Chapter #99

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                                +
                              +   +
                            +       +
                          +           +
                        +               +
                      +                   +
                    +                       +
                  +      THE ADVENTURERS      +
                    +                       +
                      +                   +
                        +               +
                          +           +
                            +       +
                              +   +
                                +



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+    The various characters contained in these writings are   +
+  copyright 1993 by Thomas Miller.  Any resemblance to any   +
+  persons or characters either real or fictional is utterly  +
+  coincidental.  Copying and/or distribution of these tales  +
+  is permissible only under the sole condition that no part  +
+  of them will be used or sold for profit.  In that case, I  +
+  hope you enjoy them...                                     +
+                                                             +
+                            Thomas Miller                    +
+                            tmiller@cimmeria.gatech.edu      +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+   THE PARTY:                                                +
+                                                             +
+   Alindyar      11th level drow elf mage              (N)   +
+      Lyra        7th level female drow elf mage       (N)   +
+   Belphanior     8th/8th/9th level high elf w/m/t    (CN)   +
+   Ged            9th/9th level grey elf priest/mage  (NG)   +
+      Arnold      7th level human warrior             (NG)   +
+   Mongo          9th level dwarf warrior             (CG)   +
+   Peldor        12th level human thief                (N)   +
+   Rillen         9th level human warrior              (N)   +
*   Flint Firelips (guest)   dwarven warrior                  +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+   Date:    7/28/571 C.Y. (Common Year)                      +
+   Time:    well into the night                              +
+   Place:   the fortress of the vampire lord                 +
+   Climate: cold, especially in the light of the full moon...+
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+   "Shut up!  I'm mad enough to bust something and it        +
+    might be you!  Now I've got questions and I expect       +
+    answers."                                                +
+                                           Colton            +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++





                XCIX.  A Reunion, of Sorts





  As most of the party lies imprisoned within a vampire
lord's castle, the trio of Ged, Peldor, and Lyra have found
the place and snuck in, searching for their lost companions.
Various battles have occurred, Peldor has split up from the
other two, Ged has summoned a fire elemental to help, and
those imprisoned have began trying to figure out what they
can do to help cause trouble for their captors.

Peldor:  (having finally opened a particularly difficult
  door)  HOLY SHIT!  (gazes in wonder at several piles of
  magical and other items, all belonging to the party
  members who were captured)  Hey, this stuff looks awfully
  familiar.  (examines the items)  Everything's here, too.
  Hmm.  Now how in the hell can I cart all this stuff away?
  Ah, maybe I should get only the good stuff...

meanwhile, somewhere nearby...

Mongo:  (watches Rillen strain at his chains without
  moving, as he has been for over ten minutes now)  Ah,
  forget it.  If you can't break 'em, you can't break
  'em.
Rillen:  Nothing is impossible.  (veins stand out on
  his arms and neck, from the effort, mainly because
  of his broken fingers and the resultant pain)  It is
  simply a matter of focusing (ARGH!) the pain.
Flint:  (struggles at his own chains)  These are some
  damned thick chains, you know.
Arnold:  Damb thick chains.
Rillen:  AaaaaaaAAAAARGH!!!  (rips his chain out of its
  grommet in the stone wall, spraying mortar over those
  chained closest to him)  I knew I could do it.
Mongo:  Hey!  You did it!
Rillen:  Of course.
Mongo:  But you were all fucked up, wounded and all...
Rillen:  Mind over matter.  With an iron will, there
  is little which cannot be done.
Mongo:  I guess so.
Rillen:  I know so.  (walks over to Mongo, dragging a
  hefty length of chain with him, since it is still
  manacled around his wrists)  Now, you pull, with my
  help, and we shall break this one too.  But pull
  hard - most of my strength was used in that last
  effort.  (flexes his hands and arms painfully)
Mongo:  Yeah!  And then both of us can help Arnold
  with his, and so on...Yeah!  (they go to work)
Alindyar:  A domino effect.  Make haste.
Belphanior:  (stirs)

meanwhile, somewhere above...

Ged:  (he, Lyra, and the elemental come upon two dead
  ghouls)  I sense the hand of Peldor in this...
Lyra:  Indeed.  (they continue, homing in on Ged's
  Locate Object signal)
Ged:  Hey!  By Boccob!  It's moving!  The item, that is.
fire elemental:  (looks around)
Lyra:  What is this ahead?  (they find a dead wight,
  in front of an open door)
Ged:  (enters a small room)  Shelves, upon shelves.  I
  wonder what it means?  Has Peldor been here?  Why was
  he looting the vampire's treasures?
Lyra:  Who can know?
Lightbringer:  I sense undead coming, from the way we
  just came.  We must fight them!
Ged:  No, we must follow Peldor's trail.  There will be
  plenty of time to fight undead soon.  (they continue
  down the corridor)
fire elemental:  (inadvertently steps on the wight's
  corpse, igniting it with a blaze)

meanwhile, somewhere below...

Rillen:  (having freed Mongo, moves toward Arnold)  We
  could be out of here soon.
ghouls:  (the guards outside the barred door, they see
  what is happening and freak out)  Sssss!  (they open
  the cell door and charge toward Rillen and Mongo)
Arnold:  Look oud!
Mongo:  (whirls, and dodges one ghoul's attack)  Hey!
Rillen:  (whips his chains around, and snares the other
  undead guard, encircling its skinny neck with the thick
  length of chain)  Ungh.  (grunts as he pulls the iron
  chain tight)  Good thing this chain is on my wrists and
  not in my hands.  (veins spring up all over the warrior's
  huge arms)
ghoul:  Ghaaaak!  (tries to get the chain off of its
  neck, as its eyes bulge out)
Mongo:  (swings his chain at the first ghoul)  Get the
  hell out of my way, or I'll bust you good!
ghoul:  (charges)
Flint:  (still chained, but kicks out, knocking the thing
  from its feet)
Mongo:  (pummels the ghoul with all of his strength)
Rillen:  (pulls his length of chain with a final, mighty
  effort, and grunts as the ghoul's head pops off of its
  body)  Whew!  What a pain in the neck _that_ must have
  been.
Mongo:  (mercilessly pounding the other ghoul, soon kills
  it)  Fucker.
Rillen:  (moves to break Arnold free)
Arnold:  Don't worry aboud your hurd fingers, just give
  me a liddle helb, and I'll break these.
Mongo:  (moves to break Flint free)



meanwhile, somewhere above...

Ged:  (they have just stumbled upon a dead zombie at
  the top of some stairs)  At least Peldor left us a
  trail for us to follow.
Lyra:  Indeed he did.  (they descend the stairs)



meanwhile, somewhere close by...

Peldor:  (rounds a corner, and bumps into Rillen)  Wha-
  Hey!  It's you!  Nice loincloth.
Rillen:  (regards the thief grimly)
Mongo:  (emerges from the dark cell)  Not just him.  We
  all made it.  And we're ready to kick some ass.
Arnold:  (emerges, carrying Belphanior)  Yah.
Belphanior:  (whispering)  where's my sword?
Peldor:  What the hell happened to you guys?  (looks at
  the prone Belphanior)  What the hell happened to HIM?
Mongo:  This is a really bad time to ask questions.  If
  you weren't here to help, I'd probably bust you one.
Peldor:  Oh.  (cheerfully)  Well, since there's no doubt
  a large mob of undead on the way here right at this
  very moment-
Mongo:  Who?
Flint:  (he and Alindyar come out too)  Hey there, you
  thief.  Come to rescue us?
Peldor:  Of course.  Here, I've got something you all
  might be interested in...(unfolds a piece of black
  cloth)
Mongo:  My portable hole!  (dives in)  YEAH!
Ged:  (tears around the corner)  What?
Mongo:  Ged!
Ged:  Mongo!
Lyra:  (dashes around the corner)  Alindyar!
Alindyar:  Lyra!  (they embrace)
Flint:  The gang's all here.
fire elemental:  (comes around the corner, confused)
Rillen:  (snaps into a defensive posture)  On guard!
Ged:  No, no, no.  He's with us.  (to the elemental)
  Guard that passage.
fire elemental:  (obeys, standing there, blocking the
  passage)
Mongo:  (begins throwing weapons out of the portable
  hole, while Peldor jumps in and starts handing the
  other items up to eager hands)  Come and get it!
Ged:  Boccob, but we need a plan.  I must heal those
  who need it.  Peldor!  Where are you?
Peldor:  (sticks his head up from the hole)  What?
Ged:  Get up here, and start ringing that healing bell
  you have.  I've got serious work to do.  (prepares
  to cast healing spells)
Peldor:  (moves to comply)  Sure.  Thank me later for
  getting all the items back.
Arnold:  (cheerfully)  Thanks.
Belphanior:  (in a daze, awaits healing)
Rillen:  (also awaits healing)  My fingers...argh.
Ged:  All in due time, my friend.  Hold still.
Alindyar:  (finds his spellbook, and begins speedreading)
  Gods be damned.
fire elemental:  (looks for intruders, while scorching
  the ceiling)
Lightbringer:  (to Ged)  Attention!
Ged:  What?  What?  Can't you see that I'm busy?
Lightbringer:  I sense a large group of undead, above
  and to the left, approaching fast.
Ged:  Boccob!
Lyra:  We don't have much time...(dashes past the fire
  elemental while thinking about spells she can cast to
  delay the coming foes and buy the party some more time)



meanwhile, somewhere further above...

vampire lord:  (striding through a hall briskly)  The
  gods be DAMNED, Igor!
Igor:  Pleassse don't kill me, massster!  (bows and
  dodges)  It wasn't my fault!
vampire lord:  (stops at a barracks)  You!  And you!
  Come with me!
vampiric mage:  (hastens to obey)
vampiric warrior:  (follows silently, bringing a sword)
vampire lord:  Also you!  Both of you!
hairy savage-types:  (two; they follow the retinue as
  the vampire lord descends a grand stairway)
Igor:  (bumped aside by one of the savages)  Wha- oof!
spectre:  (also in this group, floats along at the end
  of the group)  Life energy...life energy!  (looks at
  Igor)
Igor:  Aie!  (runs after his master)  Don't let them
  get me, massster!  I've always been a faithful goon!
  Give me another chance!  Please, massster, please!
vampire lord:  You shall have a chance, Igor.  All you
  have to do is fight the prisoners, when we reach the
  cell block.  Do you think you can perform this one
  simple task?
Igor:  Yes, massster!  Oh, yesssss!
vampire lord:  Good.  (gestures to some shadows within
  a chamber as he passes, and they float out and join
  the force)  When I find those mortal fools...they
  shall suffer a thousand torments!  I will flay them
  alive and then roll them in salt!  They shall DIE!!!





next time :  battle supreme!

ftp site  :  ccosun.caltech.edu, in pub/adnd/fluff/adventurers

notes     :  Ah, it's all coming to a head here.  And the
           Braves are 5 and 2 already as I write this.
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