Cynalon Knights #4

[GM Mad]

Cynalon Knights #4

Validar will move quickly to the elves' sides and ask them for their assistance. "My fellow Seekers, we have a need for these people to be escorted to follow the main group out of here. As that leads us into direct conflict with likely the entirety of the Hextor forces in this area, it is a dangerous trek. If you were to follow at a short distance, you could possible assist us with ranged attacks and spells, as well as secure our rear as we advance. I would be in your debt if you both could see to this task."

“It is a reasonable request,” Araduin says after a moment of thought. “My spell selection is nothing to speak of at the moment. Truth be told, we’re probably not prepared to engage in a serious battle just yet.”

“We can take some rope and tie it around their waists,” Dar suggests. “That’ll make it easier for us to keep them together. I’ll still be able to rain down arrows upon our enemy. You can count on that Validar.”

The other two don’t seem as excited by the task, but will agree to it. The hallway outside continues on for as far as the eye can see. No stairs are noted along the way.


Elsewhere, the egg holding Ember’s Clone has been destroyed. The dragon never was awake and hence did not resist. Behind the fire pit holding the great egg, a shaft covered by a large grate has been discovered.

Putting back on his gauntlets but not yet his helm, Acerion rejoins the others. Looking down the shaft, he asks, "Do we have a way to easily descend this, or must we seek another way down?"

“If we can use this route,” Sir Alon states, “then we should do so. We might catch the enemy unawares in the process.”

“I’ll scout ahead and see if this shaft is worth our time,” Lord Sharadin adds. “The rest of you see if you can remove the grate.”

Lord Sharadin casts a spell and his form changes into that of a large snake. The Archmage then slithers through the bars of the grate. Once below the grating his form changes again, this time into a large spider. Lord Sharadin then begins to climb down the side of the shaft.

While that is going on, the strongest here wrestle with the large grating. With the combined might assembled here, the grate is dragged off the top of the shaft. Looking down, all you can see is the large fire pit below. A fall from this height may very well be fatal!

Lord Sharadin returns, climbing out of the pit in spider form. His body changes shape once more, this time becoming that of a grizzled dwarf.

“I think this is the place! The chamber below is enormous, easily three hundred feet by two hundred feet in size. I spotted a large altar and an area that looked like prison cells. The fire pit is one hundred feet long and sixty feet wide. Getting everyone down there is going to be the challenge, as we cannot simply drop in on ropes. Lots of slugs down there. From the looks of it, they are preparing to carry out their ritual.

The mages proceed to speak suggestions and quickly formulate a plan. Drakkimor will cast both Fly and Invisibility 10’ Radius on Gorso. The half-ogre will then carry Drakkimor, Oran, and Crysania with him and fly to the chamber below.

Lord Sharadin will cast Levitate on one of the doors to this chamber. (With some minor alterations, it will fit inside the shaft.) The Levitated door will support everyone else in the party, discounting the rescued prisoners and the four men recently liberated. Sharadin will then cast another Invisibility 10’ Radius on the door shielding those upon it.

The Levitated door will then slowly be lowered down the shaft. Pushing off the sides of the shaft can help the process along. Once low enough, a rope will be tossed to Gorso and the half-ogre can pull the Levitated door clear of the fire pit.

Once everyone is down on the chamber floor, the mages will use Pyrotechnics spells to fill the chamber with fireworks, temporarily blinding any who happen to view them. From that point an assault can begin.

“It sounds doable,” Sir Alon says after a moment’s thought. “Unless anyone has any better ideas, I say we do it and engage the enemy.”


Now what?

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

Araduin and Dar Thaltus, as well as the other two men who were rescued, have agreed to chaperone the commoners who were recovered from the zonga vats and follow the main group with them.

“It is a reasonable request,” Araduin says after a moment of thought. “My spell selection is nothing to speak of at the moment. Truth be told, we’re probably not prepared to engage in a serious battle just yet.”

“We can take some rope and tie it around their waists,” Dar suggests. “That’ll make it easier for us to keep them together. I’ll still be able to rain down arrows upon our enemy. You can count on that Validar.”

"I thank you, my frends. This is a difficult and surprising situation we find ourselves in at the moment. I only hope that we are able to satisfy all our objectives on this day," Validar responds.

"Araduin, do you have any useful spells at all available for you to ply?"

The other two don’t seem as excited by the task, but will agree to it. The hallway outside continues on for as far as the eye can see. No stairs are noted along the way.

Validar is not happy to find nothing in this direction. Unfortunately, it is still an unknown on how to move forward. The way down could be jsut out of sight and they would never know without moving forward.
-------------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere, the egg holding Ember’s Clone has been destroyed. The dragon never was awake and hence did not resist. Behind the fire pit holding the great egg, a shaft covered by a large grate has been discovered.

"If we can use this route,” Sir Alon states, “then we should do so. We might catch the enemy unawares in the process.”

“I’ll scout ahead and see if this shaft is worth our time,” Lord Sharadin adds. “The rest of you see if you can remove the grate.”

Once the Egg is destroyed, Validar is pleased, but he does not forget that this may not be the only version of Ember waiting to be reborn.

Given that the grate needs to be removed, Validar sheaths his sword and sets his shield nearby as he lends his strength to the task, once Lord Sharadin gets through in shape-changed form.

Unfortunately, nothing much of the chamber below can be seen from here. In moments however, Lord Sharadin has completed his scouting.

Lord Sharadin returns, climbing out of the pit in spider form. His body changes shape once more, this time becoming that of a grizzled dwarf.

“I think this is the place! The chamber below is enormous, easily three hundred feet by two hundred feet in size. I spotted a large altar and an area that looked like prison cells. The fire pit is one hundred feet long and sixty feet wide. Getting everyone down there is going to be the challenge, as we cannot simply drop in on ropes. Lots of slugs down there. From the looks of it, they are preparing to carry out their ritual.

Lord Validar has already retrieved his shield and has unsheathed his sword once more. This is the moment they had been working towards and they have the opportunity to strike mightily against their enemies.

However, as the mages manage to create their plan, Validar's face sours upon hearing the details. Apparently, it is decided that Crysania's group will fly down the shaft and the rest of the attackerswill be levitated down by Lord Sharadin, where they will reunite and prepare the attack. Both groups will be invisible when they descend to avoid notice. With a blinding barrage of Pyrotechnics, the assault will begin. However, Dar Thaltus, Araduin and the others recovered will be left behind, here in this upper chamber.

“It sounds doable,” Sir Alon says after a moment’s thought. “Unless anyone has any better ideas, I say we do it and engage the enemy.”

"I am not thrilled with a simple frontal attack, even by surprise and with the help of the mage's blinding Pyrotechnics displays. There are too many ways for the attack to be blunted when it is limited to a single prong. Further, we would then be presented perhaps with no means of retreat or anywhere to fall back."

"Also, I am not happy with the idea to leave these men and the others we rescued behind. The original plan was to fight our way down and then to leave from there with the rescued Duke and his family. I cannot abandon my friends and comrades at arms should the situation force that choice."

"The odds of us killing every enemy we face must be very high. Add to that the fact that we are on a rescue mission, rather than a true assault and our possibility of delivering a decisive blow to the enemy is truly remote." Validar shakes his head for a moment at the dilemma placed before him.

"As the ritual is about to begin, we have no choice but to begin the assault immediately. There is no time to search for an alternative route. With luck, the King's group will reach the chamber during our assault as well, and offer perhaps a second prong to the attack. However, we must stop this foul ritual and we must destroy the enemy as best we can. I can see no other alternative."

"However, I must say that I cannot escape from this place while my friends remain behind. We must deign to strike so effective a blow that we have the ability to fight our way back to this location. If I must, I will do so alone." Validar looks over to his fellow Seekers with an unwavering look as he speaks.

As the preparations are made by the mages, Validar will approach Dar Thaltus and Araduin again. "My friends, if there is any way for you to monitor the progress of this assault, that would be very helpful. If for some reason we are unable to fight our way through the enemy and return here, then you must take these people out of the temple and seek to get away from this place. The enemy is almost all congregated here and there should be little opposition. I will do my best to make sure that this is not a needed option." Validar offers his hand to each of his friends quickly and then joins the main group for the descent to the attack on the slugs.

"Death to the Slugs," he says quietly as he steps onto the platform. He steels himself for an attack unlike any he has yet been engaged in previously.

[Serena]

Serena:

The inquisitor listens as Lord Sharadin reveals his knowledge of the dragon known as Ember.

“A monstrous creature indeed! Dragons are powerful spellcasters due to their incredibly long life spans as it is. A red that learns spells like a mage is a truly frightening concept.”

The egg is quickly destroyed and another discovery follows. Lord Sharadin explores the shaft and announces that our destination lies below. It seems logical to take the shaft down instead of blindly trying to find another way down. Time is of the essence.

Serena has nothing to add to the method of moving the group to the lower level. It will be time consuming, but she does not have a better idea to move such a large group without sacrificing spells needed to escape.

Baron Validar speaks of his reluctance to leave those just rescued behind.

“Your compassion for your friends is commendable, Baron Validar. Given the number of mages here, I am sure that at least one of them will be able to return to this chamber and complete their rescue. At the very least, we know their location so they can be easily found.”

Serena will step down onto the levitated platform with the others.

“Use the sides of the shaft to push down,” Serena states. “Movement by levitation is slow and only allows up or down motion. We might be able to make the trip down faster.”

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

The inquisitor listens as Lord Sharadin reveals his knowledge of the dragon known as Ember.

“A monstrous creature indeed! Dragons are powerful spellcasters due to their incredibly long life spans as it is. A red that learns spells like a mage is a truly frightening concept.”

"Apparently, he has been an enemy of Cynalon for some time. We destroyed him once already, after nearly killing the beast in our initial encounter. However, it seems he is quite resilient and conducts considerable fore-planning. The total destruction of this adversary would be a momentous occasion."
-------------------------------------------------

Baron Validar speaks of his reluctance to leave those just rescued behind.

“Your compassion for your friends is commendable, Baron Validar. Given the number of mages here, I am sure that at least one of them will be able to return to this chamber and complete their rescue. At the very least, we know their location so they can be easily found.”

Validar's stern manner eases slightly at Serena's words. "It is difficult in a group such as this to ascertain each individual's actions in advance. This is not a cohesive group that does battle together and there are many agendas that each of us have as well. However, it is good to hear your words. I would hope that these individuals are valued enough that we do not sacrifice them to simply succeed in our mission."


Serena will step down onto the levitated platform with the others.

“Use the sides of the shaft to push down,” Serena states. “Movement by levitation is slow and only allows up or down motion. We might be able to make the trip down faster.”

Validar sees what Serena is talking about and begins to push against the nearby wall attempting to speed their descent. He gets Blod's attention and urges the large, powerful warrior to do the same.

[Acerion]

Sir Acerion:

The grate is lifted and scouting done. It would appear our destination indeed lies below us. Acerion listens as plans are formed, involving a lot of magic, but given our entryway, there leaves very little options.

Acerion listens to Validar's concerns. The paladin isn't too happy at the prospect of leaving the recently-freed people behind up here either. If they can't return, then all they have done is given them a tiny reprieve in a life of slavery. Serena does offer some comforting words before we all step onto the makeshift platform.

Acerion helps make the platform move a little faster, pushing off from one side of the shaft. He can't help but wonder if there are any magical defenses in place below. He doesn't give the slugs much credit, but such a sacrifice is vitally important for them, they would be foolish not to be alert. Acerion guesses they will all find out soon enough...

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Clone Room:

"I thank you, my friends. This is a difficult and surprising situation we find ourselves in at the moment. I only hope that we are able to satisfy all our objectives on this day," Validar responds.

"Araduin, do you have any useful spells at all available for you to ply?"

“A few Magic Missiles, but little else,” the elfin mage relates. “Anything good from my gear is missing. Most likely taken for their great sacrifice.”

Baron Validar speaks of his reluctance to leave those just rescued behind.

“Your compassion for your friends is commendable, Baron Validar. Given the number of mages here, I am sure that at least one of them will be able to return to this chamber and complete their rescue. At the very least, we know their location so they can be easily found.”

“And I have multiple ways to reach this chamber at a later date,” Lord Sharadin adds. “I have no desire to leave anyone behind either. Men such as your elfin friends are needed in these dark times. My best guess would to be have every one enter the cube down below, move back to this chamber to take on the rest of the passengers, and then escape to Karn’s Keep. We’ll find a way to pull this off.”

As the preparations are made by the mages, Validar will approach Dar Thaltus and Araduin again. "My friends, if there is any way for you to monitor the progress of this assault, that would be very helpful. If for some reason we are unable to fight our way through the enemy and return here, then you must take these people out of the temple and seek to get away from this place. The enemy is almost all congregated here and there should be little opposition. I will do my best to make sure that this is not a needed option." Validar offers his hand to each of his friends quickly and then joins the main group for the descent to the attack on the slugs.

“We’ll do what we must,” Dar replies. “I know that you will return for us.”

[GM Mad]

The Hellpit:

Spells are cast and the two groups begin to move to the level below. Drakkimor expends his spells first and Gorso flies down the shaft. Lord Sharadin indicated that the shaft you are going to be traveling down is close to the southern end of the fire pit. The plan is to pull the levitated door that way, as it’ll be a shorter trip. That area is also the farthest away from the Hextorite altar and where the prisoners are kept.

Levitation is cast upon the door and Lord Sharadin directs it to go downwards. Once below the level of the shaft everyone climbs on and holds on. The descent of the floating door is maddeningly slow, seemingly little better than a crawl. Push down using the sides of the shaft does moderately increase the speed.

It takes about a minute and a half for the floating door to clear the bottom of the 40’ shaft. As you go down, the fumes from the fire pit can’t help but be felt. It is getting warmer as you go down and the air is thick.

Once clear of the shaft, a hellish scene comes into view. You’re near the ceiling of a vast rectangular chamber. The rough measurements are 300’ long and 200’ wide. The fire pit is near the center of the vast chamber and bathes it in a reddish light. The fire pit is 60’ wide and 100’ long. The shaft is about twenty feet away from the southern end of this flaming pit. Four sets of twenty-foot wide steps lead down into the flaming pit on each side. Two sets of four gigantic pillars run down either side of the fire pit, supporting the fifty-foot high ceiling.

The vast floor of the chamber is seemingly covered with numerous bodies that were killed in battle. You cannot help be feel that you are hovering over a battlefield where the dead are left rotting where they fell.

Several things of interest are noted to the north, on the far side of the fire pit. A short distance past the fire pit is a small three-tiered pyramid. Steps lead up to the top on all four sides. At the top must be the altar that Lord Sharadin spoke of. On the top of the pyramid is the one Crysania identified before as Xanathom. She is a woman in black scale mail and your eyes can’t help but notice that she has six arms!

Numerous other armored priests and followers of Hextor are gathered on and around the small pyramid. On the chamber floor at the four corners of the pyramid are constructs that look suspiciously looks like the Battle Golems that you just battled up above. All the priests here seem to be gathered for the sacrifice, but it hasn’t started just yet. You get the impression that they are waiting for something.

Just past the pyramid altar, there is a small chamber against the far wall. Best guess would make it about thirty feet wide and twenty feet long. A gigantic statue of Hextor himself stands upon the roof of the chamber. The state of the God of War and Discord is thirty feet tall!

At total of seven doors into the chamber are noted. Three each on the east and west walls, and one very large set of double doors to the south.

The barge continues to slowly lower over the fire pit. Just as your ready to toss the rope to where you think Gorso is waiting concealed under invisibility, the southern door opens wide! A procession of Fire Giants enters!

The giants are all nearly twenty feet tall and have coal black skin and fiery orange and red hair. They all superficially resemble huge dwarves. They stride into the chamber and then move into the fire pit itself! The giants begin to sit around the edge of the fire pit with their legs dangling into the pit, like one would do along the side of a pool. Two of the twelve giants simply stand in the flaming pit.

Running into the chamber with the giants are eight reddish dogs. Their eyes glow red and occasionally a burst of fire comes from their mouths. The hellhounds spread out, but two of them seem to be moving towards the area where you believe Gorso to be concealed by invisibility! One of the hellhounds begins to howl. It is a hollow, eerie bay that sends shivers through you!

Sir Acerion’s Holy Weapon throbs in his hands. It is ready to battle its archenemy!

With the arrival of the fire giants, the first prisoner is dragged from the prison cell towards the waiting altar. Random screams and cries come from the Hextorites and metallic weapons are struck against each other creating a crude beat. Everyone waits for the sacrifice to begin!

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Ready for the big one?

A crude map for this area is up in the private area Maps section. Gorso is indicated on the map, but everyone else on the floating door is approximately thirty feet over the flaming pit by the entry shaft.

Now what?

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

"Araduin, do you have any useful spells at all available for you to ply?"

“A few Magic Missiles, but little else,” the elfin mage relates. “Anything good from my gear is missing. Most likely taken for their great sacrifice.”

"A very useful spell, my friend. Hopefully, they will not be needed, but it is good to know they are available."
------------------------------------------------------------

Baron Validar speaks of his reluctance to leave those just rescued behind.

“Your compassion for your friends is commendable, Baron Validar. Given the number of mages here, I am sure that at least one of them will be able to return to this chamber and complete their rescue. At the very least, we know their location so they can be easily found.”

“And I have multiple ways to reach this chamber at a later date,” Lord Sharadin adds. “I have no desire to leave anyone behind either. Men such as your elfin friends are needed in these dark times. My best guess would to be have every one enter the cube down below, move back to this chamber to take on the rest of the passengers, and then escape to Karn’s Keep. We’ll find a way to pull this off.”

A bit of concern leaves Validar's frame at these words. "I hoped I could count on the good hearts of those assembled here," he says simply. "These are indeed good men."
-----------------------------------------------------

"I will do my best to make sure that this is not a needed option." Validar offers his hand to each of his friends quickly and then joins the main group for the descent to the attack on the slugs.

“We’ll do what we must,” Dar replies. “I know that you will return for us.”

"Indeed. This battle will be won and a crowning achievement for Cynalon this day. We will leave here victorious or not at all."

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

The lowering of the make-shift elevator is frustratingly slow. As a group they begin to push off the sides of the shaft to try and speed up their progress. As they descend, the heat and stench of smoke increases, as does the light from the fire below them. It is strange as no one can see anyone else at the moment, due to the effects of the invisibility spell.

Finally the Cynalon attack force is lowered past the shaft and into full view of the hellish scene. There was apparently a battle or some gladitorial conflict here recently, as the floor is littered with fallen bodies.

Not far away, Validar spots the evil leader of the Hextorites, the six-armed demoness known as Xanathom. She is clearly a major target of this battle and killing her is more important than rescuing the Duke and his family. The witch is surrounded by numerous priests of Hextor and Validar realizes that the numbers are strongly against them. They will be in for a serious battle.

Validar can hear some of the others whispering about Gorso and tossing the rope to the lumbering half-ogre. While this is happening, Validar spots the cells and the huge statue of Hextor towering over the scene. Without a specific attack plan, the group is likely to do just what they want when the attack erupts. Fortunately, most of them are seasoned warriors and should all distinguish themselves positively.

Just then, the doors to the south are flung open and a Fire Giant enters the room, followed by another and another. A slight feeling of dismay hits Validar as it turns into a procession of no less than a dozen of the giants, complete with a pack of Hellhounds. As the platform continues its descent, two of the Hellhounds move into the area that Gorso occupies and begin to emit an unearthly howl. It will only be moments before they are found out!

At the same time, the first of the prisoners is brought from the cells and lead to the altar by two priests. The attendants begin to chant and beat the weapons together. Perhaps the Hellhounds attention will be ignored for a few more moments. Hopefully, Drakkimor and his group will be able to quiet the Hellhound permanently before too much attention is brought to them.

Validar speaks quietly, but loud enough for those around him to hear over the chants and howls and screams around them. "We need to destroy the Slugs and their leader, Xanathom. They are our primary targets, however, we cannot completely ignore the Giants or they will overrun us with their strength and power. Our magickal attacks should be directed against the Slugs and at least half of the warriors here should move to engage them as well, with the remainder attacking the Giants. A likely retreat path, should it prove necessary, would be through those southern doors that the Giants entered from. Blod, I want you to attack the Giant that is closest to us when we are off this platform. I will assist you in this battle."

Validar remembers that the dwarf with Drakkimor has a weapon particularly effective against Giants and Gorso will be best used in battling them as well. Drakkimor is likely to kill the Hellhounds, attack the Giants with a useful area effect spell or blast the Slugs with his first spell. Validar is ready to respond to whatever Drakkimor and Lord Sharadin decide to do, but he imagines that one will blast the giants on the right side of the fire pit, while the other hits the main body of Hextorites with another area affect spell. Validar will try to lead whomever is near him up the right side of the pit as there are fewer opposition on this side. Validar will try to not get too far ahead of anyone with him, but will engage the enemy as quickly as possible.

Validar knows that the Giants are dangerous, but he does not fear them. The big brutes will fall as easily as any enemy, he simply hopes they do not tie the attackers up enough to allow the enemy priests to invoke their own vile spells. Validar readies himself mentally for the battle. For a brief moment, his mind's eye sees the beautiful Gabriella. "This battle is for you, my lady," he whispers only to himself. As soon as the platform is near enough to the floor, he will leap to the ground and move into position to attack the closest Giant on the right side.

[Serena]

Serena:

"Apparently, he has been an enemy of Cynalon for some time. We destroyed him once already, after nearly killing the beast in our initial encounter. However, it seems he is quite resilient and conducts considerable fore planning. The total destruction of this adversary would be a momentous occasion."

“So it seems. I was told that there were many dangerous enemies in these lands. It appears that those claims were not mere boasts.”

Validar's stern manner eases slightly at Serena's words. "It is difficult in a group such as this to ascertain each individual's actions in advance. This is not a cohesive group that does battle together and there are many agendas that each of us have as well. However, it is good to hear your words. I would hope that these individuals are valued enough that we do not sacrifice them to simply succeed in our mission."

“That is always such the case,” Serena agrees. “We all follow our own personal codes of behavior. I would not in good conscious sacrifice another to save myself if at all possible. We will take them all with us when we withdraw.”

“And I have multiple ways to reach this chamber at a later date,” Lord Sharadin adds. “I have no desire to leave anyone behind either. Men such as your elfin friends are needed in these dark times. My best guess would to be have every one enter the cube down below, move back to this chamber to take on the rest of the passengers, and then escape to Karn’s Keep. We’ll find a way to pull this off.”

A bit of concern leaves Validar's frame at these words. "I hoped I could count on the good hearts of those assembled here," he says simply. "These are indeed good men."

“All the more reason for us to help them escape this nightmarish place. I must admit that I am pleased and a little surprised by the concern being showing for these people. Such is not the case in my homeland. It is very refreshing.”


The levitated door is slowly moved down the shaft. Finally the walls fall away to reveal a nightmarish scene as if summoned up from the hells themselves. While Serena has only heard bits and pieces of the Hextor Dogma, the scene does tell her much. The chamber below resembles a battlefield and the tiered altar suggests a survival of the fittest mentality. The weak are defeated and left to rot. The most powerful rule over all.

Serena can’t help but notice the six armed armored woman. Strange magic was used to make her appear even more like her vile god. Given her placing, she is the most powerful here and therefore the most dangerous.

“I believe that the closer these followers are to the top of that pyramid, the more powerful they are,” Serena observes. “It fits in with their survival of the fittest dogma. Those on the chamber floor are the least dangerous.”


Large doors open and a procession of fire giants enter. These are powerful brutes and their resistance to fire does limit the effectiveness of that kind of magic. The bay of their pets makes Goosebumps rise on Serena’s limbs.

Validar speaks quietly, but loud enough for those around him to hear over the chants and howls and screams around them. "We need to destroy the Slugs and their leader, Xanathom. They are our primary targets, however, we cannot completely ignore the Giants or they will overrun us with their strength and power. Our magickal attacks should be directed against the Slugs and at least half of the warriors here should move to engage them as well, with the remainder attacking the Giants. A likely retreat path, should it prove necessary, would be through those southern doors that the Giants entered from. Blod, I want you to attack the Giant that is closest to us when we are off this platform. I will assist you in this battle."

“It is about to begin,” Serena says. “Is there anyway to move our platform closer to the pyramid? We could simply pass over the enemy before us and directly attack the High Priestess directly?”

[Acerion]

Sir Acerion:

Sir Acerion’s Holy Weapon throbs in his hands. It is ready to battle its archenemy!

As Acerion takes in the view and the wealth of foes gathered below, he can feel his Holy Weapon taking a life of its own. He wonders if the axe would leap free of his hands and attack its hated foe all on its own if Acerion loosened his grip. "Soon," he whispers to the Holy Weapon, "soon."

Validar speaks quietly, but loud enough for those around him to hear over the chants and howls and screams around them. "We need to destroy the Slugs and their leader, Xanathom. They are our primary targets, however, we cannot completely ignore the Giants or they will overrun us with their strength and power. Our magickal attacks should be directed against the Slugs and at least half of the warriors here should move to engage them as well, with the remainder attacking the Giants. A likely retreat path, should it prove necessary, would be through those southern doors that the Giants entered from. Blod, I want you to attack the Giant that is closest to us when we are off this platform. I will assist you in this battle."

“It is about to begin,” Serena says. “Is there anyway to move our platform closer to the pyramid? We could simply pass over the enemy before us and directly attack the High Priestess directly?”

The arrival of the Fire Giants and Hell Hounds is definitely not a welcome sight, but it doesn't deter Acerion from what we have come to do. Whether or not we are able to get closer to the pyramid is of little consequence to Acerion at this point.

"Whatever stands in the way on my path to Xanathom will get the attention of my axe, whether it be Giant, Battle Golem or the Slugs themselves," Acerion declares. "Today will host a glorious battle indeed."

Depending on where we land or leap to, Acerion will deal with the strongest threat first, working his way with the others towards Xanathom. If he has a choice of targets, the Battle Golems will be his main focus.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

The Hellpit has been reached! It is a huge, nightmarish chamber filled with innumerable evil beings. While descending down an airshaft on a makeshift elevator, the heroes watched with dismay as a dozen Fire Giants entered the chambers. The evil giants are allies to the Hextorites and once they are settled in, the sacrifice is ready to begin.

The original plan was to toss a rope to Gorso so that the monstrous half-ogre could pull the levitated platform to safety. But arriving along with the fire giants was a pack of hellhounds. Two of the fire-breathing dogs seemed to have caught the intruders' stench and are closing in on Gorso’s believed position.

However, just as the hellhounds seem to be closing in on something they suddenly back off. The pair sniff around in confusion for a few moments. It’s as if whatever they were tracking is suddenly gone.

Tense moments pass on the barge while trying to figure out what to do next.

“I’m going to change forms and see if I can move the platform on my own,” Lord Sharadin tells the others on the levitated door. “Once we clear the fire pit we can then descend to the ground.”

“Everyone hold on tight!” Sir Alon adds. “If we are to fall, let it be in battle and not through our own carelessness!”

Exactly what Lord Sharadin is doing is hard to tell. The invisibility spell that conceals you all from the enemy also cloaks you from the others on the platform. Most just stoop down and take hold of the platform itself for support. You can feel yourself moving, but painfully slow. The platform is inching its way away from the fire pit.

Just then something bumps into the barge, but not enough to seriously upset it. A voice whispers out.

“We’ve got you,” Drakkimor states. “Gorso will push you closer to the pyramid. Oran and Crysania are already in position, hidden at the top of the prison cells behind the statue. They will move once our first spell is cast.”

“Use spells to loosen the enemy up,” Sir Alon responds, “then we’ll take the battle right into their heart!”

The platform changes direction and begins to move towards the pyramid down below. The flying half-ogre literally is pushing it forward at a greater pace than it had been moving before. The journey across the fire pit is brief and the evil priests are approached closer and closer.

On the north side of the fire pit, you can see the piles of magic items being brought forward. The scene below suggests that they will be tossed into the fire pit as part of the blood sacrifice up above.

The two Hextor priests begin to drag the first sacrifice up the stairs towards the waiting Xanathom. But before that unfortunate can reach the top, the mages unleash a barrage of spells!

Lord Sharadin, Drakkimor, and Serena all cast Fireballs towards the pyramid below. Each takes a different side of the pyramid and their spells impact about halfway up the sides. The fires blossom into a huge ball of fire engulfing anyone on that side. All three Fireballs reach the top and burn Xanathom.

Likewise, the flames lap over the fourth side of the pyramid, but do not reach the sacrifice leaving them and the priests handling him unharmed.

The flames die down and you can see many of the priests that had been standing on and around the pyramid have been downed. Some are dead; others are close to it. Numerous small fires are burning including a few people.

Lord Sharadin, Drakkimor, and Serena all turn visible. Serena and Lord Sharadin appear to be standing on an invisible platform while Drakkimor seems to be on top of some unseen flying creature.

Taking their cue, Oran and Crysania emerge from behind the huge statue of Hextor. Oran flings his firehammer and nails one of the priests dragging the prisoner forth in the back of the head. The Hextorite goes flying forward leaving a large stain on the side of the pyramid.

Crysania leaps down from the top of the cellblock right before the cell doors. Her axe drives deep into one of the guards. The Priestess of Heironeous attempts to guard the prisoners from the Hextorites.

Xanathom seems no worse for wear from the overlapping Fireballs. The evil priests draws weapons in four of her hands while commanding her flock to destroy the invaders.

The platform moves close enough so that those on it can safely leap to the top of the pyramid. Sir Alon gives the command to move forward, but Sir Acerion beats him to the punch. The Paladin of Heironeous leaps from the platform and performs a flying tackle on Xanathom. Both go tumbling down the stairs towards the prison cells, with Sir Acerion turning visible in the process. Rising, both are eager for battle.

Sir Alon leads the way off the platform, landing on the top of the pyramid. Baron Validar and Blod quickly follow. Lord Sharadin and Serena remain on the platform for the moment. All three become visible once they are far enough away from the floating platform.

The attack has not gone unnoticed. Those surviving priests begin to move up the pyramid towards the invaders. The Hextor Golems come to life and move towards the closest enemy. The fire giants rise to their feet to better see what is going on. A few reach into the fire pit and pull out clumps of fiery embers to toss.

GM Notes:

Hit Points:

Sir Acerion - 47 of 57
Crysania - 72 of 84
Oran - 92 of 102

That should keep everyone busy. Now what?

[Validar]

Have a couple of questions based on the post update:

It is not clear how those damaged took their damage.

Also what enemies are closest to us on the pyramid? Don't want to bypass one necessarily to attack something else.

[GM Mad]

Have a couple of questions based on the post update:

It is not clear how those damaged took their damage.

Also what enemies are closest to us on the pyramid? Don't want to bypass one necessarily to attack something else.

The HP's list was from earlier during the rescue, after the fight with the golems. It was where thost characters were left at.

I forgot to mention that the combat map was updated in the private section.

[Acerion]

Sir Acerion:

The waiting seems like forever, and Acerion is eager to disrupt this ceremony before sacrifices can be offered up. Lord Sharadin takes the initiative and is soon joined by Drakkimor and Gorso and the barge is pushed along closer to the pyramid.

Suddenly the pyramid is ablaze with multiple fireballs; their casters all becoming visible. The damage is tremendous, but Xanathom seems unaffected. Acerion knows how to deal with that, and he inches forward, finding the edge of the door he sets one boot firmly on that edge and prepares.

The platform moves close enough so that those on it can safely leap to the top of the pyramid. Sir Alon gives the command to move forward, but Sir Acerion beats him to the punch. The Paladin of Heironeous leaps from the platform and performs a flying tackle on Xanathom. Both go tumbling down the stairs towards the prison cells, with Sir Acerion turning visible in the process. Rising, both are eager for battle.

Acerion secures his axe and pushes off, leaping from the door and throwing himself into Xanathom. The impact carries both of them over the side and tumbling down the stairs. Once they hit the bottom, Acerion rolls one more time to get clear of Xanathom and comes up in a crouching position, ready to spring again. Seeing Xanathom collecting herself and preparing for battle, Acerion reaches for his axe.

Only one thing to do against that many arms and that many weapons Acerion thinks grimly, strike fast and strike often. The rest of the battle is surely unfolding around him, but the paladin has no room for distractions. Springing from his position, Acerion brings his axe down in a vicious diagonal overhead swing against the vile Xanathom.

[Serena]

Serena:

And so it begins. Fireballs are used to lighten up the enemy forces before the warriors close in to attack. Serena adds her one Fireball to the barrage and turns visible once more. This floating platform will not be a safe haven for very much longer, but there should be enough time to cast yet another spell.

Looking forward and to her left, Serena notes several Hextorites. She’ll send a forked Lightning Bolt their way while carefully aiming to not hit her comrades.

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

The situation begins to get more dire with the arrival of the Fire Giants and Hell Hounds, but Validar is still confident they can defeat this enemy. Especially if the King and Dame Sharl manage to find their way down here sooner rather than later. Still they have almost two-thirds of the original assault force assembled here.

As the first of the sacrifices is brought out Lord Sharadin makes his initial move. The barge first begins to move away from the pyramid structure and the evil Xanathom, but soon changes direction and picks up speed, thanks to Drakkimor and his bodyguard with the Flight spell. The first sacrifice is brought up the stairs and the magic items are being collected. Then the first barrage goes off.

“Use spells to loosen the enemy up,” Sir Alon responds, “then we’ll take the battle right into their heart!”

Validar watches as multiple Fireballs explode around the altar. The precision of the mages allows the Fireballs to overlap, but miss the side that the sacrifice is being brought up. As the flames dissipate, the group approaches their target and Validar can see that many of the priests on the pyramid are wounded or dead outright. "Those that still live will not do so for long," Validar whispers, mainly to himself.

Not so surprisingly, Xanathom seems none the worse for wear. She is either magic resistant or at least fire resistant as the leader of the the vile Slugs. Sir Alon gives the command to move forward. Still invisible, the group rushes forward onto the pyramid top. Sir Acerion beats them all to the punch turning visible as he tackles his vile enemy. They both go flying from the top of the altar and tumble to the ground.

Sir Alon leads the way off the platform, landing on the top of the pyramid. Baron Validar and Blod quickly follow. Lord Sharadin and Serena remain on the platform for the moment. All three become visible once they are far enough away from the floating platform.

"Blod!" Baron Validar yells to his friend. "Take care of the rest of these priests! Kill as many as you can! If those Golems come near, we must attack them as one!” Validar will strike at the two closest priests to him. Those near the top are likely the most powerful based on what he knows of the Hextorites. Their structure is built on a strict hierarchy and their most powerful leaders have the higher positions.

“Sir Alon!” Validar says as he attacks. “We can hold against this horde of vile Slugs! Sir Acerion can use some help with the enemy! If we cut out their heart, the body will die!” Validar knows that Sir Acerion is embodied with the power of his patron. But even with his Holy Weapon and the sacred artifact, the Shield of Justice, embodied in his armor, surely, the paladin will need assistance to vanquish the chosen of Hextor.

Validar will attempt to kill as many of the priest as quickly as possible. If the Battle Golems approach, they will need to concentrate on them, however. Validar will then use his mace and fight two-handed against the Battle Golem. If a Battle Golem moves into contact with either Acerion or Alon or Blod, Validar will move to attack it in return.

Validar trusts in the mages and the others to do their parts and eliminate as many foes as possible as well. The group is extremely experienced, but this is the greatest battle of their time and Validar wonders for a moment how many of them will survive this battle.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

The fight against the forces of Hextor has begun!

Sir Acerion has dared to go after the High Priestess of Hextor herself, the six-armed monstrosity known as Xanathom. Having gone tumbling down the side of the pyramid to the battlefield floor, the pair pick themselves up and regard each other.

“Foolish mortal!” Xanathom hisses as she weaves four longswords before her. Each sword is unique in its appearance. As she speaks, her remaining hands go for her last two swords. “I am the child of a god! You’ll only add more power to our sacrifice!”

Sir Acerion acts faster and brings his axe down with a violent overhead smash. The Axe of the Valorous slices into and through Xanathom’s uppermost right arm! The decapitated limb falls to the ground clutching a rose-colored sword.

Xanathom screams in pain. Her uppermost left arm drops its sword too and moves to cover the wound. The remaining four blades are a flurry of motion. One slashes in at Sir Acerion’s unprotected side. The blade seems to make an unearthly wail as it slices through the air.

“Hear the scream of death from my blade, Heironeous scum!” Xanathom curses. “My swords will drink of your blood and the maggots will fester in your corpse!”

The blade pierces Sir Acerion’s armor, doing tremendous damage. Xanathom’s strength is incredible! A second longsword reaches the mark and more of Sir Acerion’s blood hits the floor. The Paladin is woozy but not ready to give up.

A second overhead smash drives his Holy Weapon into Xanathom’s shoulder. The High Priestess wails once more in tremendous pain, the Holy Weapon burning her to her black soul!


Nearby, Crysania lashes out with her own battle-axe. Her weapon drives deep into the side of an enemy priest and he crumbles to the ground. Oran catches his Firehammer and drops down to the floor beside Crysania. His weapon lashes out twice and each time a lesser priest drops.

“Hold on, Sir Acerion!” Crysania calls out. “I’m coming! Look out behind you!”

A lower-classed Hextorite priest sneaks in and tries to stab Sir Acerion in the back! The Shield of Justice saves Sir Acerion from harm. Enraged at this interference, another of Xanathom’s blades lashes out at the priest.

“You DARE to interfere in one of my battles?!” Xanathom rages. “Adjaha the Drinker will show you the error of your ways!”

The so-named blade slams into the priest’s head, spewing its contents. The blood-red sword seems to pulsate and shimmers slightly from contact. Somehow, the weapon seems to slightly revitalize Xanathom.

An angry glance from Xanathom sends both of the approaching Hextorite Golems moving off towards other enemies. One closes in on Crysania, the other approaches Oran Firehammer.

[GM Mad]

At the top of the pyramid, the other fighters have just disembarked from the invisible door. Lord Sharadin and Serena, now visible remain on the door. Drakkimor hovers on the still invisible Gorso’s back. More magicks are invoked by the spellcasters.

Serena sends a forked Lighting Bolt down the side of the pyramid to her left. There the priests who survived the earlier Fireball try to recover. The Bolt puts them down for good this time. The spell continues down the side of the pyramid catching two others in its path before peetering out.

Lord Sharadin and Drakkimor continue their Fireball barrage. This time they target the areas to the left and the right of the cellblock. Both spells are careful to not catch any companions in the blast, but it is close. The heat from the explosions can felt by Sir Acerion, Oran, and Crysania. All the priests that were covered go down. The Hextor Golems lumbering forward through the Fireballs emerge unscathed.

"Sir Alon!" Validar says as he attacks. "We can hold against this horde of vile Slugs! Sir Acerion can use some help with the enemy! If we cut out their heart, the body will die!" Validar knows that Sir Acerion is embodied with the power of his patron. But even with his Holy Weapon and the sacred artifact, the Shield of Justice, embodied in his armor, surely, the paladin will need assistance to vanquish the chosen of Hextor.

“Agreed! The wench does seem to be most dangerous!”

Sir Alon moves down the side of the pyramid towards the combatants below. Before his eyes the would-be sacrifice, one of the Duke’s sons, manages to free himself from the Hextorite's grip. Another nearby priest closing in responds by stabbing the boy in the torso! The young noble falls to the steps bleeding profusely.

“Murderous dog!” Sir Alon curses and ends the foul priest's life. Another priest closes in on Sir Alon and the two exchange attacks.

"Blod!" Baron Validar yells to his friend. "Take care of the rest of these priests! Kill as many as you can! If those Golems come near, we must attack them as one!" Validar will strike at the two closest priests to him. Those near the top are likely the most powerful based on what he knows of the Hextorites. Their structure is built on a strict hierarchy and their most powerful leaders have the higher positions.

Blod is only too happy to comply. His great sword slices through one priest and severely wounds a second.

Baron Validar closes in on one priest. His longsword lashes out and neatly decapitates the head of the offending Hextorite. A short distance to Validar’s left a priest just finishes casting a spell.

Suddenly, a column of fire roars down from seemingly out of nowhere overhead. The column slams into the invisible platform and engulfs Lord Sharadin and Serena!

Lord Sharadin emerges only singed a little. He changed forms once more and is now a gargoyle hovering over the battlefield.

Serena was knocked off the platform and plunged to the ground below. The Priestess of Mystra seems a little dazed from the fire and the fall. Looking up she can see several Fire Giants moving closer. Suddenly, one of the Giants calls out and the others turn to him. Remarkably the Fire Giants hold their positions. It seems that they will not help the Hextorites in this battle!

Baron Validar stabs at the priest who cast the Flamestrike, wounding him. The priest just barely survives the wound.

All around the pyramid, the surviving Hextorites advance. Some rush to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat, while a few use bows to fire missiles. Still others cast spells, but none seem to have any affect thus far. The last two Hextor Golems slowly advance up the pyramid towards Baron Validar and Blod.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

That covers the first round of the battle. Sir Acerion did a lot more damage to Xanathom than she did to him, but she’s far from down yet.

Hit Points:

Acerion - 14 of 57
Crysania - 72 of 84
Oran - 92 of 102
Serena – 30 of 50
Sharadin – 87 of 96

Combat map has been updated.

Now what?

[Serena]

Serena:

The next barrage of spells goes off without a hitch. However, the Slugs are beginning to fight back. Out of nowhere a Flamestrike hits the floating door! The flames are bothersome, but her Staff of Fire should limit the damage.

The force of the blast knocks Serena off the door! She hits the ground hard, but takes no real damage thanks to her protective Stoneskin.

Gathering herself, Serena notes that some of the Fire Giants seem to be eager to join the fight, but an older one-- perhaps the leader-- holds them back. Not quite sure why they are just watching, Serena is grateful nonetheless.

Realizing that she’s bound to be rushed by Hextorites at any moment, Serena will quickly cast Fire Aura and use her staff to defend herself.

[Acerion]

Sir Acerion:

“Foolish mortal!” Xanathom hisses as she weaves four longswords before her. Each sword is unique in its appearance. As she speaks, her remaining hands go for her last two swords. “I am the child of a god! You’ll only add more power to our sacrifice!”

Acerion actually smiles when she calls him a mortal. It's true he is, but not in the way she must be assuming. However, the paladin is all business. He lets Xanathom rant on while he prepares to strike.

Sir Acerion acts faster and brings his axe down with a violent overhead smash. The Axe of the Valorous slices into and through Xanathom’s uppermost right arm! The decapitated limb falls to the ground clutching a rose-colored sword.

Praise Heironeous Acerion thinks as his axe strikes true and wounds Xanathom deeply. If he can remove a couple more of her arms, this battle will quickly turn to his favor.

Xanathom screams in pain. Her uppermost left arm drops its sword too and moves to cover the wound. The remaining four blades are a flurry of motion. One slashes in at Sir Acerion’s unprotected side. The blade seems to make an unearthly wail as it slices through the air.

“Hear the scream of death from my blade, Heironeous scum!” Xanathom curses. “My swords will drink of your blood and the maggots will fester in your corpse!”

The blade pierces Sir Acerion’s armor, doing tremendous damage. Xanathom’s strength is incredible! A second longsword reaches the mark and more of Sir Acerion’s blood hits the floor. The Paladin is woozy but not ready to give up.

The blades bite deep and Acerion grunts through clenched teeth at the pain. He is glad he does not have six blades to contend with, but he knows he won't last much longer against even four. He needs to change the odds to his favor, and fast.

A second overhead smash drives his Holy Weapon into Xanathom’s shoulder. The High Priestess wails once more in tremendous pain, the Holy Weapon burning her to her black soul!

Another blow is struck, but this one does not take off an arm. The paladin can't consider the strike a failure though because her wail fills his ears.

“Hold on, Sir Acerion!” Crysania calls out. “I’m coming! Look out behind you!”

A lower-classed Hextorite priest sneaks in and tries to stab Sir Acerion in the back! The Shield of Justice saves Sir Acerion from harm. Enraged at this interference, another of Xanathom’s blades lashes out at the priest.

“You DARE to interfere in one of my battles?!” Xanathom rages. “Adjaha the Drinker will show you the error of your ways!”

The so-named blade slams into the priest’s head, spewing its contents. The blood-red sword seems to pulsate and shimmers slightly from contact. Somehow, the weapon seems to slightly revitalize Xanathom.

Acerion hears Crysania's warning but is too late to react. However it seems the Shield of Justice is more than able to aid him. Another silent prayer is offered as he watches Xanathom cut down one of her own. What a vile creature this truly is! Unfortunately, her weapon seems to give Xanathom some renewed strength. Acerion can not allow her to hit with that weapon again.

Acerion takes a moment to let his axe dip towards the floor, hopefully making Xanathom think he is tiring, even if just for a second. He takes a step forward and swings his axe up in a diagonal arc with all the strength he can muster. After that strike, he will spin the axe in his guantlets and swing back, level his body, hoping to catch an arm or maybe a vital organ in either of the holy weapon's two arcs.

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

Validar keeps his eye on the battle around him as much as possible, especially the one between Sir Acerion and the vile Slug, Xanathom.

The mages continue their barrage around them as more Fireballs and a Lightning Bolt goes off around them. The mages are certainly the counter to the sheer numbers the Slugs have here. If they can keep up their individual attacks, the tide should continue to turn in their favor.

"Sir Alon!" Validar says as he attacks. "We can hold against this horde of vile Slugs! Sir Acerion can use some help with the enemy! If we cut out their heart, the body will die!"

“Agreed! The wench does seem to be most dangerous!”

Blod attacks the priests with a frenzy and drops one as Validar cleanly decapitates another. As the enemy drops to the pyramid base, Validar can see the pillar of flame knock Serena and Lord Sharadin from their entry platform. Both seem to be relatively okay despite the attack. And further on than that, the Fire Giants have not begun their attack, for some reason. Fortunately for the strike force, they appear to only have one enemy to deal with for the moment.

The Slugs are closing in on them on the pyramid as well as the Battle Golems. Validar knows that they are a dangerous foe, but destroying them has little bearing on the battle. With Acerion seeming to tire from the attacks of Xanathom, it is clear they need to get more pressure on the Slug leader.

"Blod!" Baron Validar yells over the fighting. "We need to free Sir Alon to attack their leader. Fight against these priests here but withdraw as you are able!"

Validar himself will break off toward Sir Alon. He will then attack any priest that stands in Sir Alon's path to Xanathom. If there are none due to mage attacks or Sir Alon clearing the way himself, then Validar will move to engage the Head Slug herself. "Let us carry the battle to their leader!" he will shout to Sir Alon. "Hold firm, Acerion! Assistance is on the way!"

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

The fighting continues at a fevered pitch!

Serena picks herself up from the ground after being knocked off the platform by a Flamestrike. The Inquisitor quickly beings to cast a spell. Upon completion, her body is engulfed in an aura of magical green flame! This fire does not seem to harm the priestess in the slightest.

Two Hextorites rush Serena, but hesitate upon seeing her ablaze. One foolishly slashes at her with his longsword. Serena's Stoneskin holds back the blade, but the flames covering her make contact with the Hextorite. The green flames quickly sweep over the screaming priest, burning him alive! The second Hextorite wisely keeps his distance.

Blod is instructed by Baron Validar to begin to withdraw from the conflict so that they can go to aid Sir Acerion against the fearsome six-armed monstrosity known as Xanathom. Blod tries to comply, but finds himself nearly surrounded by Hextorites. Nearly half a dozen of the evil priests stab at the warrior with their longswords, a few finding their mark. Even worse, the nearby Hextor Golem slashes him twice with its longswords! Blod fights back, downing one of the priest but his wounds are a growing concern.

Baron Validar breaks off and rapidly begins to move away. Priests of Hextor move to block his path. The first priest he simply smacks aside with his shield, knocking the Hextorite down the pyramid steps. The next priest takes a sword in the abdomen for his efforts. A third priest is struck under his arm on an upward arc. Validar's blade neatly slices off the priests left arm, through his torso and erupting out of his right shoulder.

Sir Alon tries to advance closer too, but is also hindered by Hextorites. Two more of the enemy priests fall before his steel.

"Oran!", Drakkimor calls from Gorso's back. "Maneuver those golems close to each other! I have a plan!"

Oran grunts his understanding and dashes off to his left, hoping to lure the golem closing in on his right towards the golem on his left.

Greatly concerned about Sir Acerion's health, Crysania dashes forward. The Priestess moves around the nearby Hextor Golem as it tries to strike her with its weapons.

Also hovering overhead, Lord Sharadin casts his next spell. A gigantic Wall of Fire erupts along the western side of the pyramid, spanning all the way from the back wall of the Hellpit to the fiery pit itself! Several priests are caught within the wall and quickly burn! The sounds of their screams and the smell of burning flesh fill the air.

Oran runs underneath the legs of the golem that tried to attack Crysania and successfully maneuvers the first golem up to it. Hovering on Gorso's back overhead, Drakkimor casts another spell. There is no visible effect at first, but then some unseen force blocks the two golem's advance. They pound on the unseen force but cannot seem to break through it.

[GM Mad]

Most eyes are locked on the duel to the death between Sir Acerion and Xanathom, the High Priestess of Hextor. The six-armed monster has already lost one limb, but still wields four longswords against Sir Acerion's Holy Battleaxe. Sir Acerion slumps forward, as if he can barely stand on his feet. This is just a ruse to lull Xanathom into a false sense of security.

As Xanathom nears, his Axe of the Valorous rises upwards! The Holy Weapons slices through the protective scale mail on covering Xanathom's torso! Flesh is rented and blood and body parts issue forth. Xanathom's face goes blank in a combination of surprise and shock.

Holding his axe high overhead, Sir Acerion prepares to land the killing blow. However, Xanathom strikes first. One of her longswords drives deep into his chest! Blood erupts from the wound and Sir Acerion feels his strength draining away.

With the last of his strength, Sir Acerion brings his Axe down once ore. It rips into the shoulder wound he made earlier and drives most of the way through Xanathom's torso! Sir Acerion looses his grip on his Holy Weapon and then falls to the ground. Darkness claims him.

Xanathom stumbles for a few steps with the Axe of the Valorous lodged firmly in her chest. Her longswords drop free from her hands and then she falls onto her back, blood freely flowing from her numerous wounds. With her last breath she calls out, "Father! Why have you forsaken me?" Her body twitches unnaturally and then Xanathom dies.

[GM Mad]

Crysania is at Sir Acerion's side as he hits the ground. Tears are in her eyes as she quickly says the words to a healing spell. The magic quickly does its job and Sir Acerion comes around. Many of his wounds have healed, but he is not yet completely healed.

“Praise Heironeous!”, Crysania cries out in relief. “I thought we lost you!”

There is a momentary lull in the action after Xanathom dies. Several of the surviving Hextorites are too stunned to move, while others rush to escape with their lives. The fire giants move closer, taking in all with great interest.

As if in response to Xanathom's plea, there is a suddenly loud cracking sound coming from the huge statue of Hextor that stands on top of the prison cells! It appears that something inside is trying to break out of it!

At the same time, the eyes of the Hextor Golems all begin to glow. Each of the four begins to move towards Sir Acerion! Fortunately, Drakkimor's Wall of Force continues to hold the closest two golems in check.

With one last effort, whatever it was inside the Hextor statue breaks free! And what a monster it is! It superficially resembles a gargoyle, but is twelve feet tall! It hovers overhead on its large, leathery wings. There are breaks in the monster's red scaly skin and from those breaks fire erupts. Huge fangs hang below the creatures jaw and sickening looking green fluids drips from them.

The new arrival flies closer, eager to extract Hextor's vengeance for the slaying of his daughter!

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Lots and lots happening! Drakkimor covered 2 of the golems with a Wall of Force, but it will eventually expire. The damaging side of the Wall of Fire is away from you. The new arrival is a Pit Fiend, one of the most powerful servants to the Herald of Hell!

Sir Acerion was down to -2 HP's, but quickly healed thanks to Crysania's Cure Critical Wounds spell.


Hit Points:

Acerion - 25 of 57
Blod - 18 of 56
Crysania - 72 of 84
Oran - 92 of 102
*Serena - 41 of 50
Sharadin - 87 of 96

*Serena's HP total listed previously was incorrect. It included damage from the fall when there shouldn't have been any due to the Stoneskin.

Combat map has been updated.

Now what?

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

Blod, being the dutiful follower that he is, follows the Baron's orders and hacks at his enemies as he tries to disengage. Unfortunately, the enemy manages to hit him several times. Blod is more of a direct force and not so good at tactical manuevering. Validar thinks that he should be back to his friend's side soon, or at least the mages should help to free up Blod's enemies.

While this is going on, Validar manages to remove himself from the conflict on the pyramid and he moves quickly to where Sir Alon has been held up by Slug interference. One priest is simply knocked down the stairs as Validar crashes into him while turning his powerful frame in place. The next Hextorite is impaled on Validar's sword and using the motion to remove the blade from the fallen priest's innards, Validar swings the blade back upwards as he continues to advance and slashes another Slug completely in half. Even Validar is slightly surprised by the shear carnage done by his enchanted blade.

Meanwhile, Sir Alon is still blocked by his own combatants. Validar sees two more fo the offending enemy drop to the ground with mortal wounds. The path now to Xanathom is clear and Validar can see the exchange of blows between her and their paladin.

At that moment too, the mages are taking care of more of the enemy. A Wall of Fire burst in existance on their left side, which fries several of the enemy. Validar is pleased as this will help ease some of Blod's pressure. Also two of the Battle Golems have been dealt with by Drakkimor, if only temporarily. They can be destroyed when the more vital enemies are eliminated.

The death duel between the representatives of Heironeous and Hextor is the major battle however. Validar closes in as the two continue to trade horrific blows. Acerion slumps forward and the raises his mighty axe into his mortal enemy and rends mail, flesh, muscle and bone in a sickening sound. Xanathom's life bursts forth from her torso in a splash of red.

Everything seems to go into slow motion as Sir acerion raises his axe to land the killign blow, Xanathom thrusts forth one of her own swords and imbeds it deep in the paladin's chest. Acerion's body shakes and quivers and Validar instinctively knows that this blow is the last Acerion will be able to withstand. He has seen many final blows before. Amazingly, Acerion finds the strength to bring his axe down with a strong enough blow to carve it nearly half-way through the Head Slug's torso!

Wailing forelornly to her patron, Xanathom collapses in death throes, while Sir Acerion also falls the the floor, seemingly lifeless.

(to be continued)

[Serena]

Serena:

Fire Aura is cast and the magical flames consume Serena. The caster is immune to this particular magic, but the mystic flames will burn any who come into close proximity of the Inquisitor. One Hextorite learns this lesson the hard way.

Unaware of what is transpired on the other side of the pyramid, Serena will rush to assist the one called Blod who seems to be surrounded by Slugs. A Wall of Fire comes into existence and it partially covers Serena, but the Fire Aura protects her from any damage. Serena will use her Staff of Fire to transfer the Fire Aura to the nearby Hextorites, but will keep well clear of any allies.

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

There is a lull for a moment and Validar still expects the worst to happen. Certainly this battle cannot be over as yet.

Crysania rushes to the fallen Sir Acerion and bestows healing upon the paladin. Sir Acerion is clearly alive although not completely healed as yet. Several of the Hextorites rush to escape while others are stunned into paralysis. Validar takes a look toward Blod and his battle seems on hold as well; even the Battle Golems have ceased fighting for the moment. Still the tension is high and Validar expects something to happen, his eyes turning to the statue of their enemy.

While Validar had expected the statue to come to life, it clearly is the source of a new threat. A cracking sound starts to form in the stone as if something within is bursting free. The four Battle Golems start moving towards Sir Acerion with their eyes now glowing and Validar moves behind the closest one. They are an immediate threat and deadly.

Pulling his enchanted mace out as well, Validar will attack the rear of the Battle Golem with two weapons. With two of the golems temporarily in check, and a new threat bearing down on them, Validar gives direction to Blod. "Blod! Take down the remaining priests!"

Validar keeps an eye out for the new enemy and it is only a moment before the creature breaks free. Validar sees his newest enemy and knows that they will be in for a glorious battle with this enemy.

With one last effort, whatever it was inside the Hextor statue breaks free! And what a monster it is! It superficially resembles a gargoyle, but is twelve feet tall! It hovers overhead on its large, leathery wings. There are breaks in the monster's red scaly skin and from those breaks fire erupts. Huge fangs hang below the creatures jaw and sickening looking green fluids drips from them.

While the monster is airborne, Validar does not have much he can do against it. He will do as much damage as possible to the Battle Golems, unless the champion of the Hereld of Hell bears close enough to the ground to attack, then Validar will attack the beast in hand to hand, using sword and shield.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

The vile Xanathom has been slain! Sir Acerion has finished off the six-armed leader of the Hextorites, but nearly died from the struggle himself. Crysania pulled him back to the land of the living.

As if in response for the death of Xanathom, some unseen creatures starts to break out of the huge statue of Hextor. The eyes of the battle golems all begin to glow and each begins to move towards Sir Acerion’s location. Fortunately, two of the constructs are imprisoned inside a spherical shaped Wall of Force. The barrier cannot be broken, but it will fade when the spell expires. One of the golems can be seen lumbering across the pyramid to reach its target. The other is somewhere behind the Wall of Fire Lord Sharadin erected.

A Pit Fiend breaks free of the Hextor Statue! The powerful, gargoyle-like devil hovers overhead on leathery wings. It’s glowing red eyes lock in on the prone Sir Acerion. A ball of fire forms between the infernal monster’s hands. It grows larger and larger and then the devil throws it at Sir Acerion!

Crysania uses her own body to shield Sir Acerion from the assault, but it proves to be unnecessary. The ball of fire explodes violently, its flames erupting out in all directions. But those close to Sir Acerion remain unharmed. A previously invisible barrier hedges out the attack, creating a protective dome. (The magic resistant properties of the Axe of the Valorous hedged out the Fireball.)

When the fire clears, the pit fiend seems surprised that his assault did so little damage.

“Come down here and face me, you fiend!”, Crysania challenges, her axe raised up on high. “If it is vengeance that you want, you’ll have to get through me first!”

Oran Firehammer flings his namesake weapon at the pit fiend, striking it in the chest. The devil is sent backwards into the chamber wall from the impact. The hammer then flies back towards Oran’s hand.

Drakkimor casts yet another spell and a solid sheet of ice appears over the pit fiend. The ice begins to plummet as soon as it appears and crashes into the devil damaging him further.

Lord Sharadin takes a more direct approach. He reaches into one of the many pouches in his rob and produces several hunks of silver. A spell is cast and the silver leaps from his hand and accelerates faster than the eye can follow slamming into the devil’s chest! The pit fiend howls in pain and them falls. The devil crashes hard into the roof of the prison cell area and is lost from sight behind the huge Hextor statue.

[GM Mad]

While that is going on, Baron Validar rushes the lone free battle golem he can see. Circling around the construct, he attacks both with his enchanted longsword and mace. The weapons do some damage and surprisingly the golem doesn’t fight back. It merely continues its advance towards the prone Sir Acerion.

Sir Alon is momentarily startled when the last battle golem emerges from the Wall of Fire a short distance from him. The knight attacks with his sword, but fails to even slow the golem down. It continues its advance and does not retaliate.


On the other side of the pyramid, Serena advances up the stairs to assist Blod. The Inquisitor simply touches any Hextorite she comes into contact with and they erupt in green fire!

The fire giants seem to have seen enough and begin to advance. But they only take a few steps before realizing that something is happening behind them! On the far side of the Hellpit the door the giants originally came through bursts open! A large group storms in. Armored warriors advance and mages hurtle spells at the closest fire giants. The remainder of your rescue group, led by the King and Dame Sharl, have arrived!

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Heading into the home stretch now. Combat map has been updated.

Hit Points:

Acerion - 25 of 57
Blod - 18 of 56
Crysania - 72 of 84
Oran - 92 of 102
Serena - 41 of 50
Sharadin - 87 of 96

Now what?

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

The new enemy appears and the battle is renewed. The Pit Fiend summons a ball of fire and throws it at Sir Acerion, but it is dissipated by some unseen magickal field. Validar smirks at the surprised look on the smug devil's face. Overconfidence is always the first step in defeat.

Their group returns the attack and between the dwarf Oran and the mages Drakkimor and Sharadin, the pit fiend is dropped to the ground by the statue. Validar is fairly certain that while they may have damaged their adversary, it has not been defeated.

Validar takes the time to watch the proceedings as his opponent is rather slow-moving. He then attacks the Battle Golem which fails to even respond to the attacks. Even better, the Baron thinks, it should be faster to down a opponent which does not fight back.

Validar is aware of a new presence behind him and it appears to be the King and his group. Surely, the tide of this battle has turned in their favor. "Let us press the enemy and put an end to this glorious battle!" Validar shouts. "We have a chance to remove this stain of evil from the land now and for all time!"

Validar will continue his efforts to destroy the Battle Golem, even though it tries to move away from him. "Blod! Help me destroy this evil," Validar will call to his friend, which will also serve to bring the large warrior closer to the protective shield of Sir Acerion.

Validar is confident that the arriving group can deal with the Fire Giants, which leaves the formidable Pit Fiend remaining to the original attack force. With the mages assembled, the extra-planar creature is likely to be sent back to its home soon. If the Pit Fiend moves close enough to attack, Validar will concentrate his attacks on the main enemy. Until that time try to destroy the Battle Golem.

[Acerion]

Sir Acerion:

Crysania is at Sir Acerion's side as he hits the ground. Tears are in her eyes as she quickly says the words to a healing spell. The magic quickly does its job and Sir Acerion comes around. Many of his wounds have healed, but he is not yet completely healed.

“Praise Heironeous!”, Crysania cries out in relief. “I thought we lost you!”

"Fath....?" Acerion begins to ask as he comes around, it takes a moment for him to seemingly figure out where he is. "Crysania? Thank you for the timely rescue," Acerion says gratefully.

As he lays there, he looks over at the remains of Xanathom. Starting to sit up, he is aware that the battle is far from over. The Golems seem very interested in the paladin now and the huge statue of Hextor breaks apart, revealing a huge winged, scaled fiend.

A Pit Fiend breaks free of the Hextor Statue! The powerful, gargoyle-like devil hovers overhead on leathery wings. It’s glowing red eyes lock in on the prone Sir Acerion. A ball of fire forms between the infernal monster’s hands. It grows larger and larger and then the devil throws it at Sir Acerion!

Crysania uses her own body to shield Sir Acerion from the assault, but it proves to be unnecessary. The ball of fire explodes violently, its flames erupting out in all directions. But those close to Sir Acerion remain unharmed. A previously invisible barrier hedges out the attack, creating a protective dome.

“Come down here and face me, you fiend!”, Crysania challenges, her axe raised up on high. “If it is vengeance that you want, you’ll have to get through me first!”

Still unable to get his feet under him, Acerion watches as Crysania uses her own body to shield him from the hurled flames of the Pit Fiend. He is fearful that he may not possess enough magical healing to aid such a valiant and selfless act as Crysania's, but it soon doesn't matter. A magical barrier has protected them. Acerion looks into Crysania's eyes, showing the gratitude in his.

However the time is not appropriate to be lying down with an attractive woman above him. Acerion regains his feet and reaches for his axe, ready to do battle with the fiend. However, it seems a number of magical attacks blast the Pit Fiend from the sky. Whether or not it is truly vanquished, Acerion can not be sure.

It also seems that the King and Dame Sharl have arrived to join the battle, and they immediately begin to engage the giants. Turning, there is something nagging in the back of Acerion's mind. Something that he knows was not a dream or delusion brought on by his near-death experience. Acerion begins to advance, swinging out to strike Golem or Hextorite, it matters not. He will push forward, gaining ground towards the flames, the name of his father on his lips.

[GM Mad]

Post Closed