellip argued, and her tone made her sound desperate, and so clearly revealed that she had lost the initiative in this argument.Tiago had easily gained the upper hand, and he wasn’t about to let it go.
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dnd378
“She will want what I tell her to want,” the brash young warrior replied.“And to dispel any secret hopes you now harbor, understand that if I am killed out here beyond Menzoberranzan, Matron Mother Quenthel will hold Zeerith Q’Xorlarrin personally responsible.And of course, her daughters as well.”Berellip stared at him, not blinking, not backing down, not willing to give him the satisfaction.“You would doom Xorlarrin to a noble,” Tiago quietly reiterated, and then he smiled and signed so that only Berellip could see, I do anticipate our next coupling, and he rode away, as if nothing was amiss.Not so far behind that encounter, Brack’thal Xorlarrin leaned against the corridor’s stone wall, his sensitive fingers feeling the stone, his thoughts permeating the stone.Ravel had felt the tingling of elemental energy here, but that paled compared to the understanding Brack’thal had for such magic.In his day, he had been one of the strongest evokers in Menzoberranzan, a drow who could reach to the elemental planes, so it seemed, to bring forth fire and lightning and other primordial powers.Once he had commanded an entire company of earth elementals, for no better reason than to impress the masters of Sorcere.Now he felt it, the fiery beast, the god of flaming destruction.This was why Matron Zeerith had included him in his hated brother’s expedition, and now, suddenly, feeling that power, experiencing the clarity of mind which could only be brought through such a close communion with an old and basic power, Brack’thal held his curses back, and even thanked Zeerith for allowing him this journey.He did not even watch the battle at hand before him.His sisters would win out, he fully expected, and he could no sooner turn from this stone, from the deep sensations and vibrations of the primordial beast of fire than he could from a tryst with Lady Lolth herself.For the promise was no less.The promise of power.The promise of magical strength as it had been those many years ago.COMRADES IN COMMON CAUSEDAHLIA FOUGHT HARD AGAINST THE STUBBORN WEBBING TO TURN HER HEAD.She didn’t want to miss the demise of her tormentor, and was quite pleased when Entreri’s sword split open the shade’s skull.She wriggled some more and managed to free her head almost completely, though the rest of her remained tightly bound.As she glanced around, she came to understand that she was alone—alone with this man Entreri, Alegni’s champion.After a moment to catch his breath and retrieve his thrown knife, he started toward her, sword leveled her way.Dahlia twisted and strained, struggling to free up one arm.But then she settled, knowing she could not hope to defend herself.The sword was close.Dahlia stared the small, cold man in the eye, trying to discern his intent.The sword came in at the side of her neck and she stiffened and held her breath.But Entreri began to cut the webbing away.“I am truly touched,” she said sarcastically after she had recovered from the shock.“Shut up,” Entreri said as he continued freeing her.“Are you embarrassed by your concern for me?” the elf woman quipped.“Concern?”“You’re here, against your master’s allies,” Dahlia reasoned.“Because I hate him more than I hate you,” Entreri was quick to reply.“Do not presume that such thoughts shine brightly upon you.”His last words were lost in the rumble of a low and threatening growl, and Entreri froze, and Dahlia smiled—she could see six hundred pounds of muscle-rippled panther crouching right behind him.“You have met my friend Guenhwyvar, no doubt?” she asked with a grin.Artemis Entreri didn’t move.“Hold!” came a call from the side, as Drizzt Do’Urden, limping only slightly, came over the ridge.Whether he was speaking to Entreri or Guenhwyvar, neither Dahlia nor Entreri could be sure.Both, likely.Entreri dismissed the drow with a snicker and drove his sword down halfway to the ground, greatly loosening the bindings on Dahlia.“A change of heart?” Drizzt asked when he came beside the pair.Dahlia extracted herself from the webs.Behind Entreri, Guenhwyvar remained poised to leap upon the small man.“Easy, Guen,” Drizzt prompted the cat, and her ears came up.“Why have you returned?” Dahlia asked Entreri as she continued to pull strands from her clothing.She wasn’t feeling particularly generous, and didn’t much like being rescued.She intended to push Artemis Entreri, and hopefully to push him far away.When he didn’t immediately answer her question, Dahlia stopped plucking the webs.Her question had struck him hard, obviously.She was caught by surprise, for she had never expected to see him in such a pensive pose.“Why?” she asked again, sharply and loudly, but only to pull the man from his apparent introspection.“I don’t know,” he admitted.Dahlia felt Drizzt’s gaze upon her and glanced his way.
“She will want what I tell her to want,” the brash young warrior replied.“And to dispel any secret hopes you now harbor, understand that if I am killed out here beyond Menzoberranzan, Matron Mother Quenthel will hold Zeerith Q’Xorlarrin personally responsible.And of course, her daughters as well.”Berellip stared at him, not blinking, not backing down, not willing to give him the satisfaction.“You would doom Xorlarrin to a noble,” Tiago quietly reiterated, and then he smiled and signed so that only Berellip could see, I do anticipate our next coupling, and he rode away, as if nothing was amiss.Not so far behind that encounter, Brack’thal Xorlarrin leaned against the corridor’s stone wall, his sensitive fingers feeling the stone, his thoughts permeating the stone.Ravel had felt the tingling of elemental energy here, but that paled compared to the understanding Brack’thal had for such magic.In his day, he had been one of the strongest evokers in Menzoberranzan, a drow who could reach to the elemental planes, so it seemed, to bring forth fire and lightning and other primordial powers.Once he had commanded an entire company of earth elementals, for no better reason than to impress the masters of Sorcere.Now he felt it, the fiery beast, the god of flaming destruction.This was why Matron Zeerith had included him in his hated brother’s expedition, and now, suddenly, feeling that power, experiencing the clarity of mind which could only be brought through such a close communion with an old and basic power, Brack’thal held his curses back, and even thanked Zeerith for allowing him this journey.He did not even watch the battle at hand before him.His sisters would win out, he fully expected, and he could no sooner turn from this stone, from the deep sensations and vibrations of the primordial beast of fire than he could from a tryst with Lady Lolth herself.For the promise was no less.The promise of power.The promise of magical strength as it had been those many years ago.COMRADES IN COMMON CAUSEDAHLIA FOUGHT HARD AGAINST THE STUBBORN WEBBING TO TURN HER HEAD.She didn’t want to miss the demise of her tormentor, and was quite pleased when Entreri’s sword split open the shade’s skull.She wriggled some more and managed to free her head almost completely, though the rest of her remained tightly bound.As she glanced around, she came to understand that she was alone—alone with this man Entreri, Alegni’s champion.After a moment to catch his breath and retrieve his thrown knife, he started toward her, sword leveled her way.Dahlia twisted and strained, struggling to free up one arm.But then she settled, knowing she could not hope to defend herself.The sword was close.Dahlia stared the small, cold man in the eye, trying to discern his intent.The sword came in at the side of her neck and she stiffened and held her breath.But Entreri began to cut the webbing away.“I am truly touched,” she said sarcastically after she had recovered from the shock.“Shut up,” Entreri said as he continued freeing her.“Are you embarrassed by your concern for me?” the elf woman quipped.“Concern?”“You’re here, against your master’s allies,” Dahlia reasoned.“Because I hate him more than I hate you,” Entreri was quick to reply.“Do not presume that such thoughts shine brightly upon you.”His last words were lost in the rumble of a low and threatening growl, and Entreri froze, and Dahlia smiled—she could see six hundred pounds of muscle-rippled panther crouching right behind him.“You have met my friend Guenhwyvar, no doubt?” she asked with a grin.Artemis Entreri didn’t move.“Hold!” came a call from the side, as Drizzt Do’Urden, limping only slightly, came over the ridge.Whether he was speaking to Entreri or Guenhwyvar, neither Dahlia nor Entreri could be sure.Both, likely.Entreri dismissed the drow with a snicker and drove his sword down halfway to the ground, greatly loosening the bindings on Dahlia.“A change of heart?” Drizzt asked when he came beside the pair.Dahlia extracted herself from the webs.Behind Entreri, Guenhwyvar remained poised to leap upon the small man.“Easy, Guen,” Drizzt prompted the cat, and her ears came up.“Why have you returned?” Dahlia asked Entreri as she continued to pull strands from her clothing.She wasn’t feeling particularly generous, and didn’t much like being rescued.She intended to push Artemis Entreri, and hopefully to push him far away.When he didn’t immediately answer her question, Dahlia stopped plucking the webs.Her question had struck him hard, obviously.She was caught by surprise, for she had never expected to see him in such a pensive pose.“Why?” she asked again, sharply and loudly, but only to pull the man from his apparent introspection.“I don’t know,” he admitted.Dahlia felt Drizzt’s gaze upon her and glanced his way.
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dnd379
His visage was cold, as if chastising her for going after Entreri so bluntly.The man had just saved her life, after all.She offered a shrug.“Well, why did you leave us, then?” Dahlia asked, a bit more cordially.“Herzgo Alegni carries my old sword,” Entreri replied.“My old sword, sentient and telepathic, can learn things from me.Being with you endangered you, and while I care not a whit for the lives of either of you, I do not wish for you to fail in your quest.”“And yet, despite your words, here you are, endangering us.”“I know your intent,” Entreri replied.“Being closer to Alegni makes it more likely that he will learn of your intentions from me.”“So we should just kill you,” said Dahlia, and she kept any hint of humor out of her voice.“You will die first,” Entreri promised.Drizzt stepped between them.Only then did Dahlia realize that she and Entreri had begun drifting together, face to face, unblinking.“I thought to simply go away, though I could not escape Alegni if I fled Faerûn itself,” Entreri explained.“And you just happened upon us?” Drizzt asked.Entreri shook his head.“I don’t know how much I’ll be able to help you before Alegni—before my old sword—lays me low on the street,” he admitted.“And yet, here I am,” he added, looking around at the dead Shadovar, “helping you on your way.Alegni and Charon’s Claw did not hinder my blade as I struck at your enemies, whom I would have to presume serve as his allies.”He looked Drizzt directly in the eye, and Dahlia noted that they shared something, some long and deep bond and obvious respect.“I’m not going back to serve him,” Entreri stated flatly.“There is no amount of pain, no amount of torture, that will put me beside Herzgo Alegni.”To her surprise, Dahlia realized that she believed him—not only that he intended as he said, but also that this grayish man was possessed of inner power great enough to do as he had just claimed.She stepped back and let Drizzt and Entreri have their conversation, and caught only a few snips of the dialogue, as Entreri admitted that his mere presence with them might well have compromised any hope of secrecy they might harbor, or that this attack might have been directed to this place and against them because of his previous proximity to them.Dahlia knew from his responses and body language that Drizzt would accept Entreri as a companion on this mission, and when she let down her own stubbornness, she realized that if Drizzt did not, she would insist.She focused mostly on Entreri then, staring at him, understanding him.She saw the pain.She knew that pain.“An interesting dilemma,” Drizzt said to Dahlia a short while later.In the distance, they could see Entreri gathering firewood, as they had agreed.“You doubt his sincerity?”“Strangely, no,” said Drizzt.“I have known this man for many years—”“Yet, you have not known of him for many years,” Dahlia was quick to point out.“True enough.” Drizzt nodded in deference to her obvious logic.“But in our time together, I came to know who he truly was.I saw him emotionally stripped naked in Menzoberranzan, raw and unprotected.He is many things—including many heinous traits that I cannot abide—but in a strange way, there is honor in Artemis Entreri, and there always has been.” As he spoke the words, Drizzt thought about that first encounter with the assassin, when Entreri had held Catti-brie captive for days.Helpless and at his mercy—and yet the assassin had shown her great mercy in that time.But there were other times, when Entreri had not been so kind, Drizzt thought, and he remembered a halfling’s finger …He looked away from Dahlia, to Entreri—a confusing link to a distant past.“He won’t willingly betray us,” Dahlia said, and Drizzt spun back on her.“He hates Herzgo Alegni as I do.”“Why?” Drizzt asked.Dahlia looked at him curiously.“Why do you hate Herzgo Alegni?” Drizzt almost fell back a step as Dahlia’s face tightened.She spat on the ground at Drizzt’s feet.“So you believe Entreri will not willingly betray us, and I agree,” Drizzt said quickly, thinking it wise to change the subject.
His visage was cold, as if chastising her for going after Entreri so bluntly.The man had just saved her life, after all.She offered a shrug.“Well, why did you leave us, then?” Dahlia asked, a bit more cordially.“Herzgo Alegni carries my old sword,” Entreri replied.“My old sword, sentient and telepathic, can learn things from me.Being with you endangered you, and while I care not a whit for the lives of either of you, I do not wish for you to fail in your quest.”“And yet, despite your words, here you are, endangering us.”“I know your intent,” Entreri replied.“Being closer to Alegni makes it more likely that he will learn of your intentions from me.”“So we should just kill you,” said Dahlia, and she kept any hint of humor out of her voice.“You will die first,” Entreri promised.Drizzt stepped between them.Only then did Dahlia realize that she and Entreri had begun drifting together, face to face, unblinking.“I thought to simply go away, though I could not escape Alegni if I fled Faerûn itself,” Entreri explained.“And you just happened upon us?” Drizzt asked.Entreri shook his head.“I don’t know how much I’ll be able to help you before Alegni—before my old sword—lays me low on the street,” he admitted.“And yet, here I am,” he added, looking around at the dead Shadovar, “helping you on your way.Alegni and Charon’s Claw did not hinder my blade as I struck at your enemies, whom I would have to presume serve as his allies.”He looked Drizzt directly in the eye, and Dahlia noted that they shared something, some long and deep bond and obvious respect.“I’m not going back to serve him,” Entreri stated flatly.“There is no amount of pain, no amount of torture, that will put me beside Herzgo Alegni.”To her surprise, Dahlia realized that she believed him—not only that he intended as he said, but also that this grayish man was possessed of inner power great enough to do as he had just claimed.She stepped back and let Drizzt and Entreri have their conversation, and caught only a few snips of the dialogue, as Entreri admitted that his mere presence with them might well have compromised any hope of secrecy they might harbor, or that this attack might have been directed to this place and against them because of his previous proximity to them.Dahlia knew from his responses and body language that Drizzt would accept Entreri as a companion on this mission, and when she let down her own stubbornness, she realized that if Drizzt did not, she would insist.She focused mostly on Entreri then, staring at him, understanding him.She saw the pain.She knew that pain.“An interesting dilemma,” Drizzt said to Dahlia a short while later.In the distance, they could see Entreri gathering firewood, as they had agreed.“You doubt his sincerity?”“Strangely, no,” said Drizzt.“I have known this man for many years—”“Yet, you have not known of him for many years,” Dahlia was quick to point out.“True enough.” Drizzt nodded in deference to her obvious logic.“But in our time together, I came to know who he truly was.I saw him emotionally stripped naked in Menzoberranzan, raw and unprotected.He is many things—including many heinous traits that I cannot abide—but in a strange way, there is honor in Artemis Entreri, and there always has been.” As he spoke the words, Drizzt thought about that first encounter with the assassin, when Entreri had held Catti-brie captive for days.Helpless and at his mercy—and yet the assassin had shown her great mercy in that time.But there were other times, when Entreri had not been so kind, Drizzt thought, and he remembered a halfling’s finger …He looked away from Dahlia, to Entreri—a confusing link to a distant past.“He won’t willingly betray us,” Dahlia said, and Drizzt spun back on her.“He hates Herzgo Alegni as I do.”“Why?” Drizzt asked.Dahlia looked at him curiously.“Why do you hate Herzgo Alegni?” Drizzt almost fell back a step as Dahlia’s face tightened.She spat on the ground at Drizzt’s feet.“So you believe Entreri will not willingly betray us, and I agree,” Drizzt said quickly, thinking it wise to change the subject.
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dnd380
“But what about unwillingly?He has already admitted that his mere presence with us might well have tipped Alegni off to our intentions.The sword holds him, and seems to know his every thought.”Dahlia turned her gaze to the distant Entreri, and slowly shook her head.“It cannot,” she said, and she seemed to be speaking more to herself than to Drizzt.“Sentient weapons do not hold such power.”“It enslaves him.”“It feels his intentions, his anger, his move to action,” Dahlia replied.“That is a different matter.The sword reacts to his impulses, as Kozah’s Needle heeds my call, and it is powerful enough because of their long history to overrule his demands.”“You cannot know that.”“As you cannot know that your fear is well founded,” Dahlia said.“Artemis Entreri did not lead those Shadovar to us, as he was near Neverwinter while they were out on the hunt.Perhaps his presence with us allowed his sword to understand the general course of our intent, but perhaps not nearly as specifically as you believe—else why would he have been allowed to get so near to Neverwinter without a host of Alegni’s guards falling over him?The sword does not know his every thought and every move.I cannot believe that, particularly when he and the sword are not near each other.It’s a sword, not a god!”“But we will get near, and so Entreri will be near to the sword, and there remains the possibility,” Drizzt reasoned.“So you would abandon this potentially powerful ally out of that fear?”The drow thought about that for a long while, and realized that he really didn’t want to walk a separate road from Entreri.Once again, this man tied him to a past for which he longed, a time when the world seemed simpler to him, and far more comfortable.Still, despite all of that, he heard himself saying, “Yes.”“Then he will seek out Alegni on his own—he won’t turn from that.I saw the pain in his eyes, and he will not turn from that!So we each will strike at Neverwinter, and weaker will we both be—”“There is a third option,” Drizzt interrupted.Dahlia eyed him curiously.“There are ways to block such telepathic intrusions,” Drizzt explained, the idea just coming to him—and it seemed one that solved many of his current problems and addressed many of his current fears.“Jarlaxle’s eye patch—do you recall it?It was so enchanted.With it, the mercenary rendered himself invisible from magical and telepathic spying, and such dominance as the sword has shown over Entreri.”“So we’ll go and find Jarlaxle and he’ll help us?”“He has ties to Entreri, as well—”“He is dead,” Dahlia stated flatly.“You saw him die.
“But what about unwillingly?He has already admitted that his mere presence with us might well have tipped Alegni off to our intentions.The sword holds him, and seems to know his every thought.”Dahlia turned her gaze to the distant Entreri, and slowly shook her head.“It cannot,” she said, and she seemed to be speaking more to herself than to Drizzt.“Sentient weapons do not hold such power.”“It enslaves him.”“It feels his intentions, his anger, his move to action,” Dahlia replied.“That is a different matter.The sword reacts to his impulses, as Kozah’s Needle heeds my call, and it is powerful enough because of their long history to overrule his demands.”“You cannot know that.”“As you cannot know that your fear is well founded,” Dahlia said.“Artemis Entreri did not lead those Shadovar to us, as he was near Neverwinter while they were out on the hunt.Perhaps his presence with us allowed his sword to understand the general course of our intent, but perhaps not nearly as specifically as you believe—else why would he have been allowed to get so near to Neverwinter without a host of Alegni’s guards falling over him?The sword does not know his every thought and every move.I cannot believe that, particularly when he and the sword are not near each other.It’s a sword, not a god!”“But we will get near, and so Entreri will be near to the sword, and there remains the possibility,” Drizzt reasoned.“So you would abandon this potentially powerful ally out of that fear?”The drow thought about that for a long while, and realized that he really didn’t want to walk a separate road from Entreri.Once again, this man tied him to a past for which he longed, a time when the world seemed simpler to him, and far more comfortable.Still, despite all of that, he heard himself saying, “Yes.”“Then he will seek out Alegni on his own—he won’t turn from that.I saw the pain in his eyes, and he will not turn from that!So we each will strike at Neverwinter, and weaker will we both be—”“There is a third option,” Drizzt interrupted.Dahlia eyed him curiously.“There are ways to block such telepathic intrusions,” Drizzt explained, the idea just coming to him—and it seemed one that solved many of his current problems and addressed many of his current fears.“Jarlaxle’s eye patch—do you recall it?It was so enchanted.With it, the mercenary rendered himself invisible from magical and telepathic spying, and such dominance as the sword has shown over Entreri.”“So we’ll go and find Jarlaxle and he’ll help us?”“He has ties to Entreri, as well—”“He is dead,” Dahlia stated flatly.“You saw him die.
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dnd381
You saw him go over the rim of the primordial pit only heartbeats before the creature vomited its killing spew.Accept it, you fool!”Drizzt had no way to answer.He wasn’t sure that his hopes for Jarlaxle were simply a matter of refusing to accept the obvious.He had seen Jarlaxle dodge too many arrows.By all indications, Jarlaxle had died in Gauntlgrym.Who could have survived the power of the primordial erupting from inside that rim of fire, after all?But Drizzt had once made the mistake of thinking some dear friends dead without conclusive proof, and he didn’t intend to travel that fool’s road again.Maybe Jarlaxle’s charred remains lay on the side of the primordial’s pit, or perhaps he had fallen into the fiery maw of the lava beast and nothing at all remained of him.Or maybe not.“So you’d use Entreri’s dilemma to once again take me far from this place,” Dahlia said.“To once again turn me from my quest.”Her anger was clear for Drizzt to see.“If Jarlaxle is to be found, then wonderful, for he, too, would prove a valuable ally,” he said.“But the point stands even if Jarlaxle does not.There are items, or enchantments, which we might procure to protect Entreri from the prying sword.”“Do you think he has not already looked for such things?”Drizzt wasn’t sure what to say.At the very least, Dahlia’s point showed that they might spend months in search of their answer.In his many decades of adventuring, had Drizzt ever encountered anything other than Jarlaxle’s eye patch that might provide the needed shield, after all?And even that eye patch had failed Jarlaxle against the mind-bending manipulation of Crenshinibon, the drow reminded himself.He looked back at Entreri, who was approaching now, and gave a resigned sigh.“So will you send me away or accept my help?” Entreri asked when he got to them, and he dropped an armful of kindling on the ground beside the small fire pit the drow had dug.“Are we that obvious?” Drizzt asked.“It’s the discussion I would be having were our situations reversed,” said Entreri.“And you would send us away.”“No, I would cut out your heart,” the assassin quipped, and he went to sorting the firewood.“Makes things simpler, you see.”“Would you settle for having your skull crushed?” Dahlia asked, and if she was joking at all, her voice didn’t reflect it.Entreri dropped a piece of kindling and rose, turning slowly to face the woman.“If it were that easy, I would have been killed already,” he said, expressionless.“And you will not turn me away.I’ve made my choice now, and my road is for Neverwinter, beside you or not.”“We fear the sword,” Drizzt explained.“Should we not?”Perhaps it was the simple honesty of that statement, Drizzt thought, or maybe it was because he wasn’t questioning Entreri’s word, but simply addressing influences that might prove beyond the assassin’s control, but Entreri seemed to relax then.“Is there a way we can protect you from the intrusions?
You saw him go over the rim of the primordial pit only heartbeats before the creature vomited its killing spew.Accept it, you fool!”Drizzt had no way to answer.He wasn’t sure that his hopes for Jarlaxle were simply a matter of refusing to accept the obvious.He had seen Jarlaxle dodge too many arrows.By all indications, Jarlaxle had died in Gauntlgrym.Who could have survived the power of the primordial erupting from inside that rim of fire, after all?But Drizzt had once made the mistake of thinking some dear friends dead without conclusive proof, and he didn’t intend to travel that fool’s road again.Maybe Jarlaxle’s charred remains lay on the side of the primordial’s pit, or perhaps he had fallen into the fiery maw of the lava beast and nothing at all remained of him.Or maybe not.“So you’d use Entreri’s dilemma to once again take me far from this place,” Dahlia said.“To once again turn me from my quest.”Her anger was clear for Drizzt to see.“If Jarlaxle is to be found, then wonderful, for he, too, would prove a valuable ally,” he said.“But the point stands even if Jarlaxle does not.There are items, or enchantments, which we might procure to protect Entreri from the prying sword.”“Do you think he has not already looked for such things?”Drizzt wasn’t sure what to say.At the very least, Dahlia’s point showed that they might spend months in search of their answer.In his many decades of adventuring, had Drizzt ever encountered anything other than Jarlaxle’s eye patch that might provide the needed shield, after all?And even that eye patch had failed Jarlaxle against the mind-bending manipulation of Crenshinibon, the drow reminded himself.He looked back at Entreri, who was approaching now, and gave a resigned sigh.“So will you send me away or accept my help?” Entreri asked when he got to them, and he dropped an armful of kindling on the ground beside the small fire pit the drow had dug.“Are we that obvious?” Drizzt asked.“It’s the discussion I would be having were our situations reversed,” said Entreri.“And you would send us away.”“No, I would cut out your heart,” the assassin quipped, and he went to sorting the firewood.“Makes things simpler, you see.”“Would you settle for having your skull crushed?” Dahlia asked, and if she was joking at all, her voice didn’t reflect it.Entreri dropped a piece of kindling and rose, turning slowly to face the woman.“If it were that easy, I would have been killed already,” he said, expressionless.“And you will not turn me away.I’ve made my choice now, and my road is for Neverwinter, beside you or not.”“We fear the sword,” Drizzt explained.“Should we not?”Perhaps it was the simple honesty of that statement, Drizzt thought, or maybe it was because he wasn’t questioning Entreri’s word, but simply addressing influences that might prove beyond the assassin’s control, but Entreri seemed to relax then.“Is there a way we can protect you from the intrusions?
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dnd382
Do you even know when you are being scoured?”“Idalia’s Flute,” Entreri replied, and it seemed as if he was looking far, far away then.He snorted and shook his head.“A magical item?” Dahlia asked.“One I possessed for some time,” Entreri explained.“If I had it now, I’m sure that I could defeat the call of Charon’s Claw, or at least offer some resistance.”He looked into Drizzt’s questioning expression.“Jarlaxle has it,” Entreri explained.“He repaired it, used it to lure me back to his side, then took it from me when he sold me into slavery to the Netherese.”“Ah, then we should find Jarlaxle and seek his help,” said Dahlia, and Drizzt felt the bite of her sarcasm keenly.Entreri stared at her incredulously, obviously not appreciating her sarcasm.“How complete is Claw’s understanding of your thoughts?” Dahlia asked, her tone changing suddenly then, as if she were truly interested, as if she had an idea.“You assume that I know when Claw is in my thoughts,” Entreri replied.“Tell us everything you know about Neverwinter’s defenses,” Dahlia said with a wry grin, as if her desire to learn of those defenses—surely authentic—was only part of her reasoning.Entreri looked to Drizzt, who, after studying Dahlia, recognized her plan and matched her smile.He looked back at Entreri and nodded.With a shrug, Entreri explained the layout of the city, and detailed the wall’s strong points and its weaknesses.He knew where Alegni slept, and where the tiefling could usually be found.He told of the various Shadovar encampments around the city, as well, and as he moved along in his recounting, he too began to smile.Drizzt nodded again, this time at Dahlia and her clever ploy to determine if Claw was then within Entreri’s thoughts, which, given the level and detail of the information he was providing—information that could prove fatal to Herzgo Alegni—the sword likely was not.“Neither of you are schooled in the ways of wizards,” Dahlia said when Entreri was done.“Enough so to kill them when they annoy me,” said Entreri.“I have studied the magical arts,” the elf explained.She held up Kozah’s Needle.“Particularly those aspects that affect the creation of magical items.I am no novice to such weapons—to be so ignorant while wielding this weapon would be dangerous.”“And your point?”“It is not likely that this sword, Charon’s Claw, remains in your thoughts,” Dahlia explained.“More likely, the sword reacts to those forceful commands you make to your muscles.”Entreri screwed up his face, clearly skeptical of the reasoning, or not understanding it.“Kozah’s Needle knows when I need it to release its energy,” Dahlia said.“Because you dominate the staff, as I once dominated Charon’s Claw,” Entreri replied.But Dahlia was shaking her head.“Sentient weapons, all but the very greatest, are not separate beings.They have pride and demand of their wielder—such is part of the magic imbued within their metal or wood.But they aren’t conscious beings, plotting and conniving for personal gain.Charon’s Claw has come to dominate you through your long affiliation.All that truly means is that Charon’s Claw recognizes your action cues.It knows when you mean to strike and how you mean to strike, and what you wish its role to be in that strike, were you wielding it.Now, it retains that clear recognition of your action cues, and so it can react to them faster than you can counter the reaction.”Entreri’s expression showed him to be less than convinced.“What properties does the sword possess?”“The ability to trail an opaque veil of ash,” Entreri replied hesitantly, not sure where this was going.“And how quickly can the sword create this trail if called upon by its wielder?”“Instantly,” said Entreri, and he suddenly seemed more intrigued.“And would the sword ever put forth this ashen trail without your call?”The assassin thought on that for a moment, then shook his head, but without much conviction.“Your bond with it was so strong that you are not even sure if you consciously had to call upon it any longer,” Drizzt reasoned.“And so now you presume, logically, that the sword is reading your thoughts.”“You don’t understand the pain this sword can inflict upon me,” Entreri answered.Dahlia shrugged.“The sword can dominate him,” Drizzt reminded her.Entreri added, “And so just having me with you might compromise your mission, as I said.”“And if Charon’s Claw was in your mind,” Dahlia asked the assassin, “would it have allowed you to kill that shade warrior and free me from the web?For surely Herzgo Alegni would have me brought to him in bindings.”“So it is not a constant intrusion,” Drizzt said.
Do you even know when you are being scoured?”“Idalia’s Flute,” Entreri replied, and it seemed as if he was looking far, far away then.He snorted and shook his head.“A magical item?” Dahlia asked.“One I possessed for some time,” Entreri explained.“If I had it now, I’m sure that I could defeat the call of Charon’s Claw, or at least offer some resistance.”He looked into Drizzt’s questioning expression.“Jarlaxle has it,” Entreri explained.“He repaired it, used it to lure me back to his side, then took it from me when he sold me into slavery to the Netherese.”“Ah, then we should find Jarlaxle and seek his help,” said Dahlia, and Drizzt felt the bite of her sarcasm keenly.Entreri stared at her incredulously, obviously not appreciating her sarcasm.“How complete is Claw’s understanding of your thoughts?” Dahlia asked, her tone changing suddenly then, as if she were truly interested, as if she had an idea.“You assume that I know when Claw is in my thoughts,” Entreri replied.“Tell us everything you know about Neverwinter’s defenses,” Dahlia said with a wry grin, as if her desire to learn of those defenses—surely authentic—was only part of her reasoning.Entreri looked to Drizzt, who, after studying Dahlia, recognized her plan and matched her smile.He looked back at Entreri and nodded.With a shrug, Entreri explained the layout of the city, and detailed the wall’s strong points and its weaknesses.He knew where Alegni slept, and where the tiefling could usually be found.He told of the various Shadovar encampments around the city, as well, and as he moved along in his recounting, he too began to smile.Drizzt nodded again, this time at Dahlia and her clever ploy to determine if Claw was then within Entreri’s thoughts, which, given the level and detail of the information he was providing—information that could prove fatal to Herzgo Alegni—the sword likely was not.“Neither of you are schooled in the ways of wizards,” Dahlia said when Entreri was done.“Enough so to kill them when they annoy me,” said Entreri.“I have studied the magical arts,” the elf explained.She held up Kozah’s Needle.“Particularly those aspects that affect the creation of magical items.I am no novice to such weapons—to be so ignorant while wielding this weapon would be dangerous.”“And your point?”“It is not likely that this sword, Charon’s Claw, remains in your thoughts,” Dahlia explained.“More likely, the sword reacts to those forceful commands you make to your muscles.”Entreri screwed up his face, clearly skeptical of the reasoning, or not understanding it.“Kozah’s Needle knows when I need it to release its energy,” Dahlia said.“Because you dominate the staff, as I once dominated Charon’s Claw,” Entreri replied.But Dahlia was shaking her head.“Sentient weapons, all but the very greatest, are not separate beings.They have pride and demand of their wielder—such is part of the magic imbued within their metal or wood.But they aren’t conscious beings, plotting and conniving for personal gain.Charon’s Claw has come to dominate you through your long affiliation.All that truly means is that Charon’s Claw recognizes your action cues.It knows when you mean to strike and how you mean to strike, and what you wish its role to be in that strike, were you wielding it.Now, it retains that clear recognition of your action cues, and so it can react to them faster than you can counter the reaction.”Entreri’s expression showed him to be less than convinced.“What properties does the sword possess?”“The ability to trail an opaque veil of ash,” Entreri replied hesitantly, not sure where this was going.“And how quickly can the sword create this trail if called upon by its wielder?”“Instantly,” said Entreri, and he suddenly seemed more intrigued.“And would the sword ever put forth this ashen trail without your call?”The assassin thought on that for a moment, then shook his head, but without much conviction.“Your bond with it was so strong that you are not even sure if you consciously had to call upon it any longer,” Drizzt reasoned.“And so now you presume, logically, that the sword is reading your thoughts.”“You don’t understand the pain this sword can inflict upon me,” Entreri answered.Dahlia shrugged.“The sword can dominate him,” Drizzt reminded her.Entreri added, “And so just having me with you might compromise your mission, as I said.”“And if Charon’s Claw was in your mind,” Dahlia asked the assassin, “would it have allowed you to kill that shade warrior and free me from the web?For surely Herzgo Alegni would have me brought to him in bindings.”“So it is not a constant intrusion,” Drizzt said.
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dnd383
“But how will we know?”Dahlia broke Kozah’s Needle into two four-foot lengths, then.She regarded them for a few moments—and it seemed to Drizzt that she was communicating with the weapon—then tossed one length to Entreri.“Certainly Kozah’s Needle will recognize the intrusion of a different sentience,” she explained.Entreri stared at the length of metal, then put it up as if testing its balance.“Do not even think to wield it as a weapon,” Dahlia said.“And at the first signs of any battle, return it immediately!But as we travel, let this serve as our sentry.If your sword attempts to infiltrate your mind, that bo stick you carry will know of it, and the one I carry will inform me.”Drizzt and Entreri exchanged looks then, and both could only nod in admiration of the resourceful elf woman.On a high turn along the southern coastal road, Drizzt and his two companions looked down upon Neverwinter.Nestled within the wider ruins of the old city, the newer construction and wall were clear to see—at least, those parts of the wall that were not obscured in shadow.It wasn’t the shadow from any trees, or the angle of the sun behind any of the nearby hills in the region, that hid the wall, but a dull haze—a magical shadow, a fog brought forth from the Shadowfell itself.“The Netherese have reinforced,” Dahlia stated, her tone aptly expressing what all three realized as they looked down upon Alegni’s stronghold.She turned a suspicious eye upon Entreri and remarked, “Perhaps the wretch does know of our plans.”“If every setback is to be pinned to my cloak, then tell me now,” Entreri replied.Drizzt couldn’t help but smile at the perfect timbre in Entreri’s voice, conveying the man’s apparent boredom and just a bit of a threat.He was ever calm, and so there was always that threat, Drizzt understood.He looked at Dahlia to see if she had caught it, and her expression, a mixture of anger and only slightly-hidden surprise, confirmed the drow’s suspicion.“How many, do you think?” Drizzt asked, thinking it wise to deflect this conversation.“Perhaps he fears that we’re coming for him—surely he knows of Sylora Salm’s fate,” Entreri reasoned.He dropped down from his nightmare steed and climbed atop a large stone to get a better vantage point.Drizzt and Dahlia slipped down from Andahar and moved to join him.“Several score, at least,” Entreri explained when they arrived.He pointed out a handful of Shadovar encampments just outside the city wall.“Alegni has tightened his defensive ring, as well.”“If he knows of Sylora, then perhaps he believes that the Thayans will strike out recklessly, at least initially,” Drizzt said.Entreri nodded his agreement.“Whether against our threat or that of the Thayans, Herzgo Alegni has prepared his city for defense.”“Perhaps, then, we would do well to shrink back into the forest and let the time of potential crisis pass,” Drizzt offered, and no sooner had he gotten the words out of his mouth when Dahlia joined right in.“Your advice on every development is to wait and hide,” she retorted sharply.“How you ever earned a reputation for being anything more than a coward eludes me, Drizzt Do’Urden.”Drizzt’s eyes widened, particularly given the adventures he and Dahlia had already shared in their short time together.In addition to the assault on Sylora’s fortress, they had gone to Gauntlgrym side by side and battled a lich and a primordial.He didn’t know how to respond, but Entreri did.It wasn’t often that Drizzt or anyone else had heard Artemis Entreri laugh aloud, but he was surely doing so then.Drizzt stared hard at Dahlia.A part of him wanted to strike back at her, for he found that he didn’t much like being mocked, and found, to his surprise, that he truly did not like being mocked in front of Artemis Entreri.That last revelation did surprise him more than a little, but he couldn’t deny it.“And you would throw yourself in front of any danger, because you foolishly believe yourself immortal,” he said, though it took him a long while to find his voice.“Or she simply does not care,” Entreri replied before Dahlia could, and the assassin and Dahlia exchanged a look then that set Drizzt back on his heels.Entreri understood something about her that he did not, Drizzt realized.Yes, he too had wondered about exactly what Entreri had just claimed, but even though he might recognize the possibility, Drizzt knew from the glance his two companions had shared that Entreri understood this part of Dahlia on a much deeper level than he ever could.Again to his surprise, and there were many that morning on the high road, Drizzt found that the revelation bothered him more than a little.“How would you have us get into Neverwinter, then?” the drow asked, bringing the conversation back to the point.
“But how will we know?”Dahlia broke Kozah’s Needle into two four-foot lengths, then.She regarded them for a few moments—and it seemed to Drizzt that she was communicating with the weapon—then tossed one length to Entreri.“Certainly Kozah’s Needle will recognize the intrusion of a different sentience,” she explained.Entreri stared at the length of metal, then put it up as if testing its balance.“Do not even think to wield it as a weapon,” Dahlia said.“And at the first signs of any battle, return it immediately!But as we travel, let this serve as our sentry.If your sword attempts to infiltrate your mind, that bo stick you carry will know of it, and the one I carry will inform me.”Drizzt and Entreri exchanged looks then, and both could only nod in admiration of the resourceful elf woman.On a high turn along the southern coastal road, Drizzt and his two companions looked down upon Neverwinter.Nestled within the wider ruins of the old city, the newer construction and wall were clear to see—at least, those parts of the wall that were not obscured in shadow.It wasn’t the shadow from any trees, or the angle of the sun behind any of the nearby hills in the region, that hid the wall, but a dull haze—a magical shadow, a fog brought forth from the Shadowfell itself.“The Netherese have reinforced,” Dahlia stated, her tone aptly expressing what all three realized as they looked down upon Alegni’s stronghold.She turned a suspicious eye upon Entreri and remarked, “Perhaps the wretch does know of our plans.”“If every setback is to be pinned to my cloak, then tell me now,” Entreri replied.Drizzt couldn’t help but smile at the perfect timbre in Entreri’s voice, conveying the man’s apparent boredom and just a bit of a threat.He was ever calm, and so there was always that threat, Drizzt understood.He looked at Dahlia to see if she had caught it, and her expression, a mixture of anger and only slightly-hidden surprise, confirmed the drow’s suspicion.“How many, do you think?” Drizzt asked, thinking it wise to deflect this conversation.“Perhaps he fears that we’re coming for him—surely he knows of Sylora Salm’s fate,” Entreri reasoned.He dropped down from his nightmare steed and climbed atop a large stone to get a better vantage point.Drizzt and Dahlia slipped down from Andahar and moved to join him.“Several score, at least,” Entreri explained when they arrived.He pointed out a handful of Shadovar encampments just outside the city wall.“Alegni has tightened his defensive ring, as well.”“If he knows of Sylora, then perhaps he believes that the Thayans will strike out recklessly, at least initially,” Drizzt said.Entreri nodded his agreement.“Whether against our threat or that of the Thayans, Herzgo Alegni has prepared his city for defense.”“Perhaps, then, we would do well to shrink back into the forest and let the time of potential crisis pass,” Drizzt offered, and no sooner had he gotten the words out of his mouth when Dahlia joined right in.“Your advice on every development is to wait and hide,” she retorted sharply.“How you ever earned a reputation for being anything more than a coward eludes me, Drizzt Do’Urden.”Drizzt’s eyes widened, particularly given the adventures he and Dahlia had already shared in their short time together.In addition to the assault on Sylora’s fortress, they had gone to Gauntlgrym side by side and battled a lich and a primordial.He didn’t know how to respond, but Entreri did.It wasn’t often that Drizzt or anyone else had heard Artemis Entreri laugh aloud, but he was surely doing so then.Drizzt stared hard at Dahlia.A part of him wanted to strike back at her, for he found that he didn’t much like being mocked, and found, to his surprise, that he truly did not like being mocked in front of Artemis Entreri.That last revelation did surprise him more than a little, but he couldn’t deny it.“And you would throw yourself in front of any danger, because you foolishly believe yourself immortal,” he said, though it took him a long while to find his voice.“Or she simply does not care,” Entreri replied before Dahlia could, and the assassin and Dahlia exchanged a look then that set Drizzt back on his heels.Entreri understood something about her that he did not, Drizzt realized.Yes, he too had wondered about exactly what Entreri had just claimed, but even though he might recognize the possibility, Drizzt knew from the glance his two companions had shared that Entreri understood this part of Dahlia on a much deeper level than he ever could.Again to his surprise, and there were many that morning on the high road, Drizzt found that the revelation bothered him more than a little.“How would you have us get into Neverwinter, then?” the drow asked, bringing the conversation back to the point.
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dnd384
“You know their defenses,” he said to Entreri.“Where are they weak?”“I knew their defenses,” the assassin replied, glancing back down at the city.“It would seem they are much stronger now.”“Too strong?” Drizzt asked.“No,” Dahlia replied.Entreri shrugged.“They have weaknesses.Jelvus Grinch, perhaps the leading citizen among the settlers, is no friend to Herzgo Alegni.Their alliance—one that I created—was wrought of mutual hatred of the Thayans, and from the beginning, the citizens of Neverwinter have been wary of the Netherese.They are much like the folk of Ten-Towns.”Drizzt nodded eagerly, appreciating Entreri’s attempt to bring this to a better level of his own understanding, and indeed, his own limited experiences with the folk of the new Neverwinter somewhat confirmed the assassin’s comparison.“They intend to pick their own rulers,” Entreri finished.“And they wouldn’t choose the Netherese,” Dahlia reasoned.“Would you?”Dahlia spat on the ground.“How can we exploit this?” Drizzt asked.“I know Jelvus Grinch—how might I meet with him and enlist his aid?” Even as he spoke the words, though, Drizzt began entertaining doubts regarding that course.As he looked down at Neverwinter, the deep pockets of shadow gave him pause.If he enlisted Grinch and others in this personal vendetta of Dahlia’s, would he not, perhaps, be creating a possible massacre within Neverwinter?Even as Entreri began laying out some manner in which he might arrange such a liaison, Drizzt was shaking his head.“If your old sword notices one instant of our plotting, and that plotting includes Jelvus Grinch, many in Neverwinter will be killed,” Drizzt interrupted.“Then how?” Dahlia demanded.“If I must fight my way through that garrison, then so be it, but I will not turn aside.”Entreri began to smile immediately, as a thought obviously came over him.“What do you know?” Drizzt prompted.“When the river flowed as lava and the hot ash piled deep on Neverwinter, I was trapped under that bridge,” he explained, pointing to a distant structure, one that had been known as the Winged Wyvern Bridge.“I had no idea how I would ever get out of there, and yet I could not stay.The heat from the river …” His voice trailed off and he shook his head.Drizzt recalled his own experiences when the volcano blew, when he watched from afar as the mountain crumbled into a river of roiling stone and ash, when the shock wave rushed across the forests, leveling ancient trees as if they were insignificant strands of grass.The power of the spectacle had brought Drizzt to his knees.What must it have been like to be in Neverwinter that awful day, to see the devastation up close, to hear the screams of men, women, and children as they were burned and buried alive?“How did you survive?” the drow prompted somberly.“I crawled off the bridge,” Entreri replied, “and to the street, but it was too deep in ash—hot ash—for me to plow along it.And the stones were falling thick.I saw more than one person crushed under a fiery boulder.The buildings, strong as they seemed, provided no shelter.Those who hid inside were buried under rubble or chased out by the fires—everywhere were fires.The air was too thick to breathe.”“So you died and the sword brought you back,” Dahlia reasoned, but Entreri shook his head.Drizzt solved the riddle by remembering the layout of Neverwinter, whose streets he had walked several times.
“You know their defenses,” he said to Entreri.“Where are they weak?”“I knew their defenses,” the assassin replied, glancing back down at the city.“It would seem they are much stronger now.”“Too strong?” Drizzt asked.“No,” Dahlia replied.Entreri shrugged.“They have weaknesses.Jelvus Grinch, perhaps the leading citizen among the settlers, is no friend to Herzgo Alegni.Their alliance—one that I created—was wrought of mutual hatred of the Thayans, and from the beginning, the citizens of Neverwinter have been wary of the Netherese.They are much like the folk of Ten-Towns.”Drizzt nodded eagerly, appreciating Entreri’s attempt to bring this to a better level of his own understanding, and indeed, his own limited experiences with the folk of the new Neverwinter somewhat confirmed the assassin’s comparison.“They intend to pick their own rulers,” Entreri finished.“And they wouldn’t choose the Netherese,” Dahlia reasoned.“Would you?”Dahlia spat on the ground.“How can we exploit this?” Drizzt asked.“I know Jelvus Grinch—how might I meet with him and enlist his aid?” Even as he spoke the words, though, Drizzt began entertaining doubts regarding that course.As he looked down at Neverwinter, the deep pockets of shadow gave him pause.If he enlisted Grinch and others in this personal vendetta of Dahlia’s, would he not, perhaps, be creating a possible massacre within Neverwinter?Even as Entreri began laying out some manner in which he might arrange such a liaison, Drizzt was shaking his head.“If your old sword notices one instant of our plotting, and that plotting includes Jelvus Grinch, many in Neverwinter will be killed,” Drizzt interrupted.“Then how?” Dahlia demanded.“If I must fight my way through that garrison, then so be it, but I will not turn aside.”Entreri began to smile immediately, as a thought obviously came over him.“What do you know?” Drizzt prompted.“When the river flowed as lava and the hot ash piled deep on Neverwinter, I was trapped under that bridge,” he explained, pointing to a distant structure, one that had been known as the Winged Wyvern Bridge.“I had no idea how I would ever get out of there, and yet I could not stay.The heat from the river …” His voice trailed off and he shook his head.Drizzt recalled his own experiences when the volcano blew, when he watched from afar as the mountain crumbled into a river of roiling stone and ash, when the shock wave rushed across the forests, leveling ancient trees as if they were insignificant strands of grass.The power of the spectacle had brought Drizzt to his knees.What must it have been like to be in Neverwinter that awful day, to see the devastation up close, to hear the screams of men, women, and children as they were burned and buried alive?“How did you survive?” the drow prompted somberly.“I crawled off the bridge,” Entreri replied, “and to the street, but it was too deep in ash—hot ash—for me to plow along it.And the stones were falling thick.I saw more than one person crushed under a fiery boulder.The buildings, strong as they seemed, provided no shelter.Those who hid inside were buried under rubble or chased out by the fires—everywhere were fires.The air was too thick to breathe.”“So you died and the sword brought you back,” Dahlia reasoned, but Entreri shook his head.Drizzt solved the riddle by remembering the layout of Neverwinter, whose streets he had walked several times.
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dnd385
He, too, had often been drawn to the bridges, to the river that served as the city’s heart.“You couldn’t pass along the street, so you went back to the river, near the bridge,” he said.“To swim in the lava?” Dahlia mocked.But Drizzt just shook his head and kept looking at Entreri.“There was an opening along the bank, above the level of the river,” the assassin explained.“And the water flowing from it was relatively cool.”“You crawled out of Neverwinter through her sewers,” Drizzt reasoned.“Do you think they remain open?” He watched Dahlia as he spoke, and noted that her smirk disappeared.Entreri pointed down to the south of the city, to where the great river meandered into the Sword Coast.“It’s possible.”SHADOWS, ALWAYS SHADOWSEFFRON CONTINUALLY LOOKED OVER HIS SHOULDER, PEERING THROUGH THE ashen mists and endless shadows of the Shadowfell.He wasn’t supposed to be there, and Draygo Quick would punish him severely if the weathered old battle mage discovered his breach of etiquette and station.But he had to know.This involved Dahlia.He had to know!Despite his desperation, Effron didn’t dare travel anywhere near the Cavus Dun guildhouse, nor did he dare speak with any of the leaders of that organization.Nay, they would rush straight to Draygo, he knew, for they would not protect the confidentiality of a mere ascendant noble like Effron when weighed against the potential ire of Draygo Quick.He knew that he had only a matter of hours, however, and when he could not locate Jermander or Ratsis at their usual haunts—and more troubling, when he learned that Ratsis had indeed been spotted that very day in the Shadowfell—he went to a secluded boulder tumble, set with a small cottage that never seemed to stay in the same place for more than a moment or two.Effron waited for a shift, then sprinted for the door and reached out to grasp … nothing.Smiling, appreciating the cleverness of the home’s owner, the twisted warlock waited and watched, trying to discern some pattern to the illusionary games.When he thought he had it figured out, he quietly began a spell, timing it for another house jump.The cottage disappeared and popped back into view between a pair of large boulders.Into the ground went the wraithlike Effron, slipping through cracks in the stone, sliding down and popping up again right where the house should have been.But it was across the way, beside a different stone entirely.“Clever,” Effron whispered under his breath.“Was it ever really in this place?”“What do you want?” came a sharp reply from right behind him, and the startled Effron jumped around so violently that his limp arm went into a great pendulum swing behind his back.“Shifter,” was all he could gasp as the spectacle of the imposing woman stood before him—or, he reminded himself, appeared to stand before him.“What do you want?” she snapped at him again, biting each word short with her harsh accent.“I do not appreciate uninvited visitors.”“I am Effr—”“I know who you are.What do you want?”“You went with Jermander.”“You assume much.”Effron straightened and cleared his throat, then politely rephrased, “Did you go with Jermander’s band?”“Again,” the Shifter reiterated, and then she was gone.Effron thought to spin around, guessing that she would be standing right behind him, but he decided against that course.“I hired Jermander of Cavus Dun—”“Mentioning that group, admitting that you paid them, speaking of them at all, will likely get a person killed,” came the reply from right behind him.“Assuming, of course, that such a person or such a group even exists.”Effron realized that in his desperation and fear of Herzgo Alegni—or was it his fear of disappointing Herzgo Alegni, he wondered—he was getting very sloppy.“I need to know the fate of Dahlia,” he said simply, resisting the urge to add any details that might hint at Cavus Dun, Jermander, Ratsis, or anyone else.“Dahlia?” the Shifter asked.Effron suddenly wondered if Jermander had indeed subcontracted the Shifter.But then she unexpectedly added, in a whisper, “Alegni’s man.”Effron wasn’t sure if the Shifter was referring to him or to Barrabus the Gray, but the way she spoke the words led him to believe it to be the latter, and made him think that it was directly related to whatever had happened, or had not happened, regarding Dahlia.He turned around to face the woman.“Whatever you can tell me, whatever you can learn for me, will be much appreciated.”She looked at him skeptically.“And richly rewarded,” he added.A smile widened on the Shifter’s pretty face.“Five hundred pieces of gold,” she said flatly.Normally Effron would have argued, even to the point of refusing the transaction, so outrageous was the price, but again the specter of Alegni hovered over him and he brought forth a bag of coins and handed it to the Shifter.Of course, that was just an image of the disorienting woman, and he felt a sudden pull from the side as the invisible lady snatched the purse, which seemed to dematerialize into nothingness as it left his hand.He heard the clink of coins off to the other side and started to turn, but just held his ground and laughed helplessly.Maybe she was there, maybe not, for this clever sorceress could certainly misdirect sound as easily as she created the visual discrepancies.“You did not tell Jermander that Alegni’s man would defend Dahlia,” she said.“Defend her?Or did he wish to claim the kill as his own?” Effron replied.“Either way, Jermander is dead.”Effron swallowed hard, suddenly understanding that there would likely be a great price to pay for this unfolding catastrophe.“And Dahlia?” he managed to ask past the lump in his throat.Herzgo Alegni felt like a prisoner in his own city of Neverwinter, and it was a feeling he did not like at all.“I would see the result,” he stated flatly, and started for the door.“You would not,” Draygo Quick rasped back at him.Alegni paused and composed himself, not looking back at the withered old warlock.
He, too, had often been drawn to the bridges, to the river that served as the city’s heart.“You couldn’t pass along the street, so you went back to the river, near the bridge,” he said.“To swim in the lava?” Dahlia mocked.But Drizzt just shook his head and kept looking at Entreri.“There was an opening along the bank, above the level of the river,” the assassin explained.“And the water flowing from it was relatively cool.”“You crawled out of Neverwinter through her sewers,” Drizzt reasoned.“Do you think they remain open?” He watched Dahlia as he spoke, and noted that her smirk disappeared.Entreri pointed down to the south of the city, to where the great river meandered into the Sword Coast.“It’s possible.”SHADOWS, ALWAYS SHADOWSEFFRON CONTINUALLY LOOKED OVER HIS SHOULDER, PEERING THROUGH THE ashen mists and endless shadows of the Shadowfell.He wasn’t supposed to be there, and Draygo Quick would punish him severely if the weathered old battle mage discovered his breach of etiquette and station.But he had to know.This involved Dahlia.He had to know!Despite his desperation, Effron didn’t dare travel anywhere near the Cavus Dun guildhouse, nor did he dare speak with any of the leaders of that organization.Nay, they would rush straight to Draygo, he knew, for they would not protect the confidentiality of a mere ascendant noble like Effron when weighed against the potential ire of Draygo Quick.He knew that he had only a matter of hours, however, and when he could not locate Jermander or Ratsis at their usual haunts—and more troubling, when he learned that Ratsis had indeed been spotted that very day in the Shadowfell—he went to a secluded boulder tumble, set with a small cottage that never seemed to stay in the same place for more than a moment or two.Effron waited for a shift, then sprinted for the door and reached out to grasp … nothing.Smiling, appreciating the cleverness of the home’s owner, the twisted warlock waited and watched, trying to discern some pattern to the illusionary games.When he thought he had it figured out, he quietly began a spell, timing it for another house jump.The cottage disappeared and popped back into view between a pair of large boulders.Into the ground went the wraithlike Effron, slipping through cracks in the stone, sliding down and popping up again right where the house should have been.But it was across the way, beside a different stone entirely.“Clever,” Effron whispered under his breath.“Was it ever really in this place?”“What do you want?” came a sharp reply from right behind him, and the startled Effron jumped around so violently that his limp arm went into a great pendulum swing behind his back.“Shifter,” was all he could gasp as the spectacle of the imposing woman stood before him—or, he reminded himself, appeared to stand before him.“What do you want?” she snapped at him again, biting each word short with her harsh accent.“I do not appreciate uninvited visitors.”“I am Effr—”“I know who you are.What do you want?”“You went with Jermander.”“You assume much.”Effron straightened and cleared his throat, then politely rephrased, “Did you go with Jermander’s band?”“Again,” the Shifter reiterated, and then she was gone.Effron thought to spin around, guessing that she would be standing right behind him, but he decided against that course.“I hired Jermander of Cavus Dun—”“Mentioning that group, admitting that you paid them, speaking of them at all, will likely get a person killed,” came the reply from right behind him.“Assuming, of course, that such a person or such a group even exists.”Effron realized that in his desperation and fear of Herzgo Alegni—or was it his fear of disappointing Herzgo Alegni, he wondered—he was getting very sloppy.“I need to know the fate of Dahlia,” he said simply, resisting the urge to add any details that might hint at Cavus Dun, Jermander, Ratsis, or anyone else.“Dahlia?” the Shifter asked.Effron suddenly wondered if Jermander had indeed subcontracted the Shifter.But then she unexpectedly added, in a whisper, “Alegni’s man.”Effron wasn’t sure if the Shifter was referring to him or to Barrabus the Gray, but the way she spoke the words led him to believe it to be the latter, and made him think that it was directly related to whatever had happened, or had not happened, regarding Dahlia.He turned around to face the woman.“Whatever you can tell me, whatever you can learn for me, will be much appreciated.”She looked at him skeptically.“And richly rewarded,” he added.A smile widened on the Shifter’s pretty face.“Five hundred pieces of gold,” she said flatly.Normally Effron would have argued, even to the point of refusing the transaction, so outrageous was the price, but again the specter of Alegni hovered over him and he brought forth a bag of coins and handed it to the Shifter.Of course, that was just an image of the disorienting woman, and he felt a sudden pull from the side as the invisible lady snatched the purse, which seemed to dematerialize into nothingness as it left his hand.He heard the clink of coins off to the other side and started to turn, but just held his ground and laughed helplessly.Maybe she was there, maybe not, for this clever sorceress could certainly misdirect sound as easily as she created the visual discrepancies.“You did not tell Jermander that Alegni’s man would defend Dahlia,” she said.“Defend her?Or did he wish to claim the kill as his own?” Effron replied.“Either way, Jermander is dead.”Effron swallowed hard, suddenly understanding that there would likely be a great price to pay for this unfolding catastrophe.“And Dahlia?” he managed to ask past the lump in his throat.Herzgo Alegni felt like a prisoner in his own city of Neverwinter, and it was a feeling he did not like at all.“I would see the result,” he stated flatly, and started for the door.“You would not,” Draygo Quick rasped back at him.Alegni paused and composed himself, not looking back at the withered old warlock.
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dnd386
Draygo Quick’s news that Jermander and some others of Cavus Dun had been killed was not unwelcomed by Alegni, nor was it surprising, for he had figured from the first time he had seen Jermander in Neverwinter that Effron had hired out the mercenaries, and that Effron would be bold enough to try to strike at Dahlia despite his orders to the contrary.For the twisted and broken young warlock, it would be, after all, a double victory.“Don’t you think they are coming for you?” Draygo Quick asked.“Or lying in wait, should you ever leave the defenses of this place?”Alegni shrugged as if it hardly mattered.It wasn’t as if Barrabus the Gray could actually hide from him, after all, though he did wish that his magical link to the dangerous man was more informative and more continual.“Do you not think they will come into the city after me?” he asked.“Do you?”“I count on it,” Alegni said with a grin.“I hope for it.”“Don’t underestimate—”“I do not underestimate anyone,” Alegni interrupted.“Even you.”It was not often that Draygo Quick could be put back on his heels in a conversation, but Herzgo Alegni had obviously done just that, and the warrior tiefling did well to hide any gloating at that moment.“Effron is young,” Draygo Quick said, and Alegni could hardly believe that the stubborn and fierce warlock was actually changing the subject.“He is full of promise.”“And full of conflict,” Alegni added.“Indeed,” said the warlock.“Particularly in this delicate situation.”“I didn’t bring him here,” Alegni reminded.“I didn’t want him here.” He paused and stared hard at the withered warlock for just a moment.“I do not want him here.”He thought that he might have pushed just a bit too far, though, when Draygo Quick stiffened and hardened his gaze.“And yet he is here,” the warlock stated flatly.“And he remains here by my command.”Alegni’s face tightened, but there was no room for debate in Draygo Quick’s tone.“There are proper punishments and there are excessive punishments,” Draygo Quick warned.“I take it personally when one of my minions is excessively punished.”“And there are reparations,” Herzgo Alegni offered, and Draygo Quick cocked his head curiously.He seemed so decrepit and withered that, had he been reclining, Herzgo Alegni might have thought that he had just died.“Sylora Salm is dead and the Thayans in disarray,” Alegni explained.“But they are not yet fully defeated.And there are other interests in the region, including these Neverwinter citizens I have subjugated, and some agents, I presume, of other interested parties.Now is the time for a full show of force.”“You’re asking again for more soldiers.”Alegni shrugged.“It would seem prudent.”“The best thing you might do to secure your hold here is to destroy these assassins who hunt you,” Draygo Quick replied.“That will be done,” Alegni assured him, and he instinctively grasped Claw’s hilt, though the sword had offered him little of late regarding Barrabus the Gray.“But still … to minimize the damage done by Effron …”“A hundred,” Draygo Quick agreed.“Three,” Alegni started to bargain, but Draygo Quick cut him short with a sharp reiteration.“A hundred.”After a courteous—and wise—bow, Herzgo Alegni took his leave.“You understand your role?” Draygo Quick spoke in the apparently empty room.From behind a tapestry stepped an elf Shadovar, dressed in fine breeches and an expensive waistcoat, and with a flat top hat adorned with a ribbon of gems.He wore his blousy white shirt open to the waistcoat, showing a shapely neck and a small tattoo to the right of his windpipe: the letters CD, for Cavus Dun, intertwined.“We have a great opportunity here,” Draygo Quick said.“And a great risk,” the elf, Glorfathel, replied, his words carrying more weight in light of the recent losses Cavus Dun had realized.“You are my hedge against that,” said the old and powerful necromancer.The elf bowed low.“How will I know?”“I trust your judgment,” Draygo Quick assured him.“This region of Toril, Neverwinter Wood particularly, is of importance to us, no doubt, but not with the urgency that drives Herzgo Alegni.
Draygo Quick’s news that Jermander and some others of Cavus Dun had been killed was not unwelcomed by Alegni, nor was it surprising, for he had figured from the first time he had seen Jermander in Neverwinter that Effron had hired out the mercenaries, and that Effron would be bold enough to try to strike at Dahlia despite his orders to the contrary.For the twisted and broken young warlock, it would be, after all, a double victory.“Don’t you think they are coming for you?” Draygo Quick asked.“Or lying in wait, should you ever leave the defenses of this place?”Alegni shrugged as if it hardly mattered.It wasn’t as if Barrabus the Gray could actually hide from him, after all, though he did wish that his magical link to the dangerous man was more informative and more continual.“Do you not think they will come into the city after me?” he asked.“Do you?”“I count on it,” Alegni said with a grin.“I hope for it.”“Don’t underestimate—”“I do not underestimate anyone,” Alegni interrupted.“Even you.”It was not often that Draygo Quick could be put back on his heels in a conversation, but Herzgo Alegni had obviously done just that, and the warrior tiefling did well to hide any gloating at that moment.“Effron is young,” Draygo Quick said, and Alegni could hardly believe that the stubborn and fierce warlock was actually changing the subject.“He is full of promise.”“And full of conflict,” Alegni added.“Indeed,” said the warlock.“Particularly in this delicate situation.”“I didn’t bring him here,” Alegni reminded.“I didn’t want him here.” He paused and stared hard at the withered warlock for just a moment.“I do not want him here.”He thought that he might have pushed just a bit too far, though, when Draygo Quick stiffened and hardened his gaze.“And yet he is here,” the warlock stated flatly.“And he remains here by my command.”Alegni’s face tightened, but there was no room for debate in Draygo Quick’s tone.“There are proper punishments and there are excessive punishments,” Draygo Quick warned.“I take it personally when one of my minions is excessively punished.”“And there are reparations,” Herzgo Alegni offered, and Draygo Quick cocked his head curiously.He seemed so decrepit and withered that, had he been reclining, Herzgo Alegni might have thought that he had just died.“Sylora Salm is dead and the Thayans in disarray,” Alegni explained.“But they are not yet fully defeated.And there are other interests in the region, including these Neverwinter citizens I have subjugated, and some agents, I presume, of other interested parties.Now is the time for a full show of force.”“You’re asking again for more soldiers.”Alegni shrugged.“It would seem prudent.”“The best thing you might do to secure your hold here is to destroy these assassins who hunt you,” Draygo Quick replied.“That will be done,” Alegni assured him, and he instinctively grasped Claw’s hilt, though the sword had offered him little of late regarding Barrabus the Gray.“But still … to minimize the damage done by Effron …”“A hundred,” Draygo Quick agreed.“Three,” Alegni started to bargain, but Draygo Quick cut him short with a sharp reiteration.“A hundred.”After a courteous—and wise—bow, Herzgo Alegni took his leave.“You understand your role?” Draygo Quick spoke in the apparently empty room.From behind a tapestry stepped an elf Shadovar, dressed in fine breeches and an expensive waistcoat, and with a flat top hat adorned with a ribbon of gems.He wore his blousy white shirt open to the waistcoat, showing a shapely neck and a small tattoo to the right of his windpipe: the letters CD, for Cavus Dun, intertwined.“We have a great opportunity here,” Draygo Quick said.“And a great risk,” the elf, Glorfathel, replied, his words carrying more weight in light of the recent losses Cavus Dun had realized.“You are my hedge against that,” said the old and powerful necromancer.The elf bowed low.“How will I know?”“I trust your judgment,” Draygo Quick assured him.“This region of Toril, Neverwinter Wood particularly, is of importance to us, no doubt, but not with the urgency that drives Herzgo Alegni.
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dnd387
And I will not be embarrassed by chasing that hot-humored tiefling on a fools’ errand.”“I understand.”“I knew you would.”“Did you think it would be any different?” Arunika asked Jelvus Grinch when she found him with some other prominent citizens of Neverwinter, all standing with hands-on-hips, staring dumbfounded at various points along the city walls.Portions of the wall were cloaked in deeper gloom.For at those locations, shadowy magical gates had appeared, like doorways into the void, and Netherese soldiers, shades one and all, were coming through.“Is it an invasion?” Jelvus Grinch asked the red-haired woman.“If it is, then ye’d be wise to be thinkin’ o’ leaving,” answered a voice from the back, and a female dwarf, quite dirty from the road, stepped out into the open.“And who might you be, good dwarf?” Jelvus Grinch asked.“Amber Gristle O’Maul, at yer service,” she said with a low bow.“O’ the Adbar O’Mauls.Me and me friend just come in from the road to yer fine city.”“Your friend?”“Sleepin’,” Amber explained.“Came in from where?”“Luskan, and what a mess that place’s become!”“A paradise compared to Neverwinter,” another man remarked, and several laughed—but it was an uneasy bit of mirth, to be sure.“Aye, ye got some problems, and I’m thinkin’ that me and me friend’ll be wandering on our way quick as can be done.”“You should be on your way now,” Arunika said, rather coldly.“This is none of your affair.”The dwarf eyed her curiously for a few heartbeats, then just bowed and walked off.“Why would Herzgo Alegni invade that which he already owns?”Grinch turned an angry look over Arunika.“You played no small role in his ascension,” he reminded.“Early on, when first he came to us, you teased with words that he might be our great hope.”“We could not have foreseen the fall of Sylora Salm,” Arunika admitted.“Not in the manner in which it happened, at least.With the counterbalance of the Thayans removed—”“There remain only Alegni and the Netherese,” Jelvus Grinch finished.“That is not necessarily true,” said Arunika.“There is more to play out, I am confident.”“When you decide that I am worthy to hear your information, do tell,” Jelvus Grinch sarcastically replied.Arunika didn’t bother answering the man, and she really had nothing definitive to tell herself, never mind tell him.She believed that Dahlia and this drow ranger, Drizzt Do’Urden, were coming for Alegni, perhaps with Alegni’s own champion in tow, but she couldn’t be sure.And even if they did come after him, she mused as she watched the dozens of new Netherese recruits pacing the city walls, what might three do against this force?For unlike the overconfident Sylora in her forest fortress, Alegni was obviously on his guard now.Patience, the succubus reminded herself.The Abolethic Sovereignty was gone for now, but they would likely return.Or would they?Her own thoughts gave Arunika pause.She had assured Brother Anthus that the Sovereignty’s departure would prove a temporary thing, but how could she know anything for certain regarding those strange, otherworldly fishlike creatures?They would come and go as they pleased.And did she even truly want them here?Arunika thought that she had figured out the Sovereignty, at least to the point of understanding their passion for order, one that even outdid her own.But there was something else here, something more, and the succubus couldn’t deny a bit of relief that the aboleths had apparently departed the region.
And I will not be embarrassed by chasing that hot-humored tiefling on a fools’ errand.”“I understand.”“I knew you would.”“Did you think it would be any different?” Arunika asked Jelvus Grinch when she found him with some other prominent citizens of Neverwinter, all standing with hands-on-hips, staring dumbfounded at various points along the city walls.Portions of the wall were cloaked in deeper gloom.For at those locations, shadowy magical gates had appeared, like doorways into the void, and Netherese soldiers, shades one and all, were coming through.“Is it an invasion?” Jelvus Grinch asked the red-haired woman.“If it is, then ye’d be wise to be thinkin’ o’ leaving,” answered a voice from the back, and a female dwarf, quite dirty from the road, stepped out into the open.“And who might you be, good dwarf?” Jelvus Grinch asked.“Amber Gristle O’Maul, at yer service,” she said with a low bow.“O’ the Adbar O’Mauls.Me and me friend just come in from the road to yer fine city.”“Your friend?”“Sleepin’,” Amber explained.“Came in from where?”“Luskan, and what a mess that place’s become!”“A paradise compared to Neverwinter,” another man remarked, and several laughed—but it was an uneasy bit of mirth, to be sure.“Aye, ye got some problems, and I’m thinkin’ that me and me friend’ll be wandering on our way quick as can be done.”“You should be on your way now,” Arunika said, rather coldly.“This is none of your affair.”The dwarf eyed her curiously for a few heartbeats, then just bowed and walked off.“Why would Herzgo Alegni invade that which he already owns?”Grinch turned an angry look over Arunika.“You played no small role in his ascension,” he reminded.“Early on, when first he came to us, you teased with words that he might be our great hope.”“We could not have foreseen the fall of Sylora Salm,” Arunika admitted.“Not in the manner in which it happened, at least.With the counterbalance of the Thayans removed—”“There remain only Alegni and the Netherese,” Jelvus Grinch finished.“That is not necessarily true,” said Arunika.“There is more to play out, I am confident.”“When you decide that I am worthy to hear your information, do tell,” Jelvus Grinch sarcastically replied.Arunika didn’t bother answering the man, and she really had nothing definitive to tell herself, never mind tell him.She believed that Dahlia and this drow ranger, Drizzt Do’Urden, were coming for Alegni, perhaps with Alegni’s own champion in tow, but she couldn’t be sure.And even if they did come after him, she mused as she watched the dozens of new Netherese recruits pacing the city walls, what might three do against this force?For unlike the overconfident Sylora in her forest fortress, Alegni was obviously on his guard now.Patience, the succubus reminded herself.The Abolethic Sovereignty was gone for now, but they would likely return.Or would they?Her own thoughts gave Arunika pause.She had assured Brother Anthus that the Sovereignty’s departure would prove a temporary thing, but how could she know anything for certain regarding those strange, otherworldly fishlike creatures?They would come and go as they pleased.And did she even truly want them here?Arunika thought that she had figured out the Sovereignty, at least to the point of understanding their passion for order, one that even outdid her own.But there was something else here, something more, and the succubus couldn’t deny a bit of relief that the aboleths had apparently departed the region.
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dnd388
For within their promise of order loomed the threat of enslavement—perhaps even for a being as powerful as Arunika.The succubus considered the cityscape around her.She had invested much here, years of her time on the Material Plane.Glasya had only grudgingly allowed her to come to this place and remain for so long, and only because of Arunika’s passion and insistence that the desperate settlers of the ruins of Neverwinter could be subtly coerced toward the will of Glasya through the teachings of Glasya’s loyal Arunika.But where was she now, with any of that?The changes in the region could prove quite dramatic, and after all, would she even be around to witness them?For while Arunika found the movements of soldiers and the shifting power of the region tantalizing, perhaps she was, after all, growing a bit bored with it all.Why was she interested in opposing Herzgo Alegni in the first place?Jelvus Grinch’s claims were true, and she had teased this bold tiefling warrior into a more solid footing of power in Neverwinter.And though that had honestly been, as she insisted, more to provide a counterbalance to the threat of the Thayans, what benefit to Arunika if Jelvus Grinch and his fellows once more regained supremacy in Neverwinter at this time?None of them could please her in the way Alegni did, after all.None of them could aspire to any real position of power and influence, within or without Neverwinter, as Alegni had and would no doubt continue.She could become a consort to Alegni, perhaps, and help usher him to new heights of power and more brazen demands, on the city and the region.Perhaps she could use him to get the attention of Waterdeep, and thus unleash upon Neverwinter an even greater struggle, one that would pit the Netherese Empire directly against the Waterdhavian lords.It could be perfectly delicious.Still, the succubus couldn’t quite manage a smile.Such bold actions would bring powerful opposition.Too powerful, likely.Suppose she proceeded only to find that the Sovereignty had returned and were not pleased by her choices, by her helping Netheril to gain a strong foothold here?But still.…“The Thayan Dread Ring is continuing to animate corpses,” Alegni said to Effron late that night.“Sylora Salm is dead and the ring’s power is greatly diminished,” Effron assured him, and the young warlock tried hard not to look too curiously at Alegni, though he suspected from the hulking tiefling’s tone that Alegni was hinting at something.“But still functioning.”Effron shrugged and tried to look unconcerned.What did it matter, after all?“Including our own Shadovar fallen, who stand once more, this time in opposition to Netheril,” Alegni said.“So it has been.”“A curious zombie came against us this very day.I think you would know him.”Effron swallowed hard and when he looked at the hulking warrior, he knew the truth of Alegni’s implication: Jermander.“You struck out against Dahlia without my permission,” Alegni bluntly accused.“T-to capture her only,” the tiefling warlock stammered.“She was not to be harmed.”“Your Cavus Dun mercenaries were sophisticated enough to make such a distinction?”Alegni said with obvious, mocking skepticism.“They were!” Effron insisted, hardly taking a long enough breath to consider the words before he blurted them.“I employed Ratsis and his spiders.And the Shifter!Even the Shifter …”He almost finished before Herzgo Alegni backhanded him, launching him across the room to crumple hard to the floor.The tiefling warlord stormed over and gathered Effron up by the collar, hoisting him to his feet before he could begin to recover from the swat.“You are not an independent entity,” Alegni warned.“You are mine, to do with as I please.”Effron managed to squeak out, “Draygo,” but that only got him a violent shake that had his limp arm flapping wildly and his teeth chattering.
For within their promise of order loomed the threat of enslavement—perhaps even for a being as powerful as Arunika.The succubus considered the cityscape around her.She had invested much here, years of her time on the Material Plane.Glasya had only grudgingly allowed her to come to this place and remain for so long, and only because of Arunika’s passion and insistence that the desperate settlers of the ruins of Neverwinter could be subtly coerced toward the will of Glasya through the teachings of Glasya’s loyal Arunika.But where was she now, with any of that?The changes in the region could prove quite dramatic, and after all, would she even be around to witness them?For while Arunika found the movements of soldiers and the shifting power of the region tantalizing, perhaps she was, after all, growing a bit bored with it all.Why was she interested in opposing Herzgo Alegni in the first place?Jelvus Grinch’s claims were true, and she had teased this bold tiefling warrior into a more solid footing of power in Neverwinter.And though that had honestly been, as she insisted, more to provide a counterbalance to the threat of the Thayans, what benefit to Arunika if Jelvus Grinch and his fellows once more regained supremacy in Neverwinter at this time?None of them could please her in the way Alegni did, after all.None of them could aspire to any real position of power and influence, within or without Neverwinter, as Alegni had and would no doubt continue.She could become a consort to Alegni, perhaps, and help usher him to new heights of power and more brazen demands, on the city and the region.Perhaps she could use him to get the attention of Waterdeep, and thus unleash upon Neverwinter an even greater struggle, one that would pit the Netherese Empire directly against the Waterdhavian lords.It could be perfectly delicious.Still, the succubus couldn’t quite manage a smile.Such bold actions would bring powerful opposition.Too powerful, likely.Suppose she proceeded only to find that the Sovereignty had returned and were not pleased by her choices, by her helping Netheril to gain a strong foothold here?But still.…“The Thayan Dread Ring is continuing to animate corpses,” Alegni said to Effron late that night.“Sylora Salm is dead and the ring’s power is greatly diminished,” Effron assured him, and the young warlock tried hard not to look too curiously at Alegni, though he suspected from the hulking tiefling’s tone that Alegni was hinting at something.“But still functioning.”Effron shrugged and tried to look unconcerned.What did it matter, after all?“Including our own Shadovar fallen, who stand once more, this time in opposition to Netheril,” Alegni said.“So it has been.”“A curious zombie came against us this very day.I think you would know him.”Effron swallowed hard and when he looked at the hulking warrior, he knew the truth of Alegni’s implication: Jermander.“You struck out against Dahlia without my permission,” Alegni bluntly accused.“T-to capture her only,” the tiefling warlock stammered.“She was not to be harmed.”“Your Cavus Dun mercenaries were sophisticated enough to make such a distinction?”Alegni said with obvious, mocking skepticism.“They were!” Effron insisted, hardly taking a long enough breath to consider the words before he blurted them.“I employed Ratsis and his spiders.And the Shifter!Even the Shifter …”He almost finished before Herzgo Alegni backhanded him, launching him across the room to crumple hard to the floor.The tiefling warlord stormed over and gathered Effron up by the collar, hoisting him to his feet before he could begin to recover from the swat.“You are not an independent entity,” Alegni warned.“You are mine, to do with as I please.”Effron managed to squeak out, “Draygo,” but that only got him a violent shake that had his limp arm flapping wildly and his teeth chattering.
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dnd389
When it ended, Effron was gasping for breath, but he managed to say “The Shifter,” one more time, this time plaintively.Alegni tossed him down into a chair.“It was a powerful band,” Effron said as soon as he had composed himself.Alegni had gone to his balcony door by then and stood staring out over Neverwinter, toward the bridge that bore his name.“It would have been a gift to you,” the young warlock added after several more silent moments passed.Herzgo Alegni swung around on his heel, an incredulous glare aimed Effron’s way.“Had my hirelings killed the drow and delivered Dahlia,” Effron tried to explain, his voice rising as he expected the angry Alegni to rush over and swat him, or likely worse.“You sought to capture Dahlia for my benefit?” Alegni asked skeptically.“You wish her captured, surely!”“You did it for yourself!” Alegni yelled at him, the warrior’s booming voice overwhelming any pathetic attempts to deny the obvious truth of the matter.“You seek vengeance on Dahlia—your craving for it outweighs my own!”“I … I …” Effron shook his head and looked down, unable to deny any of it.He knew that his eyes were moist and he didn’t know whether to simply squint or to reach up and wipe them to ensure that no tears rolled down his slim face.Herzgo Alegni would surely not accept tears.The large tiefling didn’t advance, and Effron realized that Alegni’s posture had softened, as had his scowling visage.“I cannot blame you.”“I thought the win assured,” Effron admitted.“The Shifter, Jermander, Ratsis the Spider Farmer—and with more warriors and monks beside them.” He took some heart that Alegni nodded in recognition, for most important Netherese from their region of the Shadowfell surely would know those names.“It was no meager band assembled, nor did they come cheaply.These are expert hunters.”“And yet, Dahlia and her new companion defeated them,” Alegni replied.“Perhaps they had allies,” Effron reasoned, and he noted that Alegni put his hand to Claw’s hilt at that suggestion.Neither was saying it aloud, but they both knew that Barrabus the Gray had likely been involved.“They won’t find enough allies to help them into the city,” the tiefling warrior proclaimed.“You parlayed my actions into reinforcements,” Effron realized, and he dared smile.“You turned my error into gain in your continual bargaining against Draygo Quick.”“You would do well to keep your reasoning to yourself,” Alegni interrupted, and that scowl returned tenfold.Effron’s eyes widened and he shut his mouth, realizing then that he was walking down a dangerous road, and remembering then that he was dealing with Herzgo Alegni, who, despite any understanding of Effron’s motivation, was not the forgiving type, nor particularly merciful.But Alegni seemed distracted.Slowly the young warlock rose from the seat into which Alegni had dropped him, eyeing the hulking tiefling with every movement, and ready to drop back down in an instant if he thought he was angering the volatile warrior.Even after he got to his feet, Effron moved tentatively, but if Alegni had any residual desire to punish him, the tiefling wasn’t showing it.Effron started slowly for the balcony door.Alegni fixed him with a stare and he froze, expecting an attack.But Alegni’s expression was surprisingly sympathetic.He stared at Effron, slowly nodded, and said, “We will get her.”After her run-in with Jelvus Grinch, Arunika was in no mood for the sour Brother Anthus who came rapping at the door of her cottage south of the main city late that evening.“Arunika!” he called loudly, and banged hard on the door.Arunika pulled open the door, catching the young monk in mid-swing.“Arun—” he started, and stopped abruptly.“Do announce our liaison at this late hour to the world,” Arunika replied, every syllable dripping with sarcasm.She grabbed Anthus by the wrist and tugged him hard.“Get in here,” she ordered, and she slammed the door behind him.“You said that he would get no further help from Netheril!” the monk growled, and pointed his finger at Arunika’s face.It took all of the tired and angry devil’s willpower not to bite that digit off.“It didn’t seem likely.”“You were wrong!”Arunika shrugged and held her hands up as if that hardly mattered for anything.“Had I foreseen Herzgo Alegni’s reinforcements, would we have been able to change anything?” she asked.“What actions would you have taken, would you have had me take, to prevent Alegni from strengthening his hold?”“We could have gone to the ambassador earlier,” Anthus fumed, almost incoherently.“We could have convinced the Sovereignty—”“Of nothing!” Arunika interrupted.
When it ended, Effron was gasping for breath, but he managed to say “The Shifter,” one more time, this time plaintively.Alegni tossed him down into a chair.“It was a powerful band,” Effron said as soon as he had composed himself.Alegni had gone to his balcony door by then and stood staring out over Neverwinter, toward the bridge that bore his name.“It would have been a gift to you,” the young warlock added after several more silent moments passed.Herzgo Alegni swung around on his heel, an incredulous glare aimed Effron’s way.“Had my hirelings killed the drow and delivered Dahlia,” Effron tried to explain, his voice rising as he expected the angry Alegni to rush over and swat him, or likely worse.“You sought to capture Dahlia for my benefit?” Alegni asked skeptically.“You wish her captured, surely!”“You did it for yourself!” Alegni yelled at him, the warrior’s booming voice overwhelming any pathetic attempts to deny the obvious truth of the matter.“You seek vengeance on Dahlia—your craving for it outweighs my own!”“I … I …” Effron shook his head and looked down, unable to deny any of it.He knew that his eyes were moist and he didn’t know whether to simply squint or to reach up and wipe them to ensure that no tears rolled down his slim face.Herzgo Alegni would surely not accept tears.The large tiefling didn’t advance, and Effron realized that Alegni’s posture had softened, as had his scowling visage.“I cannot blame you.”“I thought the win assured,” Effron admitted.“The Shifter, Jermander, Ratsis the Spider Farmer—and with more warriors and monks beside them.” He took some heart that Alegni nodded in recognition, for most important Netherese from their region of the Shadowfell surely would know those names.“It was no meager band assembled, nor did they come cheaply.These are expert hunters.”“And yet, Dahlia and her new companion defeated them,” Alegni replied.“Perhaps they had allies,” Effron reasoned, and he noted that Alegni put his hand to Claw’s hilt at that suggestion.Neither was saying it aloud, but they both knew that Barrabus the Gray had likely been involved.“They won’t find enough allies to help them into the city,” the tiefling warrior proclaimed.“You parlayed my actions into reinforcements,” Effron realized, and he dared smile.“You turned my error into gain in your continual bargaining against Draygo Quick.”“You would do well to keep your reasoning to yourself,” Alegni interrupted, and that scowl returned tenfold.Effron’s eyes widened and he shut his mouth, realizing then that he was walking down a dangerous road, and remembering then that he was dealing with Herzgo Alegni, who, despite any understanding of Effron’s motivation, was not the forgiving type, nor particularly merciful.But Alegni seemed distracted.Slowly the young warlock rose from the seat into which Alegni had dropped him, eyeing the hulking tiefling with every movement, and ready to drop back down in an instant if he thought he was angering the volatile warrior.Even after he got to his feet, Effron moved tentatively, but if Alegni had any residual desire to punish him, the tiefling wasn’t showing it.Effron started slowly for the balcony door.Alegni fixed him with a stare and he froze, expecting an attack.But Alegni’s expression was surprisingly sympathetic.He stared at Effron, slowly nodded, and said, “We will get her.”After her run-in with Jelvus Grinch, Arunika was in no mood for the sour Brother Anthus who came rapping at the door of her cottage south of the main city late that evening.“Arunika!” he called loudly, and banged hard on the door.Arunika pulled open the door, catching the young monk in mid-swing.“Arun—” he started, and stopped abruptly.“Do announce our liaison at this late hour to the world,” Arunika replied, every syllable dripping with sarcasm.She grabbed Anthus by the wrist and tugged him hard.“Get in here,” she ordered, and she slammed the door behind him.“You said that he would get no further help from Netheril!” the monk growled, and pointed his finger at Arunika’s face.It took all of the tired and angry devil’s willpower not to bite that digit off.“It didn’t seem likely.”“You were wrong!”Arunika shrugged and held her hands up as if that hardly mattered for anything.“Had I foreseen Herzgo Alegni’s reinforcements, would we have been able to change anything?” she asked.“What actions would you have taken, would you have had me take, to prevent Alegni from strengthening his hold?”“We could have gone to the ambassador earlier,” Anthus fumed, almost incoherently.“We could have convinced the Sovereignty—”“Of nothing!” Arunika interrupted.
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dnd390
Her patience had reached its end.“No!” Anthus flew backward through the air, launched by an open-palmed thrust into his chest.He slammed hard against the back wall, and were it not for the wall, he surely would have tumbled to the ground.Gasping for breath, Anthus stared back at Arunika, whom he had known as merely a simple human woman—daring in her subterfuge and espionage and surely forceful sexually—but no more than a human woman.He was wondering about that right at that moment, Arunika realized.She’d hit him hard—harder than any human woman of her stature ever could.Had she just compromised her true identity?For a moment, Arunika thought it might be prudent to walk over and simply snap the fool’s neck.Just for a moment, though.Brother Anthus might be a fool, but in the end, he was her fool.His contacts with the aboleth ambassador had saved her from any personal dealings with the otherworldly creatures.She could easily manipulate him and control him.That counted for something.“We could have done nothing had we guessed correctly that the Netheril Empire would strengthen Herzgo Alegni’s forces,” she said calmly.“With the Thayans in retreat and the Sovereignty gone, we have little leverage against the Netherese.”“Then what are we to do?” Anthus asked, or tried to, for he had to repeat himself several times until his breath at last came back to him.He pulled himself up and straightened his robes.“Are we to simply allow this dominance of the Netherese?”“If they overstep, they will attract the attention of Waterdeep,” Arunika said, and she knew she sounded less than convincing.“But there are other possibilities afoot,” she quickly added when Brother Anthus started, predictably, to argue.He looked at her, clearly intrigued and clearly skeptical.“So for now, we are to observe,” Arunika instructed.“There will be holes in Alegni’s defenses—there always are, after all.Find those holes.Find his weaknesses.When his enemies make their appearance, whoever those enemies might prove to be, let us, you and I, be ready to help them exploit those weaknesses.”“What enemies?” Anthus demanded.“That, too, is for us to learn,” Arunika said cryptically, unwilling to play her hand fully in the fear that the weakling Anthus would break to the interrogation of Alegni, should that come to pass.And given his screaming at her door and his open agitation, it did seem quite likely to Arunika that the fool might well turn unwanted curious gazes his own way soon enough.As if to prove that very point, Anthus started to growl and yell at her again, even coming forward a stride, but again, Arunika had tolerated too much already.She didn’t strike out at him physically this time, but reached out with her mind, assaulting Anthus with an overpowering blast of willpower, imparting images of her tearing his beating heart right out of his chest, and other such pleasantries, and the monk stumbled to a stop, staring at her incredulously.“I too have learned some tricks from the Sovereignty,” Arunika lied.“Herzgo Alegni has made temporary gains in a game as fluid as the sea.The waves will again crash against him.”“You underestimated him,” the obviously humbled Anthus said quietly.“You underestimate me,” Arunika warned.She said it so forcefully, the succubus almost believed her bluff.
Her patience had reached its end.“No!” Anthus flew backward through the air, launched by an open-palmed thrust into his chest.He slammed hard against the back wall, and were it not for the wall, he surely would have tumbled to the ground.Gasping for breath, Anthus stared back at Arunika, whom he had known as merely a simple human woman—daring in her subterfuge and espionage and surely forceful sexually—but no more than a human woman.He was wondering about that right at that moment, Arunika realized.She’d hit him hard—harder than any human woman of her stature ever could.Had she just compromised her true identity?For a moment, Arunika thought it might be prudent to walk over and simply snap the fool’s neck.Just for a moment, though.Brother Anthus might be a fool, but in the end, he was her fool.His contacts with the aboleth ambassador had saved her from any personal dealings with the otherworldly creatures.She could easily manipulate him and control him.That counted for something.“We could have done nothing had we guessed correctly that the Netheril Empire would strengthen Herzgo Alegni’s forces,” she said calmly.“With the Thayans in retreat and the Sovereignty gone, we have little leverage against the Netherese.”“Then what are we to do?” Anthus asked, or tried to, for he had to repeat himself several times until his breath at last came back to him.He pulled himself up and straightened his robes.“Are we to simply allow this dominance of the Netherese?”“If they overstep, they will attract the attention of Waterdeep,” Arunika said, and she knew she sounded less than convincing.“But there are other possibilities afoot,” she quickly added when Brother Anthus started, predictably, to argue.He looked at her, clearly intrigued and clearly skeptical.“So for now, we are to observe,” Arunika instructed.“There will be holes in Alegni’s defenses—there always are, after all.Find those holes.Find his weaknesses.When his enemies make their appearance, whoever those enemies might prove to be, let us, you and I, be ready to help them exploit those weaknesses.”“What enemies?” Anthus demanded.“That, too, is for us to learn,” Arunika said cryptically, unwilling to play her hand fully in the fear that the weakling Anthus would break to the interrogation of Alegni, should that come to pass.And given his screaming at her door and his open agitation, it did seem quite likely to Arunika that the fool might well turn unwanted curious gazes his own way soon enough.As if to prove that very point, Anthus started to growl and yell at her again, even coming forward a stride, but again, Arunika had tolerated too much already.She didn’t strike out at him physically this time, but reached out with her mind, assaulting Anthus with an overpowering blast of willpower, imparting images of her tearing his beating heart right out of his chest, and other such pleasantries, and the monk stumbled to a stop, staring at her incredulously.“I too have learned some tricks from the Sovereignty,” Arunika lied.“Herzgo Alegni has made temporary gains in a game as fluid as the sea.The waves will again crash against him.”“You underestimated him,” the obviously humbled Anthus said quietly.“You underestimate me,” Arunika warned.She said it so forcefully, the succubus almost believed her bluff.
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dnd391
Alegni might win here, or he might lose, and while Arunika preferred the latter, simply in case the Sovereignty did return, she intended to find her preferred place in either instance.She moved to her door and swung it open.“Get out,” she instructed.“And do not ever come back here with your ire directed at me, unless you desire a fast journey to the end of your days.”Brother Anthus turned sidelong as he moved past her, as if not daring to let her out of his sight while he remained in striking distance.He was barely out the door, though, when he spun around.He lifted one finger and started to speak out.Arunika slammed the door in his face, and reminded herself repeatedly that Anthus was an idiot, but a useful one.It was the only thing keeping her from opening the door once more and tearing out the young monk’s beating heart.“No, you cannot!” Invidoo said with a hiss and a sneer, and snapped its poison-tipped tail up over its shoulder.Only a deft dodge from the other imp prevented that stinger from taking out an eye, and still it tore the imp’s large ear substantially.“Through the length of the Nine Hells and the Abyss I sought you out!” screeched Invidoo, and the diminutive devil stumbled to the side, grasping at the torn ear.The poison wouldn’t bother the imp, of course, but the gash was real enough, and painful enough.“You cannot deny!”“You put your indenture on me!No!” screamed the imp, but then, just before a full brawl erupted in the smoky ash of this hellish land, a larger voice interrupted.“No,” said the large demon.“I do.”The angry imp scrunched up its face, a low growl of utter frustration issuing between its pointy teeth, for yes, this imp understood the inevitability of this, given its master, from the moment it had learned of Invidoo’s inquisition.The imp began to shake its head, growling all the while, as the huge demon continued.“You will replace Invidoo as Arunika’s servant,” the great beast instructed.“This, I desire.”The poor imp relaxed then and stared hatefully at Invidoo.The creature was helpless.Its master had spoken.And it all made perfect sense, of course, given the history.NOT QUITE THE UNDERDARK …DAHLIA BROUGHT HER HAND OVER HER FACE AS SHE SPLASHED DOWN INTO the shallow water outside the metal grate.“We’re crawling through that?” she asked with disgust.Before her crouched Artemis Entreri, tugging at one of the bent bars to move it to the side.He had almost created a large enough opening for them to squeeze through.Beside her, Drizzt understood her reluctance, for the smell was indeed overwhelming, wafting out on visible gases escaping the dark tunnel.“We need not,” he said to her, and he nodded his chin to the north.“We could take the road to Luskan instead.Or past Luskan to Ten-Towns, though we’d not beat the onset of winter in Icewind Dale.”“Or the eastern road to Mithral Hall,” Dahlia retorted, clearly not amused.The bar came free in Entreri’s hand, which seemed to surprise him.He stared at its rusted end, then tossed it aside to splash into the water.He crouched lower and washed his hands in the salty liquid.
Alegni might win here, or he might lose, and while Arunika preferred the latter, simply in case the Sovereignty did return, she intended to find her preferred place in either instance.She moved to her door and swung it open.“Get out,” she instructed.“And do not ever come back here with your ire directed at me, unless you desire a fast journey to the end of your days.”Brother Anthus turned sidelong as he moved past her, as if not daring to let her out of his sight while he remained in striking distance.He was barely out the door, though, when he spun around.He lifted one finger and started to speak out.Arunika slammed the door in his face, and reminded herself repeatedly that Anthus was an idiot, but a useful one.It was the only thing keeping her from opening the door once more and tearing out the young monk’s beating heart.“No, you cannot!” Invidoo said with a hiss and a sneer, and snapped its poison-tipped tail up over its shoulder.Only a deft dodge from the other imp prevented that stinger from taking out an eye, and still it tore the imp’s large ear substantially.“Through the length of the Nine Hells and the Abyss I sought you out!” screeched Invidoo, and the diminutive devil stumbled to the side, grasping at the torn ear.The poison wouldn’t bother the imp, of course, but the gash was real enough, and painful enough.“You cannot deny!”“You put your indenture on me!No!” screamed the imp, but then, just before a full brawl erupted in the smoky ash of this hellish land, a larger voice interrupted.“No,” said the large demon.“I do.”The angry imp scrunched up its face, a low growl of utter frustration issuing between its pointy teeth, for yes, this imp understood the inevitability of this, given its master, from the moment it had learned of Invidoo’s inquisition.The imp began to shake its head, growling all the while, as the huge demon continued.“You will replace Invidoo as Arunika’s servant,” the great beast instructed.“This, I desire.”The poor imp relaxed then and stared hatefully at Invidoo.The creature was helpless.Its master had spoken.And it all made perfect sense, of course, given the history.NOT QUITE THE UNDERDARK …DAHLIA BROUGHT HER HAND OVER HER FACE AS SHE SPLASHED DOWN INTO the shallow water outside the metal grate.“We’re crawling through that?” she asked with disgust.Before her crouched Artemis Entreri, tugging at one of the bent bars to move it to the side.He had almost created a large enough opening for them to squeeze through.Beside her, Drizzt understood her reluctance, for the smell was indeed overwhelming, wafting out on visible gases escaping the dark tunnel.“We need not,” he said to her, and he nodded his chin to the north.“We could take the road to Luskan instead.Or past Luskan to Ten-Towns, though we’d not beat the onset of winter in Icewind Dale.”“Or the eastern road to Mithral Hall,” Dahlia retorted, clearly not amused.The bar came free in Entreri’s hand, which seemed to surprise him.He stared at its rusted end, then tossed it aside to splash into the water.He crouched lower and washed his hands in the salty liquid.
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dnd392
“Decide now,” he said.“This way lies Alegni.”Dahlia pushed past him and hopped up into the tunnel on her bare knees, then quickly rose into a standing crouch as she glanced back at the other two.“Light a torch,” she instructed.“It will blow up in your face,” Entreri replied with a derisive snort.“We’ll need a light source,” Dahlia argued, because she needed to say something at that point.Artemis Entreri had just gained the upper hand on her, had just diminished her in front of Drizzt.Dahlia could not let that stand.“I came through without one,” the assassin replied glibly, and Dahlia could only scowl.She put her hands on her hips and glared at the man, but Drizzt drew forth Twinkle.The magical sword answered his call and glowed a soft blue-white hue.The drow hopped up into the tunnel and squeezed past Dahlia, the blade out before him, dimly lighting the way.Cut unevenly through the stone, the sewer was sometimes high enough for Drizzt and the others to stand straight, but often they crouched as they moved along.The floor was concave, lower in the center, and a flow of dark water trickled past, sometimes pooling ankle deep or even past their knees, which was quite alarming.Everywhere, just at the edges of their vision, critters slithered or crawled or scurried aside.At first the sword light seemed meager, but as they got deeper into the tunnel system—a maze of angles, turns, and indistinguishable stones—and the daylight receded behind them, Twinkle’s glow seemed brighter by far.More rats huddled in the shadows at the side of the tunnel, more snakes slithered away into the water, and a multitude of insects, flying and stinging and spidery things hanging on slight webs, looked on.None of the three spoke the obvious truth: the sword could illuminate a few feet around them, but to someone or something far away, it no doubt shined like a warning beacon.Drizzt, born and raised in the near lightless Underdark, was most conscious of this, of course.A drow carrying a light source in the corridors around Menzoberranzan would soon enough be murdered and robbed.Holding the glowing blade now was anathema to everything he had learned as a young warrior.With his superior vision, he could navigate these tunnels well enough without the glow.“I can see in the dark,” Entreri said behind him, surprising him, and he turned on the man.“You wore a cat’s eye circlet,” Drizzt agreed, and he held up Twinkle, confirming that Entreri was not wearing any such thing at that time.“Innate now,” the assassin explained.“A gift from Jarlaxle.”Drizzt nodded and moved to sheathe the sword, but Dahlia caught his arm.He looked at her curiously, and she shook her head, her face a mask of discomfort.“I don’t like snakes and I don’t like spiders,” she said.“If you sheathe that, then know that you’ll be carrying me.”That brought a laugh from Entreri, but a brief one, as Dahlia, deadly serious, fixed him with a glare telling him in no uncertain terms that he was crossing a dangerous line.Drizzt started away, and Dahlia splashed along behind him.“A gentleman would carry me,” she muttered under her breath.“Because you’re such a lady?” Entreri asked from behind.Up in front, Drizzt stopped and took a deep breath.An image of the two locked in a passionate embrace flitted through his thoughts and he nearly growled aloud as he dismissed it.With the light of Twinkle leading the way, the trio moved farther along the main passageway, and soon enough came to a honeycomb network of more impressive and hand-worked side tunnels.They knew that they were underneath the outskirts of the city—the old city, at least.Their choices were limited at first, for these were still much smaller tunnels, almost all impassable and with a couple that they might have traversed by belly-crawling … something none of them wanted.
“Decide now,” he said.“This way lies Alegni.”Dahlia pushed past him and hopped up into the tunnel on her bare knees, then quickly rose into a standing crouch as she glanced back at the other two.“Light a torch,” she instructed.“It will blow up in your face,” Entreri replied with a derisive snort.“We’ll need a light source,” Dahlia argued, because she needed to say something at that point.Artemis Entreri had just gained the upper hand on her, had just diminished her in front of Drizzt.Dahlia could not let that stand.“I came through without one,” the assassin replied glibly, and Dahlia could only scowl.She put her hands on her hips and glared at the man, but Drizzt drew forth Twinkle.The magical sword answered his call and glowed a soft blue-white hue.The drow hopped up into the tunnel and squeezed past Dahlia, the blade out before him, dimly lighting the way.Cut unevenly through the stone, the sewer was sometimes high enough for Drizzt and the others to stand straight, but often they crouched as they moved along.The floor was concave, lower in the center, and a flow of dark water trickled past, sometimes pooling ankle deep or even past their knees, which was quite alarming.Everywhere, just at the edges of their vision, critters slithered or crawled or scurried aside.At first the sword light seemed meager, but as they got deeper into the tunnel system—a maze of angles, turns, and indistinguishable stones—and the daylight receded behind them, Twinkle’s glow seemed brighter by far.More rats huddled in the shadows at the side of the tunnel, more snakes slithered away into the water, and a multitude of insects, flying and stinging and spidery things hanging on slight webs, looked on.None of the three spoke the obvious truth: the sword could illuminate a few feet around them, but to someone or something far away, it no doubt shined like a warning beacon.Drizzt, born and raised in the near lightless Underdark, was most conscious of this, of course.A drow carrying a light source in the corridors around Menzoberranzan would soon enough be murdered and robbed.Holding the glowing blade now was anathema to everything he had learned as a young warrior.With his superior vision, he could navigate these tunnels well enough without the glow.“I can see in the dark,” Entreri said behind him, surprising him, and he turned on the man.“You wore a cat’s eye circlet,” Drizzt agreed, and he held up Twinkle, confirming that Entreri was not wearing any such thing at that time.“Innate now,” the assassin explained.“A gift from Jarlaxle.”Drizzt nodded and moved to sheathe the sword, but Dahlia caught his arm.He looked at her curiously, and she shook her head, her face a mask of discomfort.“I don’t like snakes and I don’t like spiders,” she said.“If you sheathe that, then know that you’ll be carrying me.”That brought a laugh from Entreri, but a brief one, as Dahlia, deadly serious, fixed him with a glare telling him in no uncertain terms that he was crossing a dangerous line.Drizzt started away, and Dahlia splashed along behind him.“A gentleman would carry me,” she muttered under her breath.“Because you’re such a lady?” Entreri asked from behind.Up in front, Drizzt stopped and took a deep breath.An image of the two locked in a passionate embrace flitted through his thoughts and he nearly growled aloud as he dismissed it.With the light of Twinkle leading the way, the trio moved farther along the main passageway, and soon enough came to a honeycomb network of more impressive and hand-worked side tunnels.They knew that they were underneath the outskirts of the city—the old city, at least.Their choices were limited at first, for these were still much smaller tunnels, almost all impassable and with a couple that they might have traversed by belly-crawling … something none of them wanted.
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dnd393
But a short while after that, they came to a network of passages larger still, many as navigable as the one they now traveled and a couple even larger than that.“Do you remember the way?” Drizzt asked Entreri.He whispered the words, for other sounds echoed across the wet and slimy stones.Entreri moved up beside the drow, who stood at a five-way intersection, and surveyed the area.Hands on hips, he at last shook his head.“It was long ago.”“Not so long,” Dahlia argued, clearly impatient.Both Entreri and Drizzt looked at the elf woman.“When I last came through here, I simply followed the water’s flow,” he explained.“I cared for that which was before me, not behind.”“You would have been far cleverer had you marked your passing, or at least, had you returned and mapped it after you had escaped,” Dahlia continued.Entreri stared at her hard.“I didn’t intend on returning through this route.Ever.”Dahlia waved at him dismissively.“You disappoint me,” she said.“A true warrior always prepares.”Drizzt studied Entreri closely, expecting the man to explode and to fall over Dahlia in a murderous rage.But he just stood there, staring at her for a bit longer, before turning back to face Drizzt and look to the tunnels once more.“Left, I would guess,” he said.“The river is to our left and I entered the sewers along its bank.It is the source of the running water that flushes these passages, and so …”“Flushes?” Dahlia prodded a thick pile of muck and feces with the half-staff she carried, her face a mask of disgust.The pile shifted aside and out from under it came a serpent, black and thick and coiled, and easily as long as Dahlia was tall.It flew out from its position, lifting into the air, so fierce was its strike at Dahlia.Dahlia recoiled and tried to fall away as the snapping toothy maw closed for her face.A descending line of light flashed before her, but more importantly to her at that time, the bulk of the snake crashed into her.How she screamed and thrashed!All discipline flew from her as she worked purely in reaction to get that horrid thing away from her.And even after it fell aside, it took the woman quite a few heartbeats to sort it all out, to realize that she had not been bitten, to understand that the light marked the descent of Drizzt’s scimitar, and that she had been met by nothing more than the snake’s headless body flying from momentum and thrashing in its death throes.Drizzt grabbed Dahlia and held her arms by her sides, trying to calm her as Entreri walked by.“Did it pierce me?Am I poisoned?” she asked over and over again.“Perhaps, and no,” Entreri answered, and both looked at him, and Dahlia’s face crinkled with disgust.He held the severed snake head, stuck on the end of his sword.“It is a constrictor, not a venomous serpent,” he said.
But a short while after that, they came to a network of passages larger still, many as navigable as the one they now traveled and a couple even larger than that.“Do you remember the way?” Drizzt asked Entreri.He whispered the words, for other sounds echoed across the wet and slimy stones.Entreri moved up beside the drow, who stood at a five-way intersection, and surveyed the area.Hands on hips, he at last shook his head.“It was long ago.”“Not so long,” Dahlia argued, clearly impatient.Both Entreri and Drizzt looked at the elf woman.“When I last came through here, I simply followed the water’s flow,” he explained.“I cared for that which was before me, not behind.”“You would have been far cleverer had you marked your passing, or at least, had you returned and mapped it after you had escaped,” Dahlia continued.Entreri stared at her hard.“I didn’t intend on returning through this route.Ever.”Dahlia waved at him dismissively.“You disappoint me,” she said.“A true warrior always prepares.”Drizzt studied Entreri closely, expecting the man to explode and to fall over Dahlia in a murderous rage.But he just stood there, staring at her for a bit longer, before turning back to face Drizzt and look to the tunnels once more.“Left, I would guess,” he said.“The river is to our left and I entered the sewers along its bank.It is the source of the running water that flushes these passages, and so …”“Flushes?” Dahlia prodded a thick pile of muck and feces with the half-staff she carried, her face a mask of disgust.The pile shifted aside and out from under it came a serpent, black and thick and coiled, and easily as long as Dahlia was tall.It flew out from its position, lifting into the air, so fierce was its strike at Dahlia.Dahlia recoiled and tried to fall away as the snapping toothy maw closed for her face.A descending line of light flashed before her, but more importantly to her at that time, the bulk of the snake crashed into her.How she screamed and thrashed!All discipline flew from her as she worked purely in reaction to get that horrid thing away from her.And even after it fell aside, it took the woman quite a few heartbeats to sort it all out, to realize that she had not been bitten, to understand that the light marked the descent of Drizzt’s scimitar, and that she had been met by nothing more than the snake’s headless body flying from momentum and thrashing in its death throes.Drizzt grabbed Dahlia and held her arms by her sides, trying to calm her as Entreri walked by.“Did it pierce me?Am I poisoned?” she asked over and over again.“Perhaps, and no,” Entreri answered, and both looked at him, and Dahlia’s face crinkled with disgust.He held the severed snake head, stuck on the end of his sword.“It is a constrictor, not a venomous serpent,” he said.
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dnd394
“It won’t kill you with a bite, but would wrap you instead and crush the breath out of you, all the while trying to swallow the top of your head.”Now it was Drizzt’s turn to flash a glare at Entreri.“It is—was not poisonous,” he said calmly.“And it did not bite you, in any case.”That seemed to steady Dahlia a bit more.She kicked the thick, strong body of the snake farther away from her, and the body jerked spasmodically once more.Dahlia gasped and hopped away.“You really don’t like snakes, do you?” Entreri said, and he flicked his blade, launching the snake head far away.He walked back past Drizzt and Dahlia.“Come along, then.The sooner we are out of these smelly sewers, the better.”Neither Dahlia nor Drizzt was about to argue with that statement and they rushed to catch up, Drizzt again taking the lead—but this time, Dahlia stood right beside him.Entreri handed her the other half of Kozah’s Needle.Dahlia looked at it doubtfully, not taking it.“If it serves as we had hoped, then it has shown me no contact by Charon’s Claw in the time I have carried it,” he explained.“If the sword has sought me and found me, then your weapon didn’t notice.Either way, better for you to be armed now.”“What do you know?” Dahlia asked.“That,” Drizzt answered, and when Dahlia and Entreri turned to him, he thrust his sword out before him, and in the light farther along the tunnel, more snakes writhed, some taking to the water, some crawling over others, and all looking back at them.“Let’s leave this place,” Dahlia said.“We’re trying to do just that,” Entreri reminded.“Back the way we came,” Dahlia insisted.She joined the ends of Kozah’s Needle back together, forming a singular eight-foot length.It wasn’t very practical for fighting in a narrow tunnel, of course, but when Dahlia stabbed the staff diagonally into the water before her, Drizzt understood that she wanted her weapon to keep these slithering creatures as far from her as possible.“They’re not poisonous,” Entreri replied.“They know they cannot swallow us and have no means to kill us.They’ll likely retreat.”“Like the first one?” Dahlia sarcastically replied, and she backed down the corridor a few steps.“You startled it.It attacked out of fear,” Drizzt answered.He was a ranger, and well versed in the ways of the wilds.He moved forward—or started to, until a serpent threw itself through the air at him.Up flashed his arm to block, and he intercepted the snake’s opened maw closing on his forearm, grabbing tight, its body immediately slapping around his torso as it tried to gain a hold and begin its crushing squeeze.The strength of the creature surprised the drow, its every muscle working in perfect coordination.Noting movement to the side, he glanced at Entreri, at first thinking that the assassin was rushing to his aid.
“It won’t kill you with a bite, but would wrap you instead and crush the breath out of you, all the while trying to swallow the top of your head.”Now it was Drizzt’s turn to flash a glare at Entreri.“It is—was not poisonous,” he said calmly.“And it did not bite you, in any case.”That seemed to steady Dahlia a bit more.She kicked the thick, strong body of the snake farther away from her, and the body jerked spasmodically once more.Dahlia gasped and hopped away.“You really don’t like snakes, do you?” Entreri said, and he flicked his blade, launching the snake head far away.He walked back past Drizzt and Dahlia.“Come along, then.The sooner we are out of these smelly sewers, the better.”Neither Dahlia nor Drizzt was about to argue with that statement and they rushed to catch up, Drizzt again taking the lead—but this time, Dahlia stood right beside him.Entreri handed her the other half of Kozah’s Needle.Dahlia looked at it doubtfully, not taking it.“If it serves as we had hoped, then it has shown me no contact by Charon’s Claw in the time I have carried it,” he explained.“If the sword has sought me and found me, then your weapon didn’t notice.Either way, better for you to be armed now.”“What do you know?” Dahlia asked.“That,” Drizzt answered, and when Dahlia and Entreri turned to him, he thrust his sword out before him, and in the light farther along the tunnel, more snakes writhed, some taking to the water, some crawling over others, and all looking back at them.“Let’s leave this place,” Dahlia said.“We’re trying to do just that,” Entreri reminded.“Back the way we came,” Dahlia insisted.She joined the ends of Kozah’s Needle back together, forming a singular eight-foot length.It wasn’t very practical for fighting in a narrow tunnel, of course, but when Dahlia stabbed the staff diagonally into the water before her, Drizzt understood that she wanted her weapon to keep these slithering creatures as far from her as possible.“They’re not poisonous,” Entreri replied.“They know they cannot swallow us and have no means to kill us.They’ll likely retreat.”“Like the first one?” Dahlia sarcastically replied, and she backed down the corridor a few steps.“You startled it.It attacked out of fear,” Drizzt answered.He was a ranger, and well versed in the ways of the wilds.He moved forward—or started to, until a serpent threw itself through the air at him.Up flashed his arm to block, and he intercepted the snake’s opened maw closing on his forearm, grabbing tight, its body immediately slapping around his torso as it tried to gain a hold and begin its crushing squeeze.The strength of the creature surprised the drow, its every muscle working in perfect coordination.Noting movement to the side, he glanced at Entreri, at first thinking that the assassin was rushing to his aid.
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dnd395
Not so, he understood, when he realized that Entreri had his own problems.On came the strangely aggressive snakes, slithering through the water, sliding along the walls, throwing themselves through the air.With a growl, Drizzt lifted his bitten left arm, extending the snake out before his right shoulder, turned and wriggled enough to free his other arm, and brought a quick backhand of Twinkle to cut the creature in half.Immediately, the lower torso loosened around him and dropped with a splash to the floor, but that head held on, stubbornly.Too concerned with drawing his other blade—a bit awkwardly since Icingdeath, which he usually carried in his right hand, was sheathed on his left hip—Drizzt let the half-serpent hang there.His focus remained before him, as it had to, slapping, slashing, and kicking to fend off the onslaught.Beside him, Entreri worked with equal fury, his dirk swiftly deflecting leaping serpents, his sword scoring kills.But behind them, there came a long series of dull raps, and in one of the infrequent moments of pause, Drizzt glanced back, as did Entreri, to see Dahlia straddling the water, her staff presented horizontally before her and she rapidly shifted it up and down, out left and out right, cracking it against the stone walls.“Hit the snakes, you idiot!” Entreri yelled at her, and he was nearly toppled at the end of that sentence as one of the serpents slithered through his defenses and wrapped around his legs, tugging him powerfully.“Dahlia!” Drizzt implored her.But the rapping continued and so did the onslaught of serpents—there seemed to be no end to them!Entreri freed himself only to get hit again, and Drizzt nearly had Icingdeath pulled from his grasp when one snake took hold.The corridor began to flash, not from the waving of Drizzt’s glowing scimitar, but with sharp spikes of light, crackles of lightning.Entreri kept cursing at Dahlia and growling at the snakes, and swinging and stabbing and kicking.And just when Drizzt thought he had gained some measure of momentum, a serpent appeared on the ceiling before him.He threw himself back and low into a crouch and the snapping jaws rent the air, just missing his left ear.The snake retracted before his blade could decapitate it, then threw itself at him, slamming him hard and nearly knocking him from his feet.To fall was to be overwhelmed, Drizzt knew.The water shimmied, alive with serpents.“Dahlia!” he cried for help.This time she answered him, not with words, but with thunder.She thrust Kozah’s Needle through the water to slam against the floor, and there she released the energy her rapping had imbued within it.The retort jolted all three of them into the air, though all three held their footing as they landed.The water churned and sizzled, a stinky steam lifting from it so thickly that it obscured their vision.Drizzt tried to respond, to say something, but found his jaw clenched from the energy pulsing through him.Then it was over, as unexpectedly and abruptly as it had happened, and an eerie stillness replaced the fury of the previous moments.Snakes dropped from the walls and ceiling, or hung in place, their lengths looped over a natural beam or a jag or jut.Snakes lay on the floor in various poses, like living runes or glyphs.Snakes floated in the water, sliding down to bump against a leg or foot.Perhaps dead, perhaps stunned.That latter, very real possibility had Drizzt more than a little alarmed.Beside him, Entreri slashed down on one reptile, and its convulsion as his blade struck home told the ranger that it had indeed been alive until cleaved.“Be gone, and quickly!” Drizzt cried.“Leave them, there are too many!”“Out the way we came!” Dahlia said.“Alegni is that way,” Entreri reminded, pointing ahead.“And it’s shorter.”They didn’t have time to think it through.They didn’t have time to consider the unusual behavior of so many ordinary creatures.They simply had to react.Perhaps it was the carrot of Alegni, which Entreri had dangled before Dahlia, but whatever the reason, Drizzt was surprised when the woman splashed up behind him, prodding him and Entreri to move on.He noted that Entreri crouched and reached into the water and pulled something forth before scrambling to pace him, but took no further note as the three zigzagged their way through a maze of stunned serpents.Fortunately, the magical energy of Kozah’s Needle had reached far enough along the corridor to get most of the snakes, and they passed beyond that point in short order, and even more fortunately, so they presumed, the corridor widened a bit more, and heightened, and they could press on with more urgency.Except that they had to wait for a moment as Entreri pulled up to a rock and sat down, and only then did Drizzt understand what the assassin had stopped to retrieve from the water: one of his low boots.Dahlia’s jolt had lifted him right out of his shoe.With a few muttered curses and a shake of his head, Entreri pulled the smoking boot back on and stood straight.He looked hard at Dahlia and said, “You owe me a new pair.”“I saved your life,” she retorted.“If you had just bothered to join in the fight, it wouldn’t have needed any saving, would it?”Again Drizzt watched the two and their verbal sparring with something less than amusement, but he couldn’t really focus on it at that moment, because something about their encounter with the bed of serpents was now, in retrospect, truly bothering him.“Why were all of those snakes exactly the same size?” he asked when they had started on their way again.“Why wouldn’t they be?” Dahlia asked.“Snakes shed their skins and grow quickly, and continually,” Drizzt explained.“So they were all the same age,” the elf woman replied, her tone showing that she hardly saw the point of this conversation.Drizzt shook his head.
Not so, he understood, when he realized that Entreri had his own problems.On came the strangely aggressive snakes, slithering through the water, sliding along the walls, throwing themselves through the air.With a growl, Drizzt lifted his bitten left arm, extending the snake out before his right shoulder, turned and wriggled enough to free his other arm, and brought a quick backhand of Twinkle to cut the creature in half.Immediately, the lower torso loosened around him and dropped with a splash to the floor, but that head held on, stubbornly.Too concerned with drawing his other blade—a bit awkwardly since Icingdeath, which he usually carried in his right hand, was sheathed on his left hip—Drizzt let the half-serpent hang there.His focus remained before him, as it had to, slapping, slashing, and kicking to fend off the onslaught.Beside him, Entreri worked with equal fury, his dirk swiftly deflecting leaping serpents, his sword scoring kills.But behind them, there came a long series of dull raps, and in one of the infrequent moments of pause, Drizzt glanced back, as did Entreri, to see Dahlia straddling the water, her staff presented horizontally before her and she rapidly shifted it up and down, out left and out right, cracking it against the stone walls.“Hit the snakes, you idiot!” Entreri yelled at her, and he was nearly toppled at the end of that sentence as one of the serpents slithered through his defenses and wrapped around his legs, tugging him powerfully.“Dahlia!” Drizzt implored her.But the rapping continued and so did the onslaught of serpents—there seemed to be no end to them!Entreri freed himself only to get hit again, and Drizzt nearly had Icingdeath pulled from his grasp when one snake took hold.The corridor began to flash, not from the waving of Drizzt’s glowing scimitar, but with sharp spikes of light, crackles of lightning.Entreri kept cursing at Dahlia and growling at the snakes, and swinging and stabbing and kicking.And just when Drizzt thought he had gained some measure of momentum, a serpent appeared on the ceiling before him.He threw himself back and low into a crouch and the snapping jaws rent the air, just missing his left ear.The snake retracted before his blade could decapitate it, then threw itself at him, slamming him hard and nearly knocking him from his feet.To fall was to be overwhelmed, Drizzt knew.The water shimmied, alive with serpents.“Dahlia!” he cried for help.This time she answered him, not with words, but with thunder.She thrust Kozah’s Needle through the water to slam against the floor, and there she released the energy her rapping had imbued within it.The retort jolted all three of them into the air, though all three held their footing as they landed.The water churned and sizzled, a stinky steam lifting from it so thickly that it obscured their vision.Drizzt tried to respond, to say something, but found his jaw clenched from the energy pulsing through him.Then it was over, as unexpectedly and abruptly as it had happened, and an eerie stillness replaced the fury of the previous moments.Snakes dropped from the walls and ceiling, or hung in place, their lengths looped over a natural beam or a jag or jut.Snakes lay on the floor in various poses, like living runes or glyphs.Snakes floated in the water, sliding down to bump against a leg or foot.Perhaps dead, perhaps stunned.That latter, very real possibility had Drizzt more than a little alarmed.Beside him, Entreri slashed down on one reptile, and its convulsion as his blade struck home told the ranger that it had indeed been alive until cleaved.“Be gone, and quickly!” Drizzt cried.“Leave them, there are too many!”“Out the way we came!” Dahlia said.“Alegni is that way,” Entreri reminded, pointing ahead.“And it’s shorter.”They didn’t have time to think it through.They didn’t have time to consider the unusual behavior of so many ordinary creatures.They simply had to react.Perhaps it was the carrot of Alegni, which Entreri had dangled before Dahlia, but whatever the reason, Drizzt was surprised when the woman splashed up behind him, prodding him and Entreri to move on.He noted that Entreri crouched and reached into the water and pulled something forth before scrambling to pace him, but took no further note as the three zigzagged their way through a maze of stunned serpents.Fortunately, the magical energy of Kozah’s Needle had reached far enough along the corridor to get most of the snakes, and they passed beyond that point in short order, and even more fortunately, so they presumed, the corridor widened a bit more, and heightened, and they could press on with more urgency.Except that they had to wait for a moment as Entreri pulled up to a rock and sat down, and only then did Drizzt understand what the assassin had stopped to retrieve from the water: one of his low boots.Dahlia’s jolt had lifted him right out of his shoe.With a few muttered curses and a shake of his head, Entreri pulled the smoking boot back on and stood straight.He looked hard at Dahlia and said, “You owe me a new pair.”“I saved your life,” she retorted.“If you had just bothered to join in the fight, it wouldn’t have needed any saving, would it?”Again Drizzt watched the two and their verbal sparring with something less than amusement, but he couldn’t really focus on it at that moment, because something about their encounter with the bed of serpents was now, in retrospect, truly bothering him.“Why were all of those snakes exactly the same size?” he asked when they had started on their way again.“Why wouldn’t they be?” Dahlia asked.“Snakes shed their skins and grow quickly, and continually,” Drizzt explained.“So they were all the same age,” the elf woman replied, her tone showing that she hardly saw the point of this conversation.Drizzt shook his head.
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dnd396
“Snakes don’t herd.”“That was a herd of snakes,” Dahlia quickly retorted.“A bed of snakes,” the ranger corrected, but half-heartedly, for her point was well taken.Drizzt shook his head, not quite accepting it.Snakes did collect in the winter, of course—the drow had found many such dens in his travels, some containing thousands of the creatures.But he had never seen such a hunting pack as they had just encountered, and had never heard of a coordinated snake attack!“Magically conjured?” Dahlia asked, and that sounded right to Drizzt, until Entreri chimed in.“Babies.”“Babies?” Dahlia echoed doubtfully, stating the obvious, for how could a six-foot snake be a baby?But it was the way Entreri had said it that had both Drizzt, and Dahlia, despite her argument, turning his way, then following his gaze.To the mother.In a small room lit by a single candle, Brother Anthus sat cross-legged on the bare floor.His eyes were closed, his hands resting on the cool stone beside his legs, palms facing upward.Softly, the monk chanted, moaned even, as he focused on his deep inhalation and exhalation, using that rising and falling movement of his belly to clear his swirling thoughts, to find a place of deep peace and emptiness.This was his only refuge, and even it, at first, seemed not a place of serenity.Should he travel to Waterdeep and alert the lords that the Netheril Empire was gaining a stronghold just north of them?Images of that road, fleeting glimpses of the trouble he would have slipping away unnoticed, or of the consequences should Herzgo Alegni’s many soldiers capture him before he got away, assailed him.And if he went, of course, he could not return to Neverwinter unless and until Alegni had been thrown down and the agents of Netheril routed.One by one, Brother Anthus patted down those thoughts.He felt the rise and fall of his belly.And what of Arunika?Where had the woman found such strength as he had witnessed firsthand at her cottage?How could a small woman survive so casually outside the city walls, anyway?The region was full of wild things, and evil things, coordinated like the Thayans, or rogue bandits, goblinkin, or owlbears.Brother Anthus saw the image of Arunika and gradually pushed it away.He felt the rise and fall of his belly.What did Herzgo Alegni think of him?Did the warlord even know who he was?And what of Jelvus Grinch—what of value might Anthus bring to Jelvus Grinch to get the man to properly introduce him to the Netherese warlord?In his mind, Alegni and Grinch stood side by side, smiling back at him, but not a grin of friendship.More likely, he knew, they were mocking him and would allow him no ascent within the ranks of the city, for what of value might he offer, indeed?But those two, too, receded, pushed back by the deepening emptiness of Brother Anthus.He felt the rise and fall of his belly.And that was all.There was no more.He had chased away the thoughts, the tumult, the uncertainty.Now he simply was.An empty vessel, at peace and contented, and the outside world didn’t matter.Time didn’t matter, and didn’t register to him.Just the rise and fall of his belly, the cool emptiness.Then he felt the twinge.It was not a memory, not an internal thought, not a question needing to be answered.His belly rose softly, and the cool darkness of his mediation saw a flash, a flicker, an intrusion.Brother Anthus had seen this before, of course, and now he fought hard to maintain his detachment, to mute the noise.This was a state of reception, with his involuntary filters and noise shut down.But it wasn’t that easy, for he had felt this type of twinge before and he knew what it meant, and knew its source, generally, at least.He had to stay in his purely receptive state to keep hearing it, he knew, but how could he, given the implications that he had heard it at all?And if he followed that line of reasoning on those implications, and the potential, he would lose it all.You are deceiving yourself, his thoughts scolded.You want it too badly.But no, it was there, one more time, and he knew what it was.The Sovereignty.An aboleth!Brother Anthus’s belly rose and fell more quickly, then, as he began to gasp for breath.His eyes opened wide and he unwound his legs and quickly scrambled to his knees, hands coming before him in a motion of supplication.Give me this, he silently prayed to his god, for he wanted the Sovereignty back, needed it back.Mentally he reached out for the signal, but now his thoughts were spinning again, full of implications and possibilities.Many heartbeats passed, and so desperate was Brother Anthus to hear the creature’s telepathic music once more that he couldn’t even register the pain the stones of the floor were causing to his bony knees.“Please,” he whispered aloud, then more insistently and loudly, “Please!”He shook his head vigorously in denial against his growing fear that he had wanted this to happen so badly, he had tricked himself into hearing it.
“Snakes don’t herd.”“That was a herd of snakes,” Dahlia quickly retorted.“A bed of snakes,” the ranger corrected, but half-heartedly, for her point was well taken.Drizzt shook his head, not quite accepting it.Snakes did collect in the winter, of course—the drow had found many such dens in his travels, some containing thousands of the creatures.But he had never seen such a hunting pack as they had just encountered, and had never heard of a coordinated snake attack!“Magically conjured?” Dahlia asked, and that sounded right to Drizzt, until Entreri chimed in.“Babies.”“Babies?” Dahlia echoed doubtfully, stating the obvious, for how could a six-foot snake be a baby?But it was the way Entreri had said it that had both Drizzt, and Dahlia, despite her argument, turning his way, then following his gaze.To the mother.In a small room lit by a single candle, Brother Anthus sat cross-legged on the bare floor.His eyes were closed, his hands resting on the cool stone beside his legs, palms facing upward.Softly, the monk chanted, moaned even, as he focused on his deep inhalation and exhalation, using that rising and falling movement of his belly to clear his swirling thoughts, to find a place of deep peace and emptiness.This was his only refuge, and even it, at first, seemed not a place of serenity.Should he travel to Waterdeep and alert the lords that the Netheril Empire was gaining a stronghold just north of them?Images of that road, fleeting glimpses of the trouble he would have slipping away unnoticed, or of the consequences should Herzgo Alegni’s many soldiers capture him before he got away, assailed him.And if he went, of course, he could not return to Neverwinter unless and until Alegni had been thrown down and the agents of Netheril routed.One by one, Brother Anthus patted down those thoughts.He felt the rise and fall of his belly.And what of Arunika?Where had the woman found such strength as he had witnessed firsthand at her cottage?How could a small woman survive so casually outside the city walls, anyway?The region was full of wild things, and evil things, coordinated like the Thayans, or rogue bandits, goblinkin, or owlbears.Brother Anthus saw the image of Arunika and gradually pushed it away.He felt the rise and fall of his belly.What did Herzgo Alegni think of him?Did the warlord even know who he was?And what of Jelvus Grinch—what of value might Anthus bring to Jelvus Grinch to get the man to properly introduce him to the Netherese warlord?In his mind, Alegni and Grinch stood side by side, smiling back at him, but not a grin of friendship.More likely, he knew, they were mocking him and would allow him no ascent within the ranks of the city, for what of value might he offer, indeed?But those two, too, receded, pushed back by the deepening emptiness of Brother Anthus.He felt the rise and fall of his belly.And that was all.There was no more.He had chased away the thoughts, the tumult, the uncertainty.Now he simply was.An empty vessel, at peace and contented, and the outside world didn’t matter.Time didn’t matter, and didn’t register to him.Just the rise and fall of his belly, the cool emptiness.Then he felt the twinge.It was not a memory, not an internal thought, not a question needing to be answered.His belly rose softly, and the cool darkness of his mediation saw a flash, a flicker, an intrusion.Brother Anthus had seen this before, of course, and now he fought hard to maintain his detachment, to mute the noise.This was a state of reception, with his involuntary filters and noise shut down.But it wasn’t that easy, for he had felt this type of twinge before and he knew what it meant, and knew its source, generally, at least.He had to stay in his purely receptive state to keep hearing it, he knew, but how could he, given the implications that he had heard it at all?And if he followed that line of reasoning on those implications, and the potential, he would lose it all.You are deceiving yourself, his thoughts scolded.You want it too badly.But no, it was there, one more time, and he knew what it was.The Sovereignty.An aboleth!Brother Anthus’s belly rose and fell more quickly, then, as he began to gasp for breath.His eyes opened wide and he unwound his legs and quickly scrambled to his knees, hands coming before him in a motion of supplication.Give me this, he silently prayed to his god, for he wanted the Sovereignty back, needed it back.Mentally he reached out for the signal, but now his thoughts were spinning again, full of implications and possibilities.Many heartbeats passed, and so desperate was Brother Anthus to hear the creature’s telepathic music once more that he couldn’t even register the pain the stones of the floor were causing to his bony knees.“Please,” he whispered aloud, then more insistently and loudly, “Please!”He shook his head vigorously in denial against his growing fear that he had wanted this to happen so badly, he had tricked himself into hearing it.
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dnd397
He struggled to his feet, his knees popping, and he staggered stiff-legged for the doorway to exit the small chamber.He burst out into the temple’s main chapel, holding the door jamb for support, his gaze wildly darting around the dimly candlelit room as if expecting a visitor to be waiting for him.But it was just him in the chapel.And now, too, it was just him, alone in his thoughts.Denying that obvious reality, with his eyes wet with tears, Anthus rushed for the outer door.“Please!” he said over and over again, and he stumbled out onto the street, wearing nothing but his loincloth, in the cold air and sparkling stars of a late autumn Neverwinter night.Brother Anthus wandered the streets aimlessly, begging and pleading, crying and wailing, shaking his fist and shouting of betrayal, and whether out of fear that the man had gone mad, or simply through lack of care, not a shade or a citizen went to retrieve him.More than once, he thought he heard the sweet sound of an aboleth’s voice again, though it seemed to be about him and not directed at him, and Anthus folded up and fell to his knees once more, right in the middle of a wide, four-way intersection.Apparently oblivious of his surroundings, of the many curious gazes that came his way, Brother Anthus began to chant.He felt the rise and fall of his belly.“I need more,” Herzgo Alegni implored the red blade.He had felt a sensation, a flicker, a feeling that his assassin was somewhere around, not too far.Claw’s hold on the man known as Barrabus was, in truth, limited, and was curtailed even more by distance.Fortunately for Alegni, the dangerous little man had never caught on to this truth.In those situations that truly mattered, where Barrabus wanted to strike out against Alegni, Claw was quite effective.It could warn of, and react to, Barrabus the Gray’s strikes before Barrabus the Gray ever made them.The span of time between thinking of a strike and executing it was exceedingly small to an outside observer.But Claw observed from the inside, and those fleeting fractions of a heartbeat were much longer within the universe of thought in which Claw resided.The sword didn’t answer Alegni’s call just then, and that brought a frown to the hulking tiefling’s red-skinned and devilish face.“Where is he?” the warlord asked directly.“Where is your slave?”In reply, the tiefling was given the impression that Barrabus was near, but he felt something else, then, something more.In the distance, Alegni heard screaming, a desperate plea of “Please!” shouted over and over again in the Neverwinter night.He dismissed it as unimportant—likely one of the new shade soldiers had encountered one of the pathetic citizens, to bad end for the citizen.He focused once more on the red-bladed sword and this other sensation.There was energy in the air, he understood.Telepathic energy.Herzgo Alegni leaned back in the chair on his balcony, suddenly concerned.The idea of Barrabus—Artemis Entreri—coming back into the city didn’t bother him at all, even if the man was accompanied by Dahlia and that drow ranger who had joined by her side.To Alegni, they might prove an inconvenience, but more likely an opportunity.Not Dahlia, of course.She would have to be captured and tortured, and likely killed, but as long as he held this sword, Barrabus couldn’t hurt him.Of that Alegni was sure.But what of this other power?He was sensing it now because Claw was sensing it.What might it be?
He struggled to his feet, his knees popping, and he staggered stiff-legged for the doorway to exit the small chamber.He burst out into the temple’s main chapel, holding the door jamb for support, his gaze wildly darting around the dimly candlelit room as if expecting a visitor to be waiting for him.But it was just him in the chapel.And now, too, it was just him, alone in his thoughts.Denying that obvious reality, with his eyes wet with tears, Anthus rushed for the outer door.“Please!” he said over and over again, and he stumbled out onto the street, wearing nothing but his loincloth, in the cold air and sparkling stars of a late autumn Neverwinter night.Brother Anthus wandered the streets aimlessly, begging and pleading, crying and wailing, shaking his fist and shouting of betrayal, and whether out of fear that the man had gone mad, or simply through lack of care, not a shade or a citizen went to retrieve him.More than once, he thought he heard the sweet sound of an aboleth’s voice again, though it seemed to be about him and not directed at him, and Anthus folded up and fell to his knees once more, right in the middle of a wide, four-way intersection.Apparently oblivious of his surroundings, of the many curious gazes that came his way, Brother Anthus began to chant.He felt the rise and fall of his belly.“I need more,” Herzgo Alegni implored the red blade.He had felt a sensation, a flicker, a feeling that his assassin was somewhere around, not too far.Claw’s hold on the man known as Barrabus was, in truth, limited, and was curtailed even more by distance.Fortunately for Alegni, the dangerous little man had never caught on to this truth.In those situations that truly mattered, where Barrabus wanted to strike out against Alegni, Claw was quite effective.It could warn of, and react to, Barrabus the Gray’s strikes before Barrabus the Gray ever made them.The span of time between thinking of a strike and executing it was exceedingly small to an outside observer.But Claw observed from the inside, and those fleeting fractions of a heartbeat were much longer within the universe of thought in which Claw resided.The sword didn’t answer Alegni’s call just then, and that brought a frown to the hulking tiefling’s red-skinned and devilish face.“Where is he?” the warlord asked directly.“Where is your slave?”In reply, the tiefling was given the impression that Barrabus was near, but he felt something else, then, something more.In the distance, Alegni heard screaming, a desperate plea of “Please!” shouted over and over again in the Neverwinter night.He dismissed it as unimportant—likely one of the new shade soldiers had encountered one of the pathetic citizens, to bad end for the citizen.He focused once more on the red-bladed sword and this other sensation.There was energy in the air, he understood.Telepathic energy.Herzgo Alegni leaned back in the chair on his balcony, suddenly concerned.The idea of Barrabus—Artemis Entreri—coming back into the city didn’t bother him at all, even if the man was accompanied by Dahlia and that drow ranger who had joined by her side.To Alegni, they might prove an inconvenience, but more likely an opportunity.Not Dahlia, of course.She would have to be captured and tortured, and likely killed, but as long as he held this sword, Barrabus couldn’t hurt him.Of that Alegni was sure.But what of this other power?He was sensing it now because Claw was sensing it.What might it be?
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dnd398
Who or what was coming to threaten his hold on Neverwinter?He got nothing more from the sword, then, and eventually gave up and slid the red blade back into its loop on his belt.He considered going to Effron—surely a necromancer would be more attuned to such mystical energies as he had sensed—but only briefly, for how could Alegni be sure that the source of this energy was not the twisted warlock himself?In the end, the tiefling simply sighed and let it go.He glanced at the decorated pommel of his wondrous sword, and wondered if he had even really sensed something external to Claw at all.Perhaps it had been Claw’s energies, reaching out in search of Barrabus, that he had inadvertently intercepted.He looked out at the wider city, at the multitude of checkpoints and sentry positions he had enacted about Neverwinter.Barrabus and his new friends, if they were indeed Barrabus’s allies, weren’t getting past that wall without Alegni knowing about it.He scanned the darkened city, eyes roving from firelight to firelight, torch to torch.Nothing seemed amiss or out of the ordinary.Alegni nodded, satisfied, collected his sword and the boots he had just removed, and went back into his room, hoping to get a half-night’s sleep before the dawn.The huge serpent, its body as thick as a large man’s chest, lifted its massive head off the floor to stare into the eyes of the three invaders to its sewer realm.“Fan out,” Drizzt told his companions, Entreri to the right of him, Dahlia to his left.“Widen out.We have to flank that maw.”He ended with a gasp as the giant snake head snapped at him, lightning fast.His first thought was to block with his blades, but how ridiculous that notion seemed to him in the face of the opened maw, a mouth large enough to swallow him whole, flying at him with the power of a charging horse!Instinct took over and the drow desperately dodged aside, and the air rippled as the snake head snapped past him so powerfully that the shock alone nearly knocked Drizzt from his feet.He held his balance, but the snake recoiled too quickly for the drow to strike it on its retreat.“We cannot fight that,” Dahlia whispered, and Drizzt caught more than pragmatism in her defeated tone, and when he glanced at the fighter, at this elf who reveled in battle, he saw her arms slipping down helplessly, as if in surrender.He looked back to the giant snake, to the huge head swerving tantalizingly side to side, to the black eyes looking back at him, looking right through him, mocking him with their power.Many heartbeats passed.It occurred to Drizzt more than once that Dahlia was correct here, that they couldn’t fight this great creature.The snake was far above them, far too great a foe.And it didn’t want to kill them.That truth seemed obvious, and made perfect sense—until Drizzt managed to step back from the obviousness and actually think about it.Only then did the drow widen his view around the great serpent, to see a half-dozen other people flanking the snake, contentedly.Contentedly.There they were, human citizens of Neverwinter, along with a pair of Shadovar, all unarmed and standing beside the serpent as if it was their friend.Or master.Drizzt glanced left and right.Dahlia had dropped Kozah’s Needle, and stood shaking her head helplessly, and Entreri, perhaps the most fearless man Drizzt had ever met, a warrior who only got angrier and more ferocious when faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, rolling his sword and dirk nervously and hardly even looking at the giant creature.Drizzt knew then that there was no need to fight this creature.Indeed, they couldn’t hope to win, or even survive, if they engaged in such a futile battle.Nay, the better course was to simply surrender to its obvious godlike qualities, to accept the reality of their inferiority and live happily beside this living deity.There would be pleasure and peace.Drizzt felt his scimitars slipping down by his sides.He was lost.All was lost.Her thoughts were pried open and flying free.Dahlia recognized this, but it seemed natural, and the intimacy created in such a shared moment seemed somehow warm and inviting.This creature before her, this god, understood her.
Who or what was coming to threaten his hold on Neverwinter?He got nothing more from the sword, then, and eventually gave up and slid the red blade back into its loop on his belt.He considered going to Effron—surely a necromancer would be more attuned to such mystical energies as he had sensed—but only briefly, for how could Alegni be sure that the source of this energy was not the twisted warlock himself?In the end, the tiefling simply sighed and let it go.He glanced at the decorated pommel of his wondrous sword, and wondered if he had even really sensed something external to Claw at all.Perhaps it had been Claw’s energies, reaching out in search of Barrabus, that he had inadvertently intercepted.He looked out at the wider city, at the multitude of checkpoints and sentry positions he had enacted about Neverwinter.Barrabus and his new friends, if they were indeed Barrabus’s allies, weren’t getting past that wall without Alegni knowing about it.He scanned the darkened city, eyes roving from firelight to firelight, torch to torch.Nothing seemed amiss or out of the ordinary.Alegni nodded, satisfied, collected his sword and the boots he had just removed, and went back into his room, hoping to get a half-night’s sleep before the dawn.The huge serpent, its body as thick as a large man’s chest, lifted its massive head off the floor to stare into the eyes of the three invaders to its sewer realm.“Fan out,” Drizzt told his companions, Entreri to the right of him, Dahlia to his left.“Widen out.We have to flank that maw.”He ended with a gasp as the giant snake head snapped at him, lightning fast.His first thought was to block with his blades, but how ridiculous that notion seemed to him in the face of the opened maw, a mouth large enough to swallow him whole, flying at him with the power of a charging horse!Instinct took over and the drow desperately dodged aside, and the air rippled as the snake head snapped past him so powerfully that the shock alone nearly knocked Drizzt from his feet.He held his balance, but the snake recoiled too quickly for the drow to strike it on its retreat.“We cannot fight that,” Dahlia whispered, and Drizzt caught more than pragmatism in her defeated tone, and when he glanced at the fighter, at this elf who reveled in battle, he saw her arms slipping down helplessly, as if in surrender.He looked back to the giant snake, to the huge head swerving tantalizingly side to side, to the black eyes looking back at him, looking right through him, mocking him with their power.Many heartbeats passed.It occurred to Drizzt more than once that Dahlia was correct here, that they couldn’t fight this great creature.The snake was far above them, far too great a foe.And it didn’t want to kill them.That truth seemed obvious, and made perfect sense—until Drizzt managed to step back from the obviousness and actually think about it.Only then did the drow widen his view around the great serpent, to see a half-dozen other people flanking the snake, contentedly.Contentedly.There they were, human citizens of Neverwinter, along with a pair of Shadovar, all unarmed and standing beside the serpent as if it was their friend.Or master.Drizzt glanced left and right.Dahlia had dropped Kozah’s Needle, and stood shaking her head helplessly, and Entreri, perhaps the most fearless man Drizzt had ever met, a warrior who only got angrier and more ferocious when faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, rolling his sword and dirk nervously and hardly even looking at the giant creature.Drizzt knew then that there was no need to fight this creature.Indeed, they couldn’t hope to win, or even survive, if they engaged in such a futile battle.Nay, the better course was to simply surrender to its obvious godlike qualities, to accept the reality of their inferiority and live happily beside this living deity.There would be pleasure and peace.Drizzt felt his scimitars slipping down by his sides.He was lost.All was lost.Her thoughts were pried open and flying free.Dahlia recognized this, but it seemed natural, and the intimacy created in such a shared moment seemed somehow warm and inviting.This creature before her, this god, understood her.
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dnd399
It saw her deepest pain and greatest fears.It stripped her naked before it, for it and all to see, and there, open and without secret, she felt … free.This was no enemy.This was salvation!Her pain lay bare before her, the rape, her guilt, her terrifying and evil choice to murder her child, the source of her rage, the multitude of dead lovers—and wouldn’t Drizzt sit atop that pile of corpses?Or wouldn’t he be strong enough to kill her instead, and free her?That was the point, after all!But perhaps, she realized now, she didn’t need that extreme, that suicide-by-lover approach to ending her pain.Perhaps the answer was here, before her, within reach, in the dark eyes of this knowing, brilliant creature.His thoughts were pried open and flying free.Entreri recognized this, but it seemed natural, and the intimacy created in such a shared moment seemed somehow warm and inviting.This creature before him, this god, understood him.It saw his deepest pain and greatest fears.It stripped him naked before it, for it and all to see, and there, open and without secret, he felt … free.This was no enemy.This was salvation!Entreri, ever guarded, instinctively recoiled, though.How could he not?He, who had lived a life of lies, even from himself, he who had lived in the shadows of fabrication and denial, suddenly found an abrupt reversal—and not just from this creature, as he had with Charon’s Claw, but opened to all within the collective “family” the creature was now offering to him.His guards went up without a conscious thought to them.His memories floated before him anyway: the childhood betrayal by his mother, the ultimate betrayal of his uncle and those others, the dirt of Calimport’s streets.He felt a violation, as he had known as a child, of the most intimate and damaging sort.He faced it again, or tried to, but he realized something … something quite unexpected.Entreri lost his own contemplations to a moment of surprise, and glanced over at Dahlia, and she at him.Naked, joined, with no place to hide.His thoughts were pried open and flying free.Unlike his companions, though, Drizzt Do’Urden knew this type of intrusion, and recognized almost immediately the subtle trickery, the willing slavery.During his days wandering the Underdark, after abandoning Menzoberranzan, Drizzt had been seduced in just such a manner—logical promises and wondrous carefree visions of life in Paradise—by the illithids, the wretched mind flayers.Obediently and lovingly, Drizzt and his companions had massaged the hive mind of the illithid community.He had traveled this same road before, had fallen victim to it, his identity stolen away.Determined never to face such slavery again, Drizzt had trained himself to resist—with a wall of anger.In light of that terrible experience, it wasn’t hard for Drizzt to build that wall once more, almost instantly.He slowly and subtly reached into his pouch and grasped the onyx figurine, quietly calling for Guenhwyvar, and like his subdued companions, he lowered his blades and began to walk slowly and unthreateningly toward the mesmerizing beast.Every step proved a labor, for the intrusion was strong here, truly powerful.Drizzt had learned painfully how to battle it, and still he doubted he could resist.Or perhaps even worse, that he could resist without tipping his hand.He saw the many images floating around him, and had he found a moment free of the demands of discipline, he might have been surprised to glimpse the deep secrets of his companions, particularly those of Dahlia, particularly the one that had him lying dead atop a pile of the corpses of former lovers.But to go there and take in the view would have meant that his thoughts, too, floated free, and thus, that he, too, would be trapped by the telepathic web.He stayed behind the wall, strengthened it with every step.He remembered his terrible experience with the illithids.Only one thing had saved him then.He felt himself beginning to slip, felt the tendrils of another mind, this godlike snake’s mind, reaching into his deepest thoughts.He thought of Catti-brie and Bruenor, of Belwar and of Clacker, of Zaknafein and of Regis and Wulfgar, of lost friends and those who had given him his identity.This intruder would steal all of his memories, he told himself repeatedly, strengthening the wall of anger.For without those memories, Drizzt Do’Urden had nothing.His walk slowed to a halt, his blades dipped because he could not raise them.Out of the periphery of his vision, left and right, he noted that Entreri and Dahlia had begun eyeing him suspiciously, even threateningly.This deity had recognized his resistance and his deception, he knew, and would turn his own companions upon him.“No!” Drizzt yelled, one last act of defiance, and he fell back and forced his blades to the ready.Both Dahlia and Entreri turned on him, weapons moving as if to strike, and Drizzt had to face the possibility of killing his lover, and of killing Entreri, this one tie to a past he desperately missed.It all happened so quickly, though, that those thoughts barely registered as anything more than fleeting regrets, and purely on instinct, the drow struck hard, Twinkle backhanding away a stab of Kozah’s Needle, Icingdeath keeping Entreri at bay.He could win, for they were not fighting as Entreri and Dahlia, but as controlled shells of those magnificent warriors, as mere pawns to the god-snake.He could not win, he realized immediately after, for in addition to these two, there remained the other slaves, and worse, the giant snake itself, a foe he doubted he could beat.A foe he knew he could not beat.A foe so far beyond him that it mocked him for even thinking he could defeat it, or even resist it!The subtle web closed in as Entreri and Dahlia backed off, and Drizzt lost again, and would be lost, fully so, as he had been to the illithids as a young rogue, a century before.All the discipline, all the rage, could not win.Not against a god.Besides, Drizzt then realized, life would be good in the service of this all-knowing creature.
It saw her deepest pain and greatest fears.It stripped her naked before it, for it and all to see, and there, open and without secret, she felt … free.This was no enemy.This was salvation!Her pain lay bare before her, the rape, her guilt, her terrifying and evil choice to murder her child, the source of her rage, the multitude of dead lovers—and wouldn’t Drizzt sit atop that pile of corpses?Or wouldn’t he be strong enough to kill her instead, and free her?That was the point, after all!But perhaps, she realized now, she didn’t need that extreme, that suicide-by-lover approach to ending her pain.Perhaps the answer was here, before her, within reach, in the dark eyes of this knowing, brilliant creature.His thoughts were pried open and flying free.Entreri recognized this, but it seemed natural, and the intimacy created in such a shared moment seemed somehow warm and inviting.This creature before him, this god, understood him.It saw his deepest pain and greatest fears.It stripped him naked before it, for it and all to see, and there, open and without secret, he felt … free.This was no enemy.This was salvation!Entreri, ever guarded, instinctively recoiled, though.How could he not?He, who had lived a life of lies, even from himself, he who had lived in the shadows of fabrication and denial, suddenly found an abrupt reversal—and not just from this creature, as he had with Charon’s Claw, but opened to all within the collective “family” the creature was now offering to him.His guards went up without a conscious thought to them.His memories floated before him anyway: the childhood betrayal by his mother, the ultimate betrayal of his uncle and those others, the dirt of Calimport’s streets.He felt a violation, as he had known as a child, of the most intimate and damaging sort.He faced it again, or tried to, but he realized something … something quite unexpected.Entreri lost his own contemplations to a moment of surprise, and glanced over at Dahlia, and she at him.Naked, joined, with no place to hide.His thoughts were pried open and flying free.Unlike his companions, though, Drizzt Do’Urden knew this type of intrusion, and recognized almost immediately the subtle trickery, the willing slavery.During his days wandering the Underdark, after abandoning Menzoberranzan, Drizzt had been seduced in just such a manner—logical promises and wondrous carefree visions of life in Paradise—by the illithids, the wretched mind flayers.Obediently and lovingly, Drizzt and his companions had massaged the hive mind of the illithid community.He had traveled this same road before, had fallen victim to it, his identity stolen away.Determined never to face such slavery again, Drizzt had trained himself to resist—with a wall of anger.In light of that terrible experience, it wasn’t hard for Drizzt to build that wall once more, almost instantly.He slowly and subtly reached into his pouch and grasped the onyx figurine, quietly calling for Guenhwyvar, and like his subdued companions, he lowered his blades and began to walk slowly and unthreateningly toward the mesmerizing beast.Every step proved a labor, for the intrusion was strong here, truly powerful.Drizzt had learned painfully how to battle it, and still he doubted he could resist.Or perhaps even worse, that he could resist without tipping his hand.He saw the many images floating around him, and had he found a moment free of the demands of discipline, he might have been surprised to glimpse the deep secrets of his companions, particularly those of Dahlia, particularly the one that had him lying dead atop a pile of the corpses of former lovers.But to go there and take in the view would have meant that his thoughts, too, floated free, and thus, that he, too, would be trapped by the telepathic web.He stayed behind the wall, strengthened it with every step.He remembered his terrible experience with the illithids.Only one thing had saved him then.He felt himself beginning to slip, felt the tendrils of another mind, this godlike snake’s mind, reaching into his deepest thoughts.He thought of Catti-brie and Bruenor, of Belwar and of Clacker, of Zaknafein and of Regis and Wulfgar, of lost friends and those who had given him his identity.This intruder would steal all of his memories, he told himself repeatedly, strengthening the wall of anger.For without those memories, Drizzt Do’Urden had nothing.His walk slowed to a halt, his blades dipped because he could not raise them.Out of the periphery of his vision, left and right, he noted that Entreri and Dahlia had begun eyeing him suspiciously, even threateningly.This deity had recognized his resistance and his deception, he knew, and would turn his own companions upon him.“No!” Drizzt yelled, one last act of defiance, and he fell back and forced his blades to the ready.Both Dahlia and Entreri turned on him, weapons moving as if to strike, and Drizzt had to face the possibility of killing his lover, and of killing Entreri, this one tie to a past he desperately missed.It all happened so quickly, though, that those thoughts barely registered as anything more than fleeting regrets, and purely on instinct, the drow struck hard, Twinkle backhanding away a stab of Kozah’s Needle, Icingdeath keeping Entreri at bay.He could win, for they were not fighting as Entreri and Dahlia, but as controlled shells of those magnificent warriors, as mere pawns to the god-snake.He could not win, he realized immediately after, for in addition to these two, there remained the other slaves, and worse, the giant snake itself, a foe he doubted he could beat.A foe he knew he could not beat.A foe so far beyond him that it mocked him for even thinking he could defeat it, or even resist it!The subtle web closed in as Entreri and Dahlia backed off, and Drizzt lost again, and would be lost, fully so, as he had been to the illithids as a young rogue, a century before.All the discipline, all the rage, could not win.Not against a god.Besides, Drizzt then realized, life would be good in the service of this all-knowing creature.
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