Chapter #1194
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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 +
+ 1991-2026 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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+ Alindyar 18th level dark elven wizard +
+ Kronos 22nd level lich wizard +
+ Shemeya 19th level human female wizard, from ancient Sulm +
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+ Date: 1/4/587 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: midday +
+ Place: the Brass Hills, within the Bright Desert +
+ Climate: warm and dry +
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+ "She didn't look like a bad person." +
+ "But she isn't an ordinary person, either." +
+ - from _The Twelve Kingdoms_ episode 34 +
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MCXCIV. Eyeing the Enemy
Belphanior and some of the other archmagi had departed the previous day,
heading to the Lost Lands far west and south where they joined with Mongo
to lead the march into occupied Geoff. The remaining archmagi of the
Bright Alliance stayed behind to attend to various matters. In one case,
these tasks included the interrogation of prisoners...
Shemeya: Why are we talking to the beholder first?
Kronos: Because if the discourse doesn't go well, and we end up killing
the monster, then we'll have an empty magical prison to take with us as
we go to visit the blue dragon Volte.
Shemeya: Ah, so the order of these talks does matter.
Kronos: Indeed. These devices are powerful indeed, and we need to arm
ourselves with every possible advantage.
As a group, the wizards of the Bright Alliance possessed two of the
artifacts: Alindyar's currently held the beholder known as Father Eye,
and the one that had previously belonged to the late Cespedes held a monk
who was the last surviving member of the evil adventuring group known as
the Crimson Blades. As it turned out, speaking with the latter was not
a possibility right now - for each of the powerful prisons of Zagyg (as
these cages were known) was attuned to only a single wizard at a time.
Only that individual could control the powers of that cage...so when
Cespedes had perished beneath the desert sands, ready knowledge of his
device's operation had been lost. While the necessary information could
presumably be found within the books and notes of the slain wizard, that
would take some time. It hadn't been a priority until recently, so with
all of the archmagi busy with other and greater things, this task had
been delegated to Neera and she was making good progress with it.
At any rate, Alindyar was the current master of the prison containing
the eye tyrant, and thus he had to be present for any interaction with
the prisoner. The three archmagi were secure within the small iron
fortress that currently served as their base of operations (pending the
completion of core sections of the great fortress-city). Seated around
a large table within, they regarded center of the table and the item
resting there under a small blanket.
Alindyar: It is unfortunate that we lack a means to know whether this
creature is telling the truth or lying...but as the prison renders all
magic and magical powers and effects within nonfunctional, we cannot
apply spells to the prisoner.
Shemeya: That is unfortunate. (she frowns) For the beholder.
Alindyar: This interrogation will require logic and reasoning, rather
than spells and force.
Kronos: Thank you for assisting with this.
Alindyar: 'Tis no inconvenience at all. I am actually pleased to have
a respite from the work in the desert- (he pauses) -fields. And from
the half-elf, who is jovial and pleasant to the point of occasionally
being annoying.
Kronos: (nods, glad that he was not the one who had to team up with the
powerful but quirky ranger-druid Peyote)
Shemeya: (eyeing the center of the table) There is no danger of the
monster escaping?
Alindyar: None whatsoever. It is completely powerless in the prison,
with all of its magical powers neutralized. Regardless...(he motions
at the two iron golems standing guard on either side of the table) If
the beholder somehow escaped, these constructs have orders to smash it
immediately. Despite the powers of its eyes, it cannot possibly stop
them both. (he shakes his head) But I reiterate, the creature cannot
and will not escape. These devices were designed and constructed by
the demigod Zagyg himself, and I have a great deal of experience using
this one.
In short order, the blanket was removed and they gazed upon...the tiny
shrunken form of the once-massive eye tyrant. Alindyar uttered arcane
words of command, in a precise order, to enable communication with the
imprisoned foe.
Shemeya: Is the creature asleep? It looks like it.
miniature beholder in cage: (trembles, its central eye quivering)
Alindyar: The prisoner of such a device is in a form of stasis unless
awakened or freed by the device's master. My intention is to speak
with this one for as long as needed, and then to return it to a state
of suspended animation.
miniature beholder in cage: (opens its eye, then begins rolling around
inside the cage, its smaller eye-stalks gazing all about)
Alindyar: Father Eye.
miniature beholder in cage: (turns to regard the comparatively gigantic
dark elf, its fanged maw gaping as it gnashes its teeth)
Alindyar: Your powers will not function in there, so there is no real
point in continuing to try. And that is the crux of the discussion we
are about to have.
miniature Father Eye: (looking around angrily, it finally turns back to
face the three captors) why have you trapped me here? and what do you
want from me?
Alindyar: I can answer the first question...after which friend Kronos
here can address the second. We imprisoned you in the cage because
you were being unreasonable. You were given a chance to reach a fair
agreement, one that would have been beneficial to both sides, but you
overstepped. (he pauses) The Bright Alliance does not parley its way
into deals without some benefit. So there you sit, as we decide what
to do with you.
miniature Father Eye: free me, and return me to my mines. there is
important work still to be done there, before my enemies-
Kronos: (leans over, his unblinking red eyes scrutinizing the captured
foe) You misunderstand. You were captured more than five months ago.
We repurposed your surviving forces to excavate the mines at a much
faster rate, and that work ended weeks ago when the gold and silver
veins were tapped out.
The lich didn't mention the substantial quantity of raw iron ore that
had also been found and excavated from the mines. While the beholder had
not seen as much value in that metal compared to the precious metals, the
new rulers of the desert recognized the iron as a useful resource - one
that they would not find in or beneath the sands. Accordingly, a massive
amount of ore was now stockpiled in the Brass Hills, to be used as needed
in future efforts.
miniature Father Eye: (still gaping in shock at the news of all the gold
and silver being taken)
Kronos: In the meantime, the entire complex was carefully and thoroughly
explored, and everything of value there and in your lair was removed
and brought to our stronghold for study.
Alindyar: (nods silently, thinking about how that stronghold is still a
shadow of what it will be when completed)
Kronos: The giants and trolls were released into the passages to the
Underdark, and then each passage was sealed off one at a time, and
then the entire mine complex was collapsed. Any attempt from below
to reach the surface will be exceedingly difficult. (he pauses) All
of this has greatly helped our relations with the hillfolk, although
such matters are the purview of another from our group. Apparently
your mine and its occupants were of great worry to those people, but
no more. So in one fell swoop, we gained a great deal of precious
metal, all of your magic and lore, a near-impenetrable barrier between
the hills and the Underdark, and the goodwill of the hill barbarians-
Shemeya: And two iron golems.
Kronos: -and two iron golems. Which we now control.
miniature Father Eye: (just sits there in the tiny cage, stunned by all
of this)
Alindyar: (doesn't mention He Chak and Kaya)
To be sure, that wizard and his companion had proven highly valuable
in a number of ways. Firstly, they had been able to help advise on the
exploration of the mines and Father Eye's complex, helping the Bright
Alliance's forces (notably Peyton Farquhar and that bunch) avoid more
than one trap or dangerous area as they mapped out the dungeon complex.
Secondly, He Chak had been able to give some basic guidance about the
beholder's vast trove of possessions and lore...advice which would help
Neera as she continued to work through it all. Thirdly, He Chak knew a
lot about Rary's former plans and ideas, and had been a great help in
deciphering the mess that had been the slain wizard's notes and maps.
Those writings had inspired a number of ideas, including the network of
roads that was under construction and the optimal locations for future
forts further out in the desert.
Kronos: I am telling you all of this to make you understand that things
have changed. Your continued existence at this point depends on what
you can do for us, to further our aims.
Shemeya: Specifically, we want your knowledge of the desert and its
mysteries.
miniature Father Eye: (regards all three captors with a baleful gaze)
The beholder could hardly believe how far its fortunes had fallen in
recent times...and after all that hard work! He had survived numerous
attacks by others of his kind while in the Underdark, even dispatching
some of those rivals. Then he had escaped to carve his own path in the
world above (or at least the caverns and passages between the Underdark
and the surface world). He had assembled and ruled not only a sizable
force of derro but also some trolls and giants. He had amassed a large
stockpile of gold and silver, with the promise of more to come from the
rich veins of ore in the mines. He'd even been on the verge of forging
an alliance with the powerful newcomer Rary when that one arrived in the
desert and began his plans of conquest.
And now it had all fallen apart, that point driven home by the summary
just now shared with the eye tyrant. And his rage - a fury that would
normally have resulted in scores of dead as far as his eyes could see -
was pointless since he was trapped within this accursed cage. He now
scowled to himself, certain of one thing: whenever he escaped from his
current predicament, there would be hell to pay.
Kronos: (addresses the miniaturized, imprisoned creature once again)
You are likely sitting there thinking about the revenge you will take
upon us once you escape.
miniature Father Eye: (glares at the lich)
Kronos: I would strongly suggest that you instead consider what will
happen if you do _not_ aid us, tell us what we want to know.
Shemeya: (clenches her jaw firmly) Those who survived your reign of
terror in the mines told us everything...how you kept prisoners in
poor conditions, how you taunted them with threats and false hope of
freedom, how you sometimes made them fight each other to the death for
your amusement...and how you devoured any who displeased or bored you.
(she eyes the prisoner grimly) So believe me when I say that we can
and will destroy you - immediately and violently - if you give us even
the slightest reason. And we _should_ destroy you. You deserve it.
Alindyar: (trades glances with Kronos)
Kronos: (shrugs, ever so slightly, as if to say "she's been trapped in
a tower for two thousand years, what do you expect?")
Shemeya: (her angry gaze never leaving the beholder) It's like this...
you'll tell us everything you know about the desert and what's beneath
it, and the hills all around. Or else we'll obliterate you - wipe you
and the memory of you from the world like the stain you are. This is
not negotiable and will not suffer any delays. Either you cooperate,
or we will end you.
With that, the sorceress took the blanket and threw it over the cage,
silently motioning the other two to accompany her as she left the room
and slammed the door.
Alindyar: What was that all about?
Shemeya: I can't even begin to explain what it was like to watch every
single thing that happened to my homeland - all of which was basically
bad - for centuries...while not being able to do a damn thing about it.
(she folds her arms) Now that's changed, and I can make up for lost
time, but in those efforts we need to be as well-prepared as we can.
So if that monster knows anything that can help us, it had best share.
I have no patience for any schemes or lies it may tell; it is evil and
hostile and really doesn't deserve the chance we've giving it - but I'm
willing to extend it the benefit of the doubt if it knows anything that
can help us. Which brings me to another point. Whatever it may know
about the Bright Desert and the environs, I likely know as well...or at
least enough to tell if the beast is lying. And if it is- (she frowns
angrily) -then that will be the last lie it ever tells.
Kronos: So you weren't bluffing back there?
Shemeya: (raises an eyebrow) I don't bluff. Either that thing helps
us and gains a reprieve while we figure out what to do with it...or
it gets destroyed.
next: on to Volte
map: http://www.peldor.com/world/atlas/Bright-Desert_1194.jpg
www: http://www.peldor.com/download.html
homepage: http://www.peldor.com/
email: tmiller@peldor.com
released: 1/30/2026
notes: Here's an updated list of the places where my version of
Oerth differs from TSR/WoTC's canon/published material:
- the Slave Lords (seven of them) were slain by the adventurers
- Org Nenshen died, and his Guildmaster role was taken by Peldor
- Peldor bought and runs the Green Dragon Inn (not Ricard, who was
an associate of Robilar)
- in the Hold of the Sea Princes, Jeon was replaced by Creon
- Crimson Blades completed the G-D-Q adventure series, killing Lolth
- the Crook of Rao wasn't on the Isle of the Ape (I used the Wand of
Orcus, and so the Crook was found elsewhere though still utilized
in the big purge of demons aka Flight of Fiends in 586 C.Y.)
- Rary was ousted from power (and life) by Belphanior and friends
- Mongo led the armies that retook Sterich; Belphanior assassinated
King Galmoor ahead of that
- differences in powers of Shattados and Scorpion Crown
- Sterich and Geoff were liberated years earlier, and with much
help from Mongo, Yod, and members of the Bright Alliance
- Eclavdra shifted away from Lolth, and was killed by Belphanior
- (upcoming) the Bright Lands proceed in a different direction
Note the URL right above, for the updated Bright Desert map. This
one is current to this episode and shows the new roads (two completed
and one under construction) whose construction Lyra was involved with.
By the way, Shemeya's alignment (insofar as I use those in any real
way anymore) is Chaotic good, per the _Rary the Traitor_ accessory.
I suppose the events at the end of this episode were the beginning of
the establishment of her personality and her asserting herself. I'll
need to make a character sheet for her if she sticks around.
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