Chapter #1159
previous chapter (#1158)
next chapter (#1160)
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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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+ Belphanior 18th/18th/18th level elven fighter/wizard/thief +
+ Parekh 18th level female human wizard, innovator +
+ Wu 18th level human wizard, transmuter +
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+ Date: Richfest day 1, after 6/28/586 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: late nighttime +
+ Place: above Istivin, capital of occupied Sterich +
+ Climate: dark and chilly +
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+ "There are killers, and there are killers. To tell you the truth, +
+ they all have a different book of rules. To get away with it +
+ depends on the book of rules you have in your pocket at the +
+ time...your own country, somebody else's country, or your own +
+ personal book of rules." +
+ - Arthur Bishop, from _The Mechanic_ (1972) +
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MCLIX. A Covert Insertion
The magic carpet moved through the night sky without a sound, although
it was so far above the ground that no one would have heard it anyway.
Its three occupants were, for various reasons, unaffected by (or didn't
care about) the cold wind at this height. They were on a mission, and
had almost reached their destination.
Belphanior: (consulting the Seeking Scroll) We're directly over the
royal palace within Istivin. According to this device, the giant known
as King Galmoor is within. Multiple sources have him in charge of all
foes in the kingdom, at this point.
Parekh: (sniffing the air) You can smell the burned buildings, even at
this altitude, even after years.
Wu: The invaders probably never stopped torching things. It's lucky
that they didn't burn down the palace.
Belphanior: When I get done there, they may wish they had...(he gazes
down into the darkness, then turns to Parekh) We'll make the final leg
of the journey by magic.
Parekh: Right. (she frowns) You're sure you want to do it this way?
Belphanior: I am. After Otto told me about the approach the mercenaries
took with the mines and their guards...well, that gave me ideas. This
plan is simple and direct: we'll go down there together and find some
rooftop atop the palace. That way you'll gain familiarity with that
site, making future teleportation there much easier. You come back up
here and rejoin Wu, then you two retreat to the fallback point and wait.
Parekh: Right.
Belphanior: Hmm, this would have been easier if the skyship was still
operational.
Wu: It will be fine. My other magical rug will hold everyone until the
time comes.
The elderly, golden-skinned wizard from the far western regions of the
world did not exaggerate. For this mission, he had lent what was likely
the world's largest flying carpet to the cause. That thick tapestry,
which was an ancient creation of the legendary Wind Dukes, was almost a
hundred feet square and could hold dozens of people and loads of their
equipment. Wu, Parekh, their allies, and Belphanior's team would wait up
there, high in the air and undetectable by hostiles in the city far below,
until any sort of excessive noise, explosion, or similar happened. That
would be an indicator that Belphanior had lost the element of surprise
and had to use destructive magic...at which point Parekh would teleport
everyone others down to whichever rooftop had been identified earlier,
and they would find the elf and join him in engaging the enemy.
Belphanior: Of course, it's also possible that I'll kill my way through
half the castle, one foe at a time, until I find the giant king.
Parekh: It's also possible that you'll somehow be overcome, but quietly,
meaning we won't know you're in trouble.
Belphanior: I'll take the risk. My protections and abilities are...
considerable.
He wasn't kidding. Aside from his long and extensive experience moving
silently, hiding in shadows, and such...the elf had a massive array of
powers and abilities conferred by various magical items. He could view
things with infravision and ultravision, detect magic as well as traps
and secret doors, see things at great distances if needed, and of course
detect nearby souls thanks to his dark blade. Defensively, he would start
his explorations with the protection of stoneskin and missile-resistance
spells; he was also immune to blinding, charm and ESP magic, and fear as
well as being highly resistant to poisons. In times of need, he could
employ his cube of force to protect himself from more powerful attacks.
Offensively, he could hasten himself if the need arose, and use Kronos'
hourglass to stop time if he found himself in a truly dire situation. Of
course, Belphanior's most powerful weapon was his sword Blackrazor; with
it, the elf could essentially heal his own wounds with each successive
foe he dispatched. This grim property of the weapon had proven essential
to his survival on more than one occasion, and would serve him well on
what was essentially one long assassination mission.
And if everything went to hell despite all of these protections and
abilities...there was always the figurine of the three-headed dog, which
would summon that huge, violent, and uncontrollable beast.
Parekh: What are you smiling about?
Belphanior: Eh? Oh, nothing.
Parekh: So if you're able to neutralize the giant-king, you think that
will break the morale of the rest?
Belphanior: I sure hope so. If not, I suppose I'll have to think of
something even more violent, to send a stronger message. We'll see.
Wu: And if you don't come back by dawn?
Belphanior: Then proceed with whatever magic you see fit, remembering
that there are likely prisoners somewhere within the castle.
Parekh: Don't worry. I've already thought about a couple of different
options in case you fail.
Belphanior: (sets his jaw) I'm not going to fail.
Even as they prepared for this assault tonight (and possibly tomorrow
as well, depending on how things went) the army led by Mongo, assembled
in Flen over the last weeks, had started its march westward more than two
days ago. That force had already entered Sterich, the first of the Lost
Lands in need of liberation, and was doubtless encountering resistance
from the giants and humanoids scattered across the fallen kingdom. Soon
after that, word of the attacking forces would certainly make its way
back to Istivin and King Galmoor.
By that time, however - if Belphanior's endeavors in the royal palace
were successful - Galmoor would be slain, hopefully along with any other
key commanders Belphanior could find. A capital city in chaos, without
the leader who had gotten the giants and humanoids where they were, would
only benefit the attacking force headed that way from the Good Hills.
In short order, Belphanior and Parekh cast spells of invisibility and
then flying upon themselves, after which they left Wu and the smaller
enchanted carpet. Descending quickly and quietly through the dark skies,
they soon found themselves above the royal palace. Belphanior checked
various towers, not just for sentries but also traps and magic, and soon
chose one to land on. It wasn't a difficult decision, as there were no
guards anywhere to be seen; this made sense, given that this was the
ruling palace within the ruling city of a land that had been conquered
for years...and also, giants were stupid. Stupid and complacent, which
the elf intended to exploit to lethal effect this very night.
Parekh: (still invisible, she silently lands next to him)
Belphanior: (still invisible himself, he ends that spell so that he
can check the Seeking Scroll one final time) Hm.
The powerful scrying item showed that his quarry - King Galmoor - was
still in the same location several floors below, which was almost surely
his personal chamber but which also suggested that he was asleep. This
potential outcome had been anticipated, and as planned, Belphanior now
held the Seeking Scroll out, for Parekh to take. He no longer needed it
since he had memorized the route to his target, but she could use it to
find the elf later should that become necessary. Without any further
communication, she left the rooftop and began her ascent back to Wu's
flying carpet high above. The plan was now well and truly in motion,
Belphanior mused to himself as he headed toward the pointed top of one
of several towers that opened onto this roof. As often happened to him
in times like this, he found himself possessed of a powerful focus and
clarity of purpose. There were lands to be reclaimed from murderous
scum, and this was the first, and here was the capital, ruled from this
castle by a single foe. The way Belphanior saw things, this was just a
series of dominoes and the first needed to fall in order to set all the
others in motion. And as he'd told his fellow wizards a short time ago,
he had no intention of failing.
next: lethal visitor
map: http://www.peldor.com/world/atlas/bright_desert_1156.jpg
www: http://www.peldor.com/download.html
homepage: http://www.peldor.com/
email: tmiller@peldor.com
released: 7/19/2024
notes: For all his recent altruism and leadership, Belphanior is
still a seasoned and ruthlessly efficient warrior, one who wields a
weapon that literally thrives on murder. He may be closer to true
neutral these days, but when that sword is in his hand at times like
this, he definitely tends toward chaotic neutral (at best). In the
classic words of Judas Priest, some heads are gonna roll.
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next chapter (#1160)