Chapter #1174
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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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+ THE BRIGHT ALLIANCE +
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+ Alindyar 18th level dark elven wizard +
+ Lyra 14th level female drow wizard +
+ Belphanior 18th/18th/18th level elven fighter/wizard/thief +
+ Hope 16th level female human wizard +
+ Poulos 8th level human warrior +
+ Irina 14th/7th level female human priestess/warrior +
+ Otto 12th/14th level dwarven fighter/thief +
+ Paige 13th level human female warrior +
+ Razor Charlie 12th level human fighter +
+ Skektek 14th level human wizard +
+ Ys 14th level reptilian fighter +
+ Cespedes 19th level human wizard, elementalist +
+ 50 stone warriors +
+ iron dwarf insane, armored berserker +
+ Dexitheseus 17th level human wizard, jack of all trades +
+ earth elemental +
+ Kronos ancient lich wizard +
+ skeletal infantry (99 skeletal warriors w/armor and weapons) +
+ Pallin 18th level grey elven wizard, teleporter +
+ Socrates large albino hound +
+ Parekh 18th level female human wizard, innovator +
+ Drak 15th level human barbarian +
+ Wu 18th level human wizard, transmuter +
+ 6 elite ogre magi +
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+ CURRENT ALLIES +
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+ Adolphus 8th level half-ogre warrior +
+ Damien small, renegade imp +
+ Peyton 9th level gnome thief +
+ Rogar 8th level human priest of Olidammara +
+ Sylus 7th/7th level dark elf warrior/thief +
+ Wembly 7th level human wizard +
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+ Date: 7/20/586 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: midmorning +
+ Place: outside the ruins of Utaa, within the Bright Desert +
+ Climate: hot and dry +
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+ "Risk is the price of progress." +
+ - Gene Kranz, NASA Flight Director for the Gemini +
+ and Apollo programs +
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MCLXXIV. Cursed Realm
After an initial discussion, a week for Cespedes to gather and bolster
his force of animated stone warriors, and some further refining of the
plan and its various participants...the time has come. Using a massive
portal opened by Pallin, the entirety of the attack force (assembled in
the early hours of the morning in the Brass Hills) has stepped out into
the desert sands at the edge of the ruins of fallen Sulm's capital city,
Utaa.
Belphanior: Well, this is it.
Kronos: (surveys the scene)
Before them were a number of structures of various sizes but the same
general appearance, pointed at the top. There were perhaps two dozen of
these, ranging in height from ten feet to fifty. Vague shapes on their
sides suggested former windows, but those - like every inch of every
building here - were covered in sand which shifted with every gust of
the harsh desert wind.
Alindyar: (studying some of the vague shapes) These are not buildings.
They are actually the tops of towers.
Kronos: Agreed. The actual streets of once-great Utaa doubtless lie a
hundred feet or more below the sands.
Wu: This is much like the Sea of Dust.
Belphanior: (nodding) That's for sure.
Pallin: So we must go into one of these...the right one. In, and then
down...into chambers and passages that have been completely sealed from
the desert conditions.
Dexitheseus: And hopefully not have our exit later buried as the sands
shift.
Lyra: (sighs) It is only a matter of which of these towers tops the
ancient palace of Sulm's king. (she turns to Belphanior)
Belphanior: The Seeking Scroll will chart our course. (he holds that
powerful artifact in one hand, chanting arcane words of command)
The scroll began to glow as its power was employed...and a simple map
began forming on its surface. All of the buried structures were shown,
along with a route which started outside the sandblasted towers' peaks,
leading into a particular one - in, and then down.
Lyra: (ESPing to Alindyar) All this time, I assumed that scroll only
indicated direction and distance of the quarry.
Alindyar: (ESPing to Lyra) That is its most basic power. Thanks to
the research of his companion Neera, it was learned that the item can
also map any possible routes to whatever is sought. Had she learned
this earlier than a few days ago, Kronos would not have needed Shemeya
to tell him where the Crown was located.
Lyra: (ESPing to Alindyar) But she had a lot of other information that
was - is - relevant and useful. Such as the fact that the bulk of the
buried palace consists of large, open spaces and wide hallways...which
will allow the troops of Cespedes and Kronos to actually be of use in
this effort.
Alindyar: (ESPing to Lyra) Aye.
Lyra: (ESPing to Alindyar) Still, that scroll is a damn useful thing to
have.
Alindyar: (ESPing to Lyra) Particularly this day.
Belphanior: (to the other wizards) The way is clear. (he points to a
particular tower-top) There.
Kronos: (eyeing the entirety of the assault force) Hmm.
Pallin: Good thing this entire lot isn't descending all at once, and by
conventional means.
As planned previously, there would be three basic ranks, or waves, of
assaulters. First were the foot soldiers: the fifty stone warriors lent
to the cause by Cespedes, and almost twice that many number of skeletal
warriors brought by Kronos. Stone or bone, both of these forces would
never know fear or doubt, would not need rest or sustenance, and perhaps
most importantly would not fall to the deadly, poisonous stingers of any
scorpion-kin. The stony soldiers were armed with an assortment of war-
hammers, axes, maces, or swords while the skeletal troops all carried
fine swords; the latter also wore chain or leather mail armor. The main
purpose of this first force was to deal with mass numbers of scorpions,
and perhaps any undead defenders as well. The small but powerful iron
dwarf, kept in check by Cespedes until the time came to unleash his fury,
also marched in this front contingent.
The second rank was there to augment the first, using magic to destroy
or slow down massed throngs of enemies. They would also hold the line
against any foes that found a gap or broke through. This group consisted
of Belphanior's team and also Peyton's squad of mercenaries. The wizards
(Skektek, Hope, Wembly) would employ their magic, the priests (Irina and
Rogar) would heal and turn undead as necessary, and the various warriors
(who made up the bulk of this rank) would cover and protect the other two
smaller groups. Drak and Wu's six elite ogre magi were part of this row,
as was the hulking earth elemental summoned by Dexitheseus.
The third rank consisted of the nine archmagi, plus a couple of their
more personal guardians (Pallin's pale hound and Parekh's mithril golem).
While they were in the rear, their magic was key to the assault, as they
wielded the most powerful spells and items. The others - particularly
those in the middle grouping - were counting on the powerful wizards to
make tremendous impact and keep the foes from ever getting past the front
rank.
In addition to their impressive array of magic and weapons, every one
of the flesh-and-blood members of the invading force carried several iron
flasks containing useful draughts. These potions could heal wounds and
even counteract the effect of poisons, and would help immensely in dire
situations if one of the priests was not readily available. Neera had
thought of this idea, plundering the sizable store of potions from Rary's
fortress as well as those recovered from the hoard initially stolen from
Belphanior's group. This, in addition to all the lore she had unearthed
and interpreted over the last couple of months, would be Neera's primary
contribution to today's battle - for she, Arusha, and Judhon were not a
part of the assaulting force. A long-buried city full of deadly monsters
was no place for sages and those not used to such battles.
For now, the first rank couldn't lead the way, since whoever went first
needed to have actual intelligence and be able to make decisions quickly
if called for. It was also impractical for all those scores of stony and
skeletal warriors to descend what was likely a narrow staircase one at a
time. Thus, a smaller team would lead the way into the top of the tower
and down, until they could determine the layout of the buried palace as
well as the best way for the bulk of the force to get down there. That
would likely be a sizable but temporary portal between the buried palace
and the surface, courtesy of Pallin's magic. The scouting force would
consist of Belphanior, Otto, Skektek, Irina, and Ys as well as Kronos,
Pallin, and a wizard-eye from Parekh; everyone else would stay outside
and above until that initial descent was complete. The Seeking Scroll
showed a huge chamber, likely an audience hall of some sort, below the
tower. There were still a number of other passages and rooms between it
and the crown, according to the route shown on the scroll, so Belphanior
was fairly confident that Shattados himself didn't await them in that
first hall.
Belphanior: (to Parekh) If he does, you'll see it through the wizard-eye
and can act accordingly. (to the smaller team) Let's go.
With that, the chosen seven (plus Parekh's invisible, floating eye) made
their way ahead, to the particular sand-covered structure indicated on the
scroll.
Belphanior: (eyeing the immense amount of sand that covers the tower-top)
Hmm.
Otto: (frowns) I didn't bring a shovel that's big enough for this-
Dexitheseus: Allow me. (he says something to the earth elemental)
earth elemental: (lumbers over, its steps unhindered by the ankle-deep
sand in this entire area)
The otherworldly being had a special affinity for - and substantial
power over - all things earthen...including the millions upon millions of
grains of fine sand that blocked the way into this buried building. That
same sand shifted and parted at its command, soon revealing a large, dirty
window, its glass badly scratched and scoured by countless years exposed
in the desert.
earth elemental: (moves aside)
Belphanior: (studies the window with both his experience and his magical
methods, then reaches out and slowly, carefully pulls it open)
And with that, the small advance force entered the ancient tower and
made ready to descend to its bottom levels...where they would then find
themselves in the vast series of chambers and halls beneath the desert.
next: the ruins of the royal palace of Utaa...and its guardians
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: 11/1/2024
notes: This dungeon and the battles that happen within are surely
going to take a while to write. This will be daunting!
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