Chapter #1218
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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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+ THE BRIGHT ALLIANCE +
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+ Alindyar 18th level dark elven wizard, illusionist +
+ Belphanior 18th/18th/18th level elven fighter/wizard/thief +
+ Irina 14th/7th level female human priestess/warrior of Istus +
+ Dexitheseus 17th level human wizard, enchanter/generalist +
+ Kronos 22nd level lich wizard, necromancer/generalist +
+ Lyra 14th level female drow wizard, invoker/evoker +
+ Pallin 18th level grey elven wizard, teleporter +
+ Parekh 18th level female human wizard, innovator +
+ Shemeya 19th level human sorceress from ancient Sulm +
+ Wu 18th level human wizard, alterer/generalist +
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+ Date: 4/19/587 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: late morning +
+ Place: the Brass Hills, within the Bright Lands +
+ Climate: hot and dry +
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+ "Who are you?" +
+ "Nobody." +
+ "Oh, I doubt that." +
+ - from _The Book of Eli_ +
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MCCXVIII. The Secrets of Babuk
The magical interrogation of the long-captive monk Babuk has finally
commenced...
Irina: (her hands glow brightly as she utters obscure words of power)
Babuk: (backs up a couple of steps)
Moments later, a half-dozen glowing strands of silvery energy formed
around the high priestess' hands and then extended toward the prisoner.
His efforts to avoid them were futile, as they were not quite physical
objects. The arcane tendrils found their quarry, then slowly entwined
themselves around his form, which had abruptly ceased struggling.
Babuk: Urk. (his eyes glaze over)
Irina: It is time. (she turns the small hourglass over) Begin.
Kronos: (helpfully moves the captive into the chair, using telekinesis
magic)
Belphanior: Let's start with something we already know, just to level-
set. (he steps forward, addressing the captive monk directly) Who
are you?
Babuk: Master Babuk.
Belphanior: Where does your allegiance lie?
Babuk: With the Crimson Blades.
Belphanior: Did you have any former loyalties?
Babuk: The Scarlet Brotherhood.
Belphanior: Before or during your time with the Crimson Blades?
Babuk: Before.
Lyra: (ESPing to Alindyar) He is providing the most minimal answers
possible.
Alindyar: (ESPing to Lyra) Aye. Perhaps he has been trained to resist
various forms of questioning.
Belphanior: (working from a well-prepared script/list that he has ready)
Did- (he pauses) Do the Crimson Blades have a central stronghold, one
that they jointly use?
Babuk: No.
Belphanior: (frowns, but pivots, having known this could be the case)
Do any of them have their own strongholds that contain, or might
contain, significant amounts of magic and wealth?
Babuk: (pauses, as if considering the nature of the question) Yes.
Belphanior: Which of those likely holds the greatest treasure?
Babuk: The citadel of Chargrim.
Belphanior: And where is it located?
Babuk: (remains silent, his mouth quivering as he silently gnashes his
teeth)
Irina: (to Belphanior) He is confused. There may be more than one
valid answer to that question.
Belphanior: Got it. (thinking quickly, he turns back to face the monk)
Does Chargrim have multiple bases?
Babuk: (without hesitation) Yes.
Kronos: (narrows his gaze) Ah.
Belphanior: (holds up one hand, nodding, then addresses Babuk again)
And how many of Chargrim's bases exist, aside from the one in Rauxes?
Babuk: There is one other.
Belphanior: Where is it located?
Babuk: The central part of the mountain range known as the Rakers.
Belphanior: Ah. (he nods to Kronos)
Babuk: (unnoticed by any of the captors, a thin line of drool begins to
run down one side of his mouth)
Belphanior: Is the existence of that mountain lair widely known?
Babuk: No.
Belphanior: (nods) What defenses protect the place?
Babuk: I do not know.
Belphanior: Have you ever been there?
Babuk: No.
Belphanior: (frowns) What treasures lie within?
Babuk: I do not know.
Belphanior: (keeping his exasperation with this process in check) But
you said it held the greatest treasure. (he narrows his gaze) What is
that treasure?
Babuk: I...do not know. Chargrim and a couple of the others spoke of
it a few times...and said it could change the world. I know nothing
more.
Lyra: (ESPing to Alindyar) He is stalling, although maybe not in an
outright way. Although I'm convinced he actually doesn't know what
this treasure is.
Alindyar: (ESPing to Lyra) It is possible that- Aie.
The dark elf pointed to the small hourglass...whose sands were falling
from the top half to the bottom with alarming speed.
Irina: Damn! His willpower is greater than I could have anticipated.
(to Belphanior) You should hurry. This one is strong, very strong...
and so our time is limited.
Belphanior: (nods, turning back to the immobile form of Babuk) Do the
Crimson Blades have any additional strongholds, aside from those that
are purely military in nature?
Babuk: No.
Wu: (nods to himself) Good.
Belphanior: Are there any other members of the Crimson Blades besides
those we fought at the Center of Time...any not present at both the
Isle of Panagaea and the Center of Time?
Babuk: No.
Kronos: (folds his arms, pleased that there are no loose ends out there
from this particular bunch of foes)
Belphanior: (smiles thinly, not surprised but rather happy to confirm
what he'd already suspected from reading the journal of Drusilla)
Babuk: (still well under the influence of the powerful magic, he doesn't
react as a trickle of blood begins running from his nose)
Irina: (notes that the sands have almost run out now, and lays a hand
on Belphanior's shoulder, whispering urgently) You had best hurry.
Belphanior: (to Babuk) How did the Crimson Blades acquire the Key of
Fate, and then decide to venture to the Center of Time?
Babuk: Chargrim received intelligence about the key's location and its
possible powers, and despite the sudden nature of the information, he
made haste to secure it for himself. (he begins trembling, as the tiny
trickle of blood from his nose grows into a rivulet, and his eyes begin
to roll up into his head)
Belphanior: What else? Tell me now!
Babuk: I...am not certain. Whoever he...took it from...told him of its
power and use...at the Center...of Time...(he begins shaking violently)
Irina: (watches the last of the hourglass' sands run out) The-
Babuk suddenly emitted a loud gurgle, and they all noticed that blood
ran freely now, not just from his nostrils but from his mouth, eyes, and
ears as well.
Babuk: (suddenly goes limp in the chair)
Dexitheseus: Is his mind gone now?
Irina: At the very least. He might have died.
Kronos: (nonchalantly) Indeed he has.
Parekh: How can you be sure, without actually examining him?
Kronos: One of the minor powers of this book I carry, it turns out, is
sensing whether those nearby are living, dead, or undead. (he regards
the slumped form of the monk) That one has expired.
Belphanior: It's not some strange, secret monk trick to fool us, is it?
Kronos: He is dead. The magic of the interrogation was somehow too much
for him.
Belphanior: (to Irina) Is this possible?
Lyra: Possible or not, it just happened.
Irina: It...is possible. In a case where one has indomitable force of
will, and fights the magic to an extent not possible for most people,
the body as well as the mind can shatter. (she eyes the corpse in the
chair) But I have to say, I'm a bit surprised he was such a one,
Dexitheseus: I'm not. These monks are a hardy lot, and if this one was
indeed a master of his profession...(he shrugs)
Belphanior: It matters little. We got the answers we needed: their
wizard's citadel - certainly his best-known one - is in Aerdy, but
he had another one far from the eyes and hands of any who might have
ever coveted what lay within. Or at least that's what I'm hoping.
Kronos: It's a reasonable assumption, especially considering that the
Great Kingdom had been turbulent at that time, roughly six years ago.
He very well might have relocated his key research, possessions, and
treasure to a more secure location. The Rakers are certainly remote
enough; at one time, I considered them myself.
Pallin: But...?
Kronos: The Corusk range was even more remote and formidable.
Pallin: Oh.
Belphanior: Anyway, we now know that Chargrim had a second base, its
exact details as yet unknown, in the Raker mountain range north of
the more visible citadel...and we're most likely to find some useful
treasures there...and we know that no members of the group yet live.
(he frowns) And also that someone tipped them off about the whole
Center of Time business.
Kronos: A paranoid person might further suggest that the information
was provided deliberately, as a ruse to lure them to the time-nexus.
(he pauses) And the same could be said of our group as well.
Parekh: Are you saying what I think you're saying?
Kronos: (crosses his arms, frowning) I do not like it, but I will say
it: there seems to be a strong possibility that both our group and
the Crimson Blades were covertly manipulated by some unknown third
party...manipulated into venturing somewhere that would conveniently
remove us from the worldwide conflicts of the Greyhawk Wars.
next: next steps
map: http://www.peldor.com/world/atlas/Bright-Desert_1203.jpg
www: http://www.peldor.com/download.html
homepage: http://www.peldor.com/
email: tmiller@peldor.com
released: 7/17/2026
notes: Here's an updated list of episodes relevant to this arc:
- 707 ( 3/26/579) (Chargrim's primary citadel was sited in Aerdy)
- 812 ( 5/ 8/580) (interrogation of Drusilla, by Jenna)
- 976 ( 2/25/581) (contents of Drusilla's journal revealed)
- 1094 ( 7/18/581) (Chargrim's primary citadel was still sited in Aerdy)
- 1099 (~ 7/19/581) (last appearance of Babuk, in battle)
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