Sunday closes his eyes and thinks for a second, trying to pull a bunch of different threads together. "Better question, Karzoug, someone who's power is greater than your own... this place is ancient... Thassilonian... did he have anything to do with greed, or a seven pointed star called a Sihedron?"
Krysta considered the being trapped in the circle and the runes of the second, empty, circle. She felt a certain amount of empathy for it, and it didn't look like a huge threat to them, but she was reluctant to release it too if it were the kind of creature Elisai said it was. She looked to the woman and asked, "What is a Pit Fiend? More information please."
While she waited for Elisai's response Krysta said to the creature, "As a gesture of good faith tell us how to save the town first, provided it works we can release you afterwards. Beyond that we have no reason to trust you that I know of."
"He's alone and rotting in a cage. You don't need to lie, you just want out, you-he-grah," Sunday stops, the words not coming to him.
The feeble pit fiend doesn't respond immediately, laying still with its eyes closed and appearing quite dead. After nearly a minute of silence, its eyes slowly open once more. In a croaking whisper it responds, "I know nothing of Thassionian stars. We were summoned here directly from hell by a mortal wizard named Karzoug. That I will never forget, but it was so long ago that I do not remember any further details."
"I do not trust mortals to keep their word. Once I give you the information there is no reason for you to free me from this prison. Should you wish to construct a binding contract that states my release for my information, I will agree."
Sunday clucked his tongue, all that thinking had been pointless. "Not a problem with me." he offers.
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"A Pit fiend is basically a General of Hell. At full strength, its probably one of the most frightening things to face in battle. Some of them eventually become demigods, but all tend to raise large armies and then wage war on the world or planar landscapes. They make these giants we have been fighting look like a puppy dog."
Elisai hesitates a little at the next part. "They are undoubtedly evil creatures, but honor bound - as it were, with the goals of twisting mortal souls into becoming one of Hells denizens. You could make a bargin, and I imagine that it would honor it, but also attempt to twist it secretly. Pit Fiends tend to be immortal, and tend to take the long view. Just be aware Sunday, that its probably furious at being seen in such a weak state. If you want to let it out just for information, ensure that it does not come back later at full strength, and play your body like a harp."
”So we make a contract of it forgetting this ever happened, can we do that?” Sunday thinks aloud. ”Though there’s a good chance I’ll already be dead by then anyway.”
The pit fiend stirs, speaking is a rasp wisper without opening its eyes. "Well mortals? Do we have deal?"
Delendir eyes go wide as Elisai talks about the fiend. The half-elf tenses his bow "So this is basically a true incarnation of evilness... I say we kill it while we can before he has the opportunity to damage anyone"
The ranger takes aim at the fiend "You have five seconds to tell us how the dam works. Don't do it and we have no reason to save a being that is probably more dangerous than the waters themselves"
If the fiend keeps trying to avoid giving an explanation and no one stops him, Delendir sends arrows to kill the fiend.
The old creature doesn't open his eyes this time, but speaks "Stop.
I shall tell you how to trigger the floodgates, hoping you are honor-bound and will release me."
"The circle that my former companion and I are contained in here are only designed to contain us. Mortals are free to enter and leave the circle at will, it will not contain you. These circles are the only way to power the infernal engines that control the floodgates. All that must be done is that one of you must walk into the other circle and let the dam borrow some of your life force to power the dam."
"However, you must release me before you step into that circle. If you do not, I do not have enough life left and I will be destroyed."
Slowly opening his eyes he adds finally, "I leave my fate in your hands. You have nothing to fear from me, I am not a threat to any creature in my state."
Krysta considered what they were told by the devil in the circle and how to save those below. It seemed to her like the creature was leaving something out but she knew they had little choice but to trust it in this. She looked at her companions, her friends, and knew that of them all she could handle the drain the most. She had far more years ahead of her than any of them would, in fact being extra-planar as she was might even help. so she resolutely stepped towards the circle.
Realizing she could be stuck there for sometime and continue growing Krysta began to undo the stays of her armor and other bits of equipment. She set them aside when she was finished and said, "If I can't be released soon keep these safe for me and kill that snakey b#&+$ as payment for what she's done to my horde." With that she headed to the other circle and waited to get the time right, entering it only as someone broke the other one.
"We won't leave you," Sunday tells the brave dragon, taking a breath he then walks back over to the Fiend's prison, ready to free the ancient creature.
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Like, at least make some sort of deal with it first,
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Sunday begins to hack away at the circle and quickly finds out this isn't going to be as easy as he original expected. The stone is magically hardened and it takes him nearly fifteen minutes of solid work before it finally cracks and gives way. Inside the broken circle, the devil inhales sharply the moment it breaks and gasps hoarsely, "At last! Freeeeee!"
Looking across each member of the party one at a time as if committing you to memory, he adds, "Until we meet again." and then the devil blinks out of your sight and suddenly vanishes.
Once the devil is gone, Krysta proceeds into the western circle. She immediately feels every nook and cranny of the dam exploding into her mind - she feels the strain of the water at the gates and the dam being squeezed by the might of the Storval Deep - an oppressive and crushing weight of drowning and claustrophobia.
Arcs of red lightning leap outward from the floor and ceiling within the circle, drawing Krysta into the center. Suspended in mid-air, her body crackles with the tremendous force coursing through her. Arms and legs spread wide, back arched and with her head twisted upward toward the ceiling, Krysta's mouth is open in a silent scream.
Krysta's mind scrambles and feels in the darkness until it feels the edges of the dam and begins moving the floodgates. The great engine of the dam grinds into life. From all around you comes the sound of the massive flood gates opening, and thousands upon thousands of tons of water being released from the Storval in a controlled flow into the Skull River.
And then it is over. The force holding her ceases and she drops from the air and collapses on the ground inside of circle breathing heavy and covered in sweat. She crawls out of the circle on all fours before collapsing to the ground to catch her breath.
Delendir spits to the floor "I do not like it, but it feels cruel even against a demon, to kill someone so defendless and in such state..." the half-elf breaths deeply "Let's just release it, I trust he told us what we needed"
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"No! Krysta!" the ranger suffers for what the dragon is going through "That's terrible! But it seems it worked" he kneels next to her "You are a true brave dragon... you saved the region..."
When she saw the devil freed from his confinement Krysta gave the creature a nod. She realized it probably would be back for them later but that was a worry for another time. With the pitfiend gone Krysta entered the remaining circle.
The first thing the dragon felt was an intense connection to the entire dam. Krysta did her best to memorize what she could in case it would help them clear this place out. Then her world became nothing but blinding hot pain as the dam drained her life force to power the floodgates. It tore at her very soul for the energy it needed and all she could do was cry out in pain and agony until it was done.
Once the pain was gone Krysta was dropped to the floor with a sudden crystalline crash and just lay there groaning for a few minutes. When she finally got her breath back she rose and walked out of the circle. She felt a little weak but not nearly as much as she expected to feel and moved to her gear wich she promptly put on once again. "Remind me never to do something like that again, that hurt!"
Yavenee glares at the devil as it makes it's escape, her expression one of anger and revulsion, as the very presence of something so purely evil makes her skin crawl."Well there is a decision that could easily lead to a lifetime of regret."
Turnin to pay attention to Krysta writhing in agony in the circle, the witch breathes a sigh of relief when she takes a shuddering painful breath. As Krysta exist the circle, the witch goes to her side. "How do you feel?"
Delendir checks the door for traps, but finds none. Opening the wets door reveals a narrow empty chamber save for a long, ten-foot-wide pool.
Seeing nothing further of importance in this room, the party opens the eastern door to find a pool of water that sits against the wall to the west of this chamber, with a set of steps leading down into it along the pool's east side. Opposite the steps is an alcove in which rises a fantastically detailed scale model of Skull's Crossing. The five skulls along its face seem to be actual human skulls, the bone polished to a gleaming sheen.
Another remnant of the ancient past lingers in this room as well. A lumbering scorpion-like creature sits dormant in the room. When the door opens however, it lurches to life and quickly engages the party. This chittering, scorpion-shaped monstrosity appears to be made of a hideous mix of chitinous limbs and human skulls. As it clacks toward the entrance you are suddenly overcome with fear.
The scorpion-like creature moves up towards Delendir and snaps both its claws and tail towards him in rapid succession. Each claw rips flesh away from Delendir just before its needle-sharp tail pierces his chest. The second claw that strikes Delendir also grabs him tight in his grip, grappling him.
"If your lifetime can be measured in more than a year then that could be an issue," Sunday comments before turning to Krysta and smiling. "Next one is on me."
He blinks upon entering the new room. "There's a crystal in that model-" he starts before the giant vermin animates and attacks Delendir. "Did I say a year? I meant a minute."
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"Yes Sunday, I was indeed hoping to live a little further beyond twelve months" Elisai hisses, before following the rest of the group into the room
Once inside the room, Elisai immediately retreats in fear.
Realizing that she couldn't get through the press of people and into the fight easily Krysta quickly moved north towards the other door on that side. She hoped that it would lead to the same place and let her flank the mechanical monster.
Krysta saw the thing lay into Delendir and felt a wash of fear wash over her. She wanted away from this thing, in fact she wanted out of here entirely just now so she turned tail and fled as fast as possible back the way they came.
->
The venom of the scorpion affects Delendir's mobility, but it enrages the ranger to the point he does not want to run with the others.
Instead he swings his longsword with a single hand to attempt cut through the creature "You beast! Let me be!"
Ghina comes to try help Delendir, shrieking in terrible alert while attacking the giant scorpion.
Delendir's companions all about abandon him out of fear, taking off and fleeing from the sight of the hideous skull scorpion monster. Only Yavenee fights the urge to bolt like the others.
Delendir's first attack with his longsword critically strikes his opponent as he cleaves off one of the creatures six legs. As the leg falls to the ground, the ranger observes that it was more difficult than normal to pierce the hardened shell of this creature and not all of his damage went through.
Ghina second talon strike finally touches the monster, but she can't do enough damage to pierce its hard protective skin.
As the fear washes over her and her companions, Yavenee calls forth a dark rage that all but blots out the fear. She was not about to allow one of her own to die here. Hurling her considerable will at the monstrous abomination that held Delindir she unleashes a wave of utter misfortune at it with a yell of fury.
The scorpion-like creature is easily susceptible to Yavenee's magic and becomes rather unfortunate for the time being. Despite being unfortunate however, it is still so powerful and strong that it seemingly is unaffected by the hex.
The creature tightens it claw around Delendir's body, constricting him and attempting to cut him in half. While holding him in one hand, it snips away with its other claw at him and stings him again with its poisonous tail.
Sunday stops running and blinks. ”... s!@@.” he sighs and slumps his shoulders before turning and running back.
As the scorpion tightens its constrict over Delendir, the half-elf loosens his grip on the magical sword he long ago took from the dead body of a mutant goblin. When the sword impacts with the ancient floor stone, the ranger's head softens and falls back, losing all its vigor.
->
Unable to pierce through the scorpion armor, Ghina attempts to face the ancient enemy as well she can, scratching it with its claws with desperation.
Krysta was about to take flight as she fled when reality set in. If she did this her friends might well die, and some of those friends were part of her horde. With a roar of anger she turned back around and went back down stairs. She went straight to the door from before, the one they didn't use to go into that room, and tore it open as she prepared to storm in there and rip that thing apart.
Elisai stalks back closer towards the scorpion, full of anger for temporarily abandoning her friends to its attacks and seeking to make up for the flood of emotion that had rendered her helpless.
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Staring down the monstrosity, Yavenee begins a powerful chant, unleashing a devastating curse on the creature as she laughs wildly, dark energies continuing to plague the monster.
Unfortunately Ghina's attempt to distract the large creature falls short, it's attention is focused on the other line of party members approaching the hallway. It drops the unconscious ranger from its claws into a nearby floor and steps forward and snaps its claws at Sunday.
Through Yavenee's hex, curse and Sunday's totem, the scorpion-like creature still manages to snap its claws on Sunday twice and grab a hold of him. The totem manages to distract the large creatures sting from hitting him however.