False Keraptis "Killjoy"'s page

Continued from the previous post ....

Finally, mere seconds after Sister Belit announced, "He's about to drop!," the efreeti "Killjoy" uttered his dying scream as the massive surges of negative energy from Aegwareth's incorporeal strikes snuffed out his life-force completely! "AAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGHHH!!! As the efreeti collapsed in a withered heap, Blackrazor dropped from his hands ....

Immediately, the party carried out Orsino's plan: Grimaldi dashed to Blackrazor and seized the evil, soul-consuming greatsword .... Just as Erlick had sensed Whelm's strong opposition to his touch, Grimaldi could sense Blackrazor's curious probing of his mind and soul, feeling the fetchling jester out .... Though the sentient greatsword was Neutral Evil, it was not nearly as finicky about who wielded it, so long as its wielder continued to supply it with fresh souls to feed on, and Grimaldi was not nearly as different in morality and ethos from Blackrazor as the Chaotic Evil Erlick of House Lassiter was from the Lawful Good dwarven thrower, Whelm ....

For the moment, Blackrazor would bide its time .... Now was not the right time to try to possess the Horned King's clever Court Fool .... But Blackrazor sensed that Grimaldi might be a suitable "wielder" (thrall), and it thought to itself, "This foolish mortal is weak-minded .... Perhaps it will suffice as my puppet, when the moment is right .... But not just now .... Let the fool and its allies take me out of this accursed volcano .... Let the fool carry me back to some city, where I can glut upon the souls of many ...."

Finally, the conclusion and denouement in the following post ....

Continued from the previous post ....

The efreeti False Keraptis "Killjoy," accompanied by two large magma elemental thralls, suddenly arrived inside the great Fane! Brandishing the soul-devouring greatsword Blackrazor with intimidating skill and speed, the efreeti boomed in a voice like the roaring of an active volcano: "FOOLS!! DID YOU THINK I WOULD NOT NOTICE YOU SLINKING BEHIND MY BACK IN YOUR PITIFUL GASEOUS FORMS!? DID YOU THINK BLACKRAZOR WOULD NOT WARN ME OF INTRUDERS, EVEN IF I DID FAIL TO DETECT YOUR COWARDLY ATTEMPT TO SNEAK PAST ME!?"

The blade of Blackrazor seemed to reflect a night sky filled with glittering stars as "Killjoy" raised it high over his horned head and charged at the hated "pretender," the ogre mage "Spatterdock," followed by the two lumbering magma elementals, which moved to flank the vampire Ctenmiir ....

A fierce battle between the two False Kerapti and their monstrous minions ensued -- "Killjoy" and "Spatterdock" each hellbent on striking the other down, as the magma elementals engaged the vampire!

The party wasted no time, seizing the magical treasures they discovered in the "treasury obelisk" while the monsters were distracted with trying to kill each other .... These treasures included a pair of powerful magic weapons -- one a falcata with a blade that appeared to be made of glowing red molten magma (a +1 flaming burst falcata named "Moltendoom"), and the other a warhammer, with a head that also seemed to be made of glowing red molten magma (a +1 flaming burst warhammer named "Fist of Flame").

In addition to the two magic weapons, the shelves held a scintillating molten-gold +1 chain shirt of fire resistance; a cracked amber spindle ioun stone (that grants a stackable +1 resistance bonus on Fortitude saving throws); a cracked dark blue rhomboid ioun stone (that grants a +1 competence bonus on Perception and Sense Motive checks); a cracked deep red sphere ioun stone (that grants a +1 competence bonus on Stealth checks); and a shriveled mummified left ear -- the Left Ear of Vecna!

Orsino warned his companions: "Wait! Don't touch the Ear .... yet ....," but Erlick of House Lassiter had eagerly snatched the prized relic of his god before the warning was halfway out of the wary wizard's mouth! For a heartbeat, the Suel antipaladin of Vecna was on the verge of severing his own left ear right then and there, and immediately attaching the Left Ear of Vecna in its place .... but hearing Orsino's warning, he instead quickly stowed it in a belt pouch at his hip, a look of exhilaration and triumph on his pale face, his lips curled in an unnervingly evil grin that did not go unnoticed by Orsino, Grimaldi, and Sister Belit ....

Continued in the following post ....