"Dispell your magics and we will help you." Nymy says as he pulls out a cure potion
The old lady does as Nym commands and she lets go of her illusion reveal a magnificent gargantuan silver dragon. Likewise she releases her frightful presence as a free action.
As the dragon revels itself hands it the potion of cure serious.
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"I would ask you to see things from our perspective. We've been under direct attack from the Abyss, a massive red dragon just nearly killed two of us, and now our warrior has been sucked into some planar magic thing in the middle of an attack on town. I warned you we were under a lot of threat and asked you to keep your distance."
Karnog floats down to the ground and looms disapprovingly at Desmond.
"Besides, some of us are, in fact, criminals. Not all, but I'll grant you some. "
"I would ask you to see things from our perspective. We've been under direct attack from the Abyss, a massive red dragon just nearly killed two of us, and now our warrior has been sucked into some planar magic thing in the middle of an attack on town. I warned you we were under a lot of threat and asked you to keep your distance."
Karnog floats down to the ground and looms disapprovingly at Desmond.
"Besides, some of us are, in fact, criminals. Not all, but I'll grant you some. "
"ACTS OF COWARDNESS THAT IS WHAT I SEE.' She pauses for moment then states, "A. DROW. HAD. THE. MOST. GOODLY. SENSE. OUT. OF. ALL. OF. YOU." The dragon glares at Karnog and flexes his neck, "THERE ARE INJURIED IN THE RUBBLE." A puff of fog exhales from it's flaring nostrils. "YOUR FRIEND HAS BEEN TAKEN TO HELL."
"To the rubble! Karnog, can you make this easy? Our headstrong comr--friends have us in quite a position.'
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Desmond jumps back as the old lady predictably morphs into a large monster. "Raaaahhhhh!!!" He roars, ready to charge back in and clearly misreading the situation.
Then he sees the others stop and ask for forgiveness.
Oh. S@+~.
"Alright, in my defense we had just fought a powerful red dragon who was using all sorts of dirty tricks against us. And I'm about 80% sure that Karnog, High God of Orcs, could have revived anybody we accidentally killed."
Desmond is the only on affected by the presence.
Karnog bows his head in sadness.
"To Hell? I am even more confused than before. But the injured must be attended to. I apologize for our hostile greeting."
Moving over to the attacked area, Karnog looks for collapsed buildings or the like that may contain trapped people.
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Nym transforms into an earth elemental and melts through the rubble to find survivors
Nym transforms into an earth elemental and melts through he rubble while Karnog, Desmond, and Kalim move over to the rubble. they begin the search for survivors and quickly come to a pocket of survivors. There's young mother and two frightened children. She sobbing while holding a lifeless toddler in her arms.
The silver dragon circles overhead searching the sky.
You can do a heal check?
Karnog flies over to the family and channels positive energy to heal the wounded.
to see if they are who they portray.
The child was pale but you suspect she was clinging to life. Your channel washes over the family and toddler gasps. the family is overcome with emotion, crying, laughing, and hugging each other. Offering you much tanks and praise.
"No praise necessary. Please get yourselves to safety, the dragon may still be around. Go, hurry."
Seeing the children healed (especially the little one), Karnog smiles a bit and flies higher, looking for other survivors.
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Desmond renews his invisibility, flying high above to scout the area.
Over the course of the next hour, the group is able to find a few more injured people but you soon realize the enormity of the death and destruction as you come by dozens and dozens of charred remains. You are joined by city guard and emergency personnel trying to render aid and make sense of the devastation.
Aragnak has yet to return and reveal himself.
Just as everything begins to calm down Duncan pops out of rip in the material plane. He appears right where he vanished from.
Seeing Ducan appear the drow eyes him suspiciously. In his rough accented common Nym asks "And where have you been?"
A few seconds later four additional people step through a rip in the material plane's fabric. The four mercenaries that were at the Slywink Tavern appear. They are not being aggressive but they are in defensive poises.
"Fascinating," the now human(ish) Kalim says.
"According to the silver dragon, Duncan was on Hell. In Hell? I dunno, the planes are stupid."
Karnog looks at Duncan with an appraising eye, then towards the mercenaries.
"Make some new friends while you were away, Duncan?"
Duncan looks disapprovingly over his shoulder at the mercenaries.
Not at all. We need a private place ta talk. Then we need ta move. This lot'll tell us where the the dragon's lair is so we can go kill it in it's home. That'll garuntee it don't poke an run. A dragon would never abandon it's hoard. But there's a catch. We need ta move fast.
During the quick walk to Duncan's room the dwarf was tapping himself with his wand of CLW.
He also cast a CLW spell of his own.
Mostly to confirm his actions hadn't caused him to fall in Imoedae's favor.
Once safely in his room Duncan comes clean,
[b]I was in Hell. In Dispaters' tower...
Duncan tells them the entire story.
The Arch devil's offer for Grimm's souls for the axe. The subsequent back and forth and counter offers and finally the agreement.
So that's it. I agreed with the First King that we trade him the axe on the condition it never be used on the material plane and in exchange for this lot, he guestures to the devil's, will give us the location of the Wyrm's true home and then tell the beast we are coming for his hoard. The contract devils had a drop O me blood ta seal the deal. I know this takes away any chance O surprise but this things been clever poking us ta waste resources and retreating. While he might be ready for us, we know we can prepare ourselves for a longer fight and know the thing won't run if we get the upper hand. So I say let's ready ourselves, teleport to his home and give him some Dino's to play with to wear HIM down in his home and kill the thing. Then we can get back on task and into the Catacombs with whatever powerful items a Giant Wyrm has in it's horde ta help in the fight.
He waits for Karnong's chiding to begin....
"...Well, I was hoping a being of the Celestial Realm would take the axe and destroy it, but if the enemy of the demons has it, that is one way to dispose of it. I dont suppose they might have a few thousand gold or a holy hammer to trade for this stupid evil greatsword, eh?"
Karnog takes the story in stride, working through the tactics offered and trying to solve the "defend the town" problem as is.
"I wish I had more summon spells prepared, but I at least have some self-empowering magic and an animate objects to use. It will be amusing to have the beasts own guard rise up and bludgeon it."
"...Well, I was hoping a being of the Celestial Realm would take the axe and destroy it, but if the enemy of the demons has it, that is one way to dispose of it. I dont suppose they might have a few thousand gold or a holy hammer to trade for this stupid evil greatsword, eh?"
Karnog takes the story in stride, working through the tactics offered and trying to solve the "defend the town" problem as is.
"I wish I had more summon spells prepared, but I at least have some self-empowering magic and an animate objects to use. It will be amusing to have the beasts own guard rise up and bludgeon it."
Dispater is second only to Asmodeas himself in hell. The fact were here killing follower's of Orcus was lucky for us, since we happen to be aligned in goals for the moment. I tried to trade the weapon for a holy item returned from a fallen goodly warrior which he no doubt had, but he wouldn't budge. I offered an exchange for the lair since we're likely to find plenty of stuff taken from foes that have tried to defeat the dragon and I knew the cost to him was small enough he might agree to keep the evil weapon OFF the material plane, making it highly unlikely ta kill an earthly Goodly being again. I ain't no lawyer so hoping that's enough for the town an me goddess.
Having healed most of his wounds. Duncan took a mental checklist of his remaining prayer inventory.
I got 16 minutes of energy resistance I can put on me Armor, plus one spell O the same. I can swift spell OR heal meself eight more times and Smite the dragon which should keep Is focus on me.
I can make me Weapon holy as well.
I got 8 summons left
Spell wise I got a good one that'll make us stronger as we get wounded but ya gotta be fightin hurt ta get any benefit. Plus divine favor as usual.
Got very little left in the way O condition removal except one lesser restore and one Sumount Affliction.
Reckon I'll need most O that being the frontliner. How about the rest a ye? Ye ready ta fight?
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"Wow."
"Usually getting into that kind of trouble is something you'd expect from me."
"Well done Duncan, maybe we're more alike than I thought!"
Duncan you haven't felt the loss of your Godess' support but you know you haven't prayed to her yet.
The mercnaries follow you Duncan's room. They wait patiently until Duncan concludes with his story and the others have a chance to comment. Eventually the female asks, "Duncan Redhammer are you going to honor your agreement?' It's a simple statement but the weight of the words should sink in.
Yes.....Karnog. This was the best way given the circumstances to get rid of the thing and keep it off the material plane. Let's give em the weapon...
Duncan waits for Karnog to retrieve the item from his bag of Holding...
Nym holds up a finger to pause the group, "I thought we needed the axe to stop Örcųs.?"
Nym holds up a finger to pause the group, "I thought we needed the axe to stop Örcųs.?"
"Not specifically, Nym. The axe is an item of power for the demon lord, and is a potent weapon on it's own. If these devils have contracted to fight the demons on their own realms, and will remove this thing from play, I say fine."
Karnog sets his bag down then uses his ring of telekinesis to remove the axe from inside.
"I hope this bodes well for us."
Floating the evil-tainted axe over, he presents it to the mercenaries.
As the Axe floats over, Duncan puts in.
Now yer own part. The true location of the dragon's lair and ye depart and tell him we're coming for him. Then the deal is done and ye return to yer home.
"Huh." Desmond says aloud with a pondering expression on. "I wonder if Dispater could hatch a plot to turn us into demon-hybrids by force so that he could justify using the axe against us."
The female mercenary waves her hand and studies the weapon, when she is satisfied that it is the weapon she will motion to one her comrades to accept the axe. Once the mercenary has possession of vivicious dwarven axe the female reveals, "Thirty miles offshore is the remains of an old pirate stronghold. This island controls a narrow stretch of safe water in the otherwise reef-filled waters surrounding this coastal area. The island is about two miles in diameter, of reasonably flat relief, and features a small harbor, a good supply of spring-fed fresh water, and dozens of wild goats, left behind by pirates when they were rather rudely evicted from the island by Aragnak. The island is heavily wooded, and underbrush grows thickly to within a few feet of the shore. Near the harbor is a small wood and stone fort, partially wrecked and caved in, wherein lairs the dragon."
The mercenary nods, "I will depart and tell him to expect your arrival." She looks at Duncan, "Once that is accomplished that will conclude our business." The mercenary pulls out an item from her pocket, "The Lord of Iron bids me to return this to you."
Duncan accepts the holy symbol and nods to the Devil.
Pass me thanks onto yer master, for a honest deal fullfilled.
He then waits for all the devils to depart before casting detect Magic on the symbol. He actually didn't expect to find a dweomer on it, but he was a little confused at the gesture. For while devils were incredibly lawful they were not kind. Dispater wouldn't have freely given the item which had sentimental value to Duncan unless it was for a reason.
With he and his companions finally alone and with a moment to breathe he asks.
What now. I expect the dragon would make preparations to defend his home. We might actually get time to rest and replenish our spells and prayers OR we could wait 1 hour for the Devil to complete it's task and attack suddenly while it's still getting ready. But whose to guess at the tactics of a 600 year old Wrym? He may attack the village immediately, hoping to catch us at rest
"Perhaps we could strike out a ways from town and set up a hidden camp to rest? Could be safer."
"If you wouldn't mind some underground sleeping, we could excavate a small area and create a stone and iron bunker in which to rest. I have the magic remaining to create a way station like before, with a few of Kalim's disintegrate rays we'd have a secure structure in solid rock that no one but us would know abojt."
Karnog looks at the group, so recently battered by the dragon.
"I dont know what the beast will do, but I doubt it would attack so brazenly with that silver dragon nearby. Maybe she might have some insight, if we haven't irked her enough to disregard us."
"If you wouldn't mind some underground sleeping, we could excavate a small area and create a stone and iron bunker in which to rest. I have the magic remaining to create a way station like before, with a few of Kalim's disintegrate rays we'd have a secure structure in solid rock that no one but us would know abojt."
Karnog looks at the group, so recently battered by the dragon.
"I dont know what the beast will do, but I doubt it would attack so brazenly with that silver dragon nearby. Maybe she might have some insight, if we haven't irked her enough to disregard us."
I like that idea. One night Only and we attack first thing after we prep in the morning. Let's get some rest.
Looking upon the Holy Symbol with his detect magic spell, Duncan actually falls over from the shock of looking upon it.
He had seen this symbol many times before when Grimm. he keeps the thing in front of him and held alot.
Dagnabbit. Would things ever just be simple. This Holy symbol's been enchanted even more powerfully than the damned Axe was. Divination and protective magics.Any of you mages can tell exactly what it does? This be Gorum's holy symbol and it was the won Grimm wore fer years. Thought he still had it, but Dispater told me they intercepted his soul after Grimm was killed by one of Orcus's own abyssal Harvesters. So who do we know more powerful than Orcus who'd enchant a holy symbol o Gorum to this level o power? And doing so'd take alot of time an effort for even a powerful mortal. Gods, why ain't these days ever simple?
He presents the Symbols to whomever in the party wishes to inspect it.
"As much as I would prefer to sleep under ground again, how would us in a bunker help prevent what happened earlier. We need to establish a way to protect the people."
Nym detects magic concentrating the full amount of time to gleam as much as he can.
"Well, we cant hardly prevent that flying lizard from showing up and torching the town again. My remaining magics are all about healing and self empowering spells. I'd hate to go toe-to-toe with that beast, especially after seeing what it did to Duncan. If we rest up, I can prepare more resistance and anti-invisibilty magic. That way we'll have a real chance against him."
Nym detects magic concentrating the full amount of time to gleam as much as he can.
Kalim wishes up one handy Analyze Dweomer.