Chapter #1155
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+ THE ADVENTURERS +
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+ Epic VI +
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+ Many of the locations, non-player characters, spells, and other +
+ terms used in these stories are the property of Wizards of the Coast +
+ which has in no way endorsed or authorized their use. Any such +
+ property contained within these stories are not representative of +
+ Wizards of the Coast in any fashion. +
+ The player characters depicted in these stories are copyright +
+ 1991-2024 by Thomas A. Miller. Any resemblance to any persons +
+ or characters either real or fictional is utterly coincidental. +
+ Copying and/or distribution of these stories is permissible under +
+ the sole condition that no money is made in the process. In that +
+ case, I hope you enjoy them! +
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+ Otto 12th/14th level dwarven fighter/thief +
+ Hope 16th level female human wizard +
+ Poulos 8th level human warrior +
+ Paige 13th level human female warrior +
+ Razor Charlie 12th level human fighter +
+ Ys 14th level reptilian fighter +
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+ Damien small, renegade imp +
+ Rogar 10th level human priest of Olidammara +
+ Sylus 8th/10th level dark elf warrior/thief +
+ Wembly 10th level human wizard +
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+ Date: 6/20/586 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: early morning +
+ Place: the northwest reaches of the Abbor-Alz hills +
+ Climate: warm and dry +
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+ "What happened?" +
+ "Nothing we can’t fix." +
+ - from _Scarface_ (1983) +
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MCLV. Mending Fences
Morning finds the group - composed of members from both Peyton's and
Belphanior's teams - ready to enter the mine complex.
Sylus: If you need a scout, I can do it. The duergar don't like the
sunlight, and now is the ideal time to use the dawn to our advantage.
Otto: Normally I would, but we don't know what reinforcements or new
defenses they may have put in place. I know it hasn't even been three
days, but these fuckers are crafty. (to Hope) Deploy the eye.
Hope: (nods, and begins spellcasting)
Sylus: (actually relieved to not have to offer up the use of his last
remaining quantity of gaseous-form potion, which he would have done if
it gave him an advantage)
In short order, the sorceress had completed her spell and was now in
deep concentration, her eyes closed.
Damien: (blinks) There's something there. I can't see it, but I know
it's there. (he turns to Hope) What-
Poulos: (holds up one giant hand) Quiet. She needs to focus for this
spell to work.
Damien: (annoyed) Nobody asked you, fatso.
Poulos: (crosses his thick arms, which to be fair are as much muscle as
fat, and wordlessly glares at the imp)
Damien: Hmph.
Paige: To answer your question, small one...she's brought a wizard eye
into being. It's invisible, but it's there, and she's probably moving
it down into the mine. Everything it sees, she will see.
Damien: An eye...for an eye...ah, the irony. (he shrugs, regarding her
more closely) What are you doing with a gang like this, anyway?
Paige: It's...complicated.
Damien: Are you a thief? A priest?
Paige: (slaps the hilt of her sword) Hardly.
Damien: Hey, maybe after all this is over, we could-
Paige: (smirks) You're not my type. (she turns and steps over to Otto
and Sylus, who are reviewing the map of the mines that Sylus made from
memory last night)
Damien: Huh.
Poulos: (smirks, ever so slightly)
Otto and Sylus weren't the only ones who had studied the crude map and
memorized its primary passages and chambers. Hope - possessed of a keen
mind and sharp memory, as befitted a powerful wizard - had committed all
of its details to memory. This now benefitted her greatly as she guided
the magical eye into and through the mines. It made no wrong turns, no
wasted movements; rather, it took the most direct course toward the most
important unknown...the swath of collapsed rubble resulting from the trap
that Adolphus had been told to trigger. As the unseen eye, controlled
from afar by its summoner, neared that immense blockage...it now slowed
as it carefully scrutinized the area.
Simultaneously, outside the mine...
Hope: (opens her eyes) Well, this is interesting.
Otto: What's that?
Hope: A message has been left for us - a suggestion to parley. (she
frowns) We need to get down there in order to proceed.
Sylus: Just like that? (he shakes his head) I, more than any of us,
want to rescue my companions...but this seems overwhelmingly likely to
be a trap.
Hope: The message left was clear, and references your missing friends.
But my enchanted eye-scout cannot speak or communicate...not clearly
and concisely enough for a parley, at least.
Otto: Okay, we'll go, but carefully. (he thinks for a moment) Here's
how it's going to work.
The dwarf had the group spread out across a distance, so that if any
attack did come, it would not affect them all at once. The front rank
consisted of himself, Sylus, Hope, and Poulos. A good hundred feet back
was the second line: Paige, Wembly, and Rogar. The rear guard - Ys and
Razor Charlie - would follow another hundred feet behind. Damien would
be airborne and above the front rank by the time they reached the cave-in
and the message Hope had detected there. And of course, the wizard eye
would periodically be used (when Hope's group paused so that she could
concentrate) to check for activity on the far end.
Under these operational orders, the team entered the mines. Rogar used
more of his crude but effective enchanted spheres to light the way; these
revealed no change since the initial foray three days ago.
Paige: Wow, you guys really did a number on this place. (she notes the
number of small, blackened skeletons in one side chamber) Blasted the
holy hell out of these bastards.
Wembly: (puffs his chest out while covertly staring at hers) My mighty
fireballs made short work of those subhumans.
Paige: (nonchalantly) Don't get too hung up about how great your balls
are, friend. There's always someone else with bigger and more powerful
ones.
Wembly: Err...umm...
Paige: (marches onward, done with the conversation)
Rogar: (chuckles quietly to himself)
Up ahead, the lead team had paused for a few moments...
Otto: Anything?
Hope: (concentrates, her eyes closed) No. All is still quiet at the
rockfall.
Sylus: Onward we go, then. It won't be much longer.
Hope: (opens her eyes) I'm ready.
Poulos: (his curved sword in hand and ready, he carefully scans the area
as they move, ever-alert for danger and ready to protect Hope)
And in the rear rank...
Ys: I know we have two wizards, and I do not doubt Hope's power, but just
the same, I would feel better with Skektek among our ranks.
Razor Charlie: (grimaces) Or Belphanior.
Ys: (nods, eyeing the numerous and sizable scorch marks on the side of
the passage they now move through) Or both.
Despite all of their preparation and caution, absolutely nothing of note
happened from the time they entered the mines to the time the first group
reached the rockfall.
Otto: It's as if they're under orders not to hinder us.
Sylus: (recalling all of the fiery carnage wrought by Wembly's wand of
fire) Whoever's left, at any rate.
Hope: (points) There.
On this side of the swath of collapsed rubble that completely blocked
the large mineshaft, someone had nailed a large sheet of parchment to one
piece of a thick but broken wooden beam.
Hope: It's okay, you can read it. I've already checked it for traps and
magic.
Otto: (takes a step closer) "NO MORE FIGHTING. WE HAVE YOUR COMPANIONS
AND WISH TO PARLEY, NOT JUST FOR THEM BUT FOR AN ALLIANCE WITH THE NEW
RULERS OF THE BRIGHT DESERT."
Sylus: There is some smaller print beneath.
Otto: (takes another step closer to read that line) "If you are reading
this, we will be made aware via magic and will send an emissary to you
momentarily. Please honor the common rules of parley, that he may speak
with you freely and honestly, without conflict."
Otto: Heh. What more can you ask for?
Hope: I'd ask for a dozen skilled wizards, just in case. (she looks
around) I suggest that we fan out and be ready. I'm not sure if this
emissary will teleport in here...or whether they will actually show up
at all...or whether this entire passage will suddenly be filled with
molten lava.
Poulos: A trap, then? A double-cross?
Otto: Could happen. It's what I'd do.
Damien: (flying fifteen feet above, near the ceiling of the shaft) I'm
not gonna miss this, no way. (he hefts his tiny pitchfork, stabbing at
the air with glee) Bring it on!
Otto: (eyes the hovering imp warily) No attacks unless I say so...got
it?
Damien: Yeah, yeah.
Otto: I'm glad we're clear on that. Just follow my lead. If I attack,
you can go to town on the foes. Otherwise, we need to talk.
They were already spreading out, and the second team far behind them
noted this and made similar preparations. If a surprise attack did come,
some of the group would still be able to bring magic and weapons to bear.
Sylus: (drily) Unless the mine's rulers actually _do_ deploy molten
lava.
Hope: (nods at the blockage of rubble, which is now shimmering slightly)
Emissary or lava, something's definitely coming.
Without further words, the four adventurers moved to form a semicircle
around that section of rock...and they focused their attention and weapons
(or in Hope's case, potential offensive magic) on that area of the cave-in.
Moments later, the wall of collapsed rubble rippled, the stone shifting -
and then emitting a single figure.
wizard in medium blue robes: (steps into the large central mineshaft,
regarding the adventurers as if there's absolutely nothing out of the
ordinary about his arrival or their presence)
This fellow was of obvious Baklunish descent, with golden skin and short
closely-cropped black hair. He was of average height and thin build, and
studied the visitors keenly, his greenish-gray eyes sizing them up quickly
and efficiently. His robes were cut from the finest silk, decorated with
intricate hems and sashes in the style of the far western lands.
Sylus: (quietly) This one, I do not know. He was not present in the
earlier battles.
Otto: (nods to the dark elf, then takes a single step toward the wizard)
Greetings.
wizard: (nods, holding his hands out with open palms to convey the idea
that he's neither armed nor working magic) Greetings, and well-met. I
am He Chak, emissary - FORMER emissary - of Rary of Ket, and currently
in service to Father Eye, the ruler of these mines.
Otto: (simply) I am Otto. (he frowns slightly) Just Otto.
He Chak: You are no wizard.
Otto: No, I'm not, but I have a number of good friends who are.
He Chak: (taking note of both Hope and Wembly, as well as the invisible
wizard eye which indicates that at least one of these wizards possesses
substantial ability) I believe you.
Otto: So...you wish to parley?
He Chak: (nods) We have the gnome, and the half-ogre. Although that one
will require some magical intervention. But more importantly, we must
now re-think the alliances that were being forged between Father Eye and
Rary.
Otto: Well, to be honest, there's nothing to re-think. Rary is gone and
he's not coming back. Given his power and experience, I'm sure I don't
have to tell you what that says about those who defeated him.
He Chak: You do not. And I have made my peace with his untimely demise.
(he sighs) Although I cannot say it surprised me. One cannot commit
an act of wanton destruction in the largest city on the continent and
expect to get away with it.
Otto: (thinking that Rary actually might have, had he not attacked and
plundered the lair of the dragon Mesoloth where Belphanior was storing
treasures and companions)
He Chak: Anyhow. Father Eye, whose true nature you now know, was in the
midst of negotiations with Rary...negotiations whose completion would
have ensured mutual cooperation and alliance. Those same discussions
must now happen with the wizards...that you serve, I presume?
Otto: I am a lieutenant, and can speak for the one who leads them. (he
pauses a moment to let that statement sink in, both for this Baklunish
wizard and for himself) I am also empowered to make decisions such as
this. What terms does the beholder seek?
He Chak: For now, simply a truce. Father Eye and his minions will keep
to the mines, and in turn none shall enter or attack this place from
outside. However, in just over two weeks' time - by the first day of
the month of Reaping - a formal discussion must take place, and longer-
term agreement reached. The eye tyrant can offer great sums of precious
metals from these mines, as well as arcane knowledge...including what
lies beneath the mines, and indeed parts of the desert. In return, he
will require assistance securing his domain against certain denizens of
the realm below.
Otto: (stoically) I see.
The dwarf had a lot of practical experience maintaining his demeanor
so as to not give away his true thoughts or reactions - a skill which had
just come in damn handy. He knew that the most valuable resource to be
found anywhere in this blighted wasteland, at least right now, wasn't gold
or silver or magical items but rather knowledge. This wizard had just
dropped a hint that the beholder might potentially know the location of
the Scorpion Crown. That unholy lost artifact, which rested somewhere
beneath the arid sands of the Bright Desert, was the key to ending the
region's ancient curse (and in doing so, also rendering the entire area
more hospitable and useful in the long term.) Otto knew that much from
talking with Belphanior and reading between the lines. There was, of
course, the possibility that the elf or one of his allies might have a
sudden change of heart and seek to use the artifact's powers for their
own ends...but that was a bridge to be crossed when it lay before them.
For now, it was clear that further discussion between Belphanior and
the beholder would be necessary...which meant that the monster had to
survive...which meant that conflict had to be avoided, at least for now.
And that meant agreement to the terms that this wizard had just set out.
Otto: We accept your terms. There shall be peace, and one or more of
the wizards will talk with the beholder sometime in the next two weeks.
He Chak: (nods) Father Eye shall be pleased.
Damien: (hovering above, he clutches his tiny pitchfork loosely, the
prospect of a fight now fading fast) Dammit.
He Chak: I shall return and inform him. And I will maintain scrying on
the outer entrance to the mines, at sunrise every day for the next two
weeks. When your wizards are ready to talk, they need only come there
at that time any day, and I shall go out and greet them.
Otto: Sounds good. (he clears his throat) There is one more thing.
He Chak: Eh?
Otto: It would help - call it an act of good faith - if you could return
the gnome and half-ogre to us. They are...needed for ongoing efforts
in the lands above, and their return is a necessary part of any future
alliance.
He Chak: (blinks) This may be possible. I will see what I can do. If
you will wait here-
Otto: No thanks. We'll wait outside the mines, in the sunlight and open
air.
He Chak: (sighs) Very well. I shall return there within the hour, and
hopefully with your companions.
With that, the wizard turned, cast a spell, and vanished into the mass
of rubble from whence he'd first appeared.
Poulos: Is he some sort of earth-wizard, that he can do that?
Hope: Not at all. It's just a transportation spell, which moved him
through the rock, thus that effect. (to Otto) We should return to the
outside.
Otto: Yup.
A short time later, the group stood well outside the now-scorched hill
that contained multiple entrances into the mines.
Otto: Are we-
Hope: (nods) As far as I can tell, we're not being scried. It's no
guarantee, but given that we chose a random location outside the mines
and that I'm not detecting any such magic being used...I think we're
good.
Otto: And so we wait.
Hope: That was a good bluff, about needing the two prisoners back.
Sylus: That was a bluff?
Otto: (nods) We already know that the beholder needs help, and since
Rary's gone, that help comes from us. Or should I say the group of
wizards. The beholder meant to use our two companions as a bargaining
chip to force that outcome, and it got what it wanted. Besides, it's
already seen a demonstration of our power, thanks to the infiltration
and fireballs.
Wembly: (smugly) It sure has.
Otto: (ignoring the wizard) So freeing them poses little risk. And so
I pushed for that.
Sylus: I see. (he crosses his arms) Well-played.
Paige: It sure as hell was. That took some steel.
Otto: (shrugs) I do what I can, when I can. Besides, we're not in the
habit of leaving companions behind, and I don't intend to start now.
Paige: Damn right. (she retrieves a wineskin and takes a long drink)
Rogar: Hmm, good idea.
Damien: (grumbling about not getting to frolic in any molten lava)
Razor Charlie: (sitting against a large boulder, he rests his eyes)
Otto: (to Hope) What's your take on that wizard?
Hope: He's sharp, and competent - it takes some learning and practice to
be able to travel like he did. (she frowns) But I don't think he was
anywhere near my ability, and definitely not that of Belphanior and the
others. He negotiated well, but I think he'd had some time to prepare
the delivery of his offer.
Otto: Agreed. And it wasn't his offer, it was Father Eye's. He Chak was
just a mouthpiece. And he seemed a bit nervous. I think he fears the
beholder.
Hope: Who wouldn't?
Otto: Maybe we can use that to our advantage. (he gazes up into the
clear blue sky) Hopefully we have an answer about the hostages before
lunchtime. I'd like to get back to our base at Ul-Bakak, and then back
to the Brass Hills. Belphanior needs to hear about all of this.
As it turned out, the dwarf got his wish; within the hour, He Chak had
emerged from the mine entrance, accompanied by Peyton (who looked a bit
bedraggled but also highly relieved) and a now-fleshy Adolphus (who looked
very confused but was otherwise doing well.)
He Chak: I even restored the large smelly one back to his living state
for you.
Hope: It's a good thing he survived the process.
He Chak: (shrugs) He seemed a hardy sort.
Otto: And we thank you, and we thank Father Eye. I will convey the terms
and deadline that we discussed, and I promise you that someone will be
back here to talk further before the month of Reaping begins.
He Chak: (nods) Until then.
Otto: (nods)
With that, the adventurers - one group of which was once more fully
whole - mounted up and departed, beginning the long ride west to Ul-Bakak.
Wembly: (to Rogar) It's a good thing we bought a gigantic extra horse
for Adolphus to ride back on.
Long after they had vanished from sight, He Chak still stood there, his
gaze following the departed visitors. He so badly wanted to be with them,
to get away from the mines, away from Father Eye, away from whatever it
was that lurked in the passages and caverns beneath the mines and worried
the beholder. But he couldn't, because he was now bound to the eye tyrant
and in charge of brokering an alliance with the mysterious new group that
had inherited Rary's claim to the Bright Desert and its environs. After
the discussion with Peyton two days ago, the beholder had soon mandated a
second discussion with just He Chak. In that talk, the monster had made
it clear what he wanted and expected: an agreement with the new group of
wizards that had succeeded Rary, one that would benefit the beholder. If
it happened that He Chak was unable to reach such a deal, then Kaya would
die. If the wizard decided to flee the mines at any time, then Kaya would
die. And if the new allies ended up turning on Father Eye at any point,
then Kaya would die. Given that He Chak had grown quite attached to her
over the last few months, and that before the fall of Rary she had mostly
convinced him that Rary's plans were complete folly...the Baklunish wizard
most definitely did not want to see the young woman perish. Accordingly,
he had thought the eventual discussion through for many long hours, honing
his words and his approach to give himself the greatest chance of success.
It pleased him to no end that his preparations had seemingly paid off
just now. There were serious challenges still to overcome, but for the
time being, both he and Kaya would survive.
He Chak: (knowing he must soon return to the underground chambers, he
enjoys a few last moments of sunlight and wind)
next: we shift to a discussion/update about the many initiatives
map: http://www.peldor.com/world/atlas/bright_desert.jpg
www: http://www.peldor.com/download.html
homepage: http://www.peldor.com/
email: tmiller@peldor.com
released: 6/21/2024
notes: Sometimes, diplomacy can be just as effective as battle. I
want to stress again that both He Chak and Kaya were just NPCs in the
accessory, barely fleshed out with just some basic details and possible
motivations. It's up to the DM (or in my case, the writer) to take the
foundation and build on it as desired. I once did this with another
random NPC from another accessory, way back in 1992...took a thin idea
and made it into something more, or should I say SOMEONE more. The name
of that NPC was Lyra.
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