Four Gugs enter the cave where Frost holds court over the frozen chalice. The cold air of the cave swirls about the frozen giants, obscuring their faces except for their blue glowing eyes. They raise their silver mattocks and advance on the white dragon.
Frost smiles.
"Nice try."He casts a spell, and a hole opens in the ceiling of the cave. A sort of sunlight pierces the cave, and its beams harden into lances of flame right before they hit the Gugs.
"We are prepared."
Candle Lighter looks at his adversary.
"Interesting."
He finishes the incantation, and suddenly breathes an enormous cone of flame at his foe. The flame suddenly animates into a huge fire elemental. It draws a greataxe and charges.
"Your chains are inconsequential. I do not fear being trapped, you should be protecting yourself."
The dark form hisses in laughter as the Gugs swarm Candle Lighter.
Now time to add a bit of fun to the fight ...
The form waves a hand and rusty chains spring forth around Candle Lighter, binding him fast
The cruel barbed chains sink deep into his undead flesh
"Excuse me please."
A young woman in a shiny red-silver dress has plodded her way up to where Kytania is.Would you mind explaining to me, please, who you are and what you're doing here? I've been sent to find out, and I really don't want to blow this mission. The person I take orders from really won't be that happy if I don't have anything to report back.
The dark form hisses in laughter as the Gugs swarm Candle Lighter.
Now time to add a bit of fun to the fight ...
The form waves a hand and rusty chains spring forth around Candle Lighter, binding him fast
The cruel barbed chains sink deep into his undead flesh
"Excuse me please."
A young woman in a shiny red-silver dress has plodded her way up to where Kytania is.
Would you mind explaining to me, please, who you are and what you're doing here? I've been sent to find out, and I really don't want to blow this mission. The person I take orders from really won't be that happy if I don't have anything to report back.
Candle Lighter manages to put up a claw. The fire elemental pauses.
"Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but we're in the middle of a fight here. Couldn't you do this some other time?"
Candle Lighter looks at his adversary.
"Interesting."
He finishes the incantation, and suddenly breathes an enormous cone of flame at his foe. The flame suddenly animates into a huge fire elemental. It draws a greataxe and charges.
"Your chains are inconsequential. I do not fear being trapped, you should be protecting yourself."
Would you mind explaining to me, please, who you are and what you're doing here? I've been sent to find out, and I really don't want to blow this mission. The person I take orders from really won't be that happy if I don't have anything to report back.
The chained being turns and laughs sprightly
I am here to free my love from bondage, is there no greater quest?
Would you mind explaining to me, please, who you are and what you're doing here? I've been sent to find out, and I really don't want to blow this mission. The person I take orders from really won't be that happy if I don't have anything to report back.
The chained being turns and laughs sprightly
I am here to free my love from bondage, is there no greater quest?
Candle Lighter looks at his adversary.
"Interesting."
He finishes the incantation, and suddenly breathes an enormous cone of flame at his foe. The flame suddenly animates into a huge fire elemental. It draws a greataxe and charges.
"Your chains are inconsequential. I do not fear being trapped, you should be protecting yourself."
Would you mind explaining to me, please, who you are and what you're doing here? I've been sent to find out, and I really don't want to blow this mission. The person I take orders from really won't be that happy if I don't have anything to report back.
The chained being turns and laughs sprightly
I am here to free my love from bondage, is there no greater quest?
I don't know, she says completely seriously.
That's the why you're here; what about the who?
The fire elemental runs up to Kytania, enveloping her in fire. She shrieks, but then begins laughing as her skin crisps and peels off.
Silly dragon, I have spent aeons immersed in fire ..
She inhales and the fire elemental is sucked into her mouth. She spits out a pillar of fire and grins at the bound dracolich
I don't know, she says completely seriously.
That's the why you're here; what about the who?
The who is my love, my master, the Harlequin. He is the Trickster, the Herald of Old Chaos, the Giggle in the Dark. These wyrms think to bind him, but he shall cavort under strange stars again. It is foretold..
No. I mean who are you?
No. I mean who are you?
The flaming being bows deeply, her chains glowing red hot against her peeling skin
How shockingly bad form of me! I am Kytania, an angel of the far realms. I am an epicure of sensation, both pleasure and pain, and I have come to the lands of Dream to assist my love in escaping the grasp of these wyrms. He has called me from far away to be his consort.
The burning woman looks at the countess
And whom might you be, curious one?
Oh, I'm Sorsha. I'm new at the court of the Elven Queen.
She frowns.
Umm, by Far-Realm you mean the place where the aboleth deities hang out, and so forth?
Umm, by Far-Realm you mean the place where the aboleth deities hang out, and so forth?
The burning form finally extinguishes, a smell of bacon rising in the air. She laughs, bits of burned lip flesh spittering out
Among other beings. You must realize that these realms here are but a small group bobbling on the sunlit surface of the Interthereal Sea. Down in the dark depths strange things swim. Sometimes they swim to the surface to feed ....
Oh, that's okay. It's just that apparently there are other places and things outside even the interthereal sea, which the Elven Queen isn't very happy about. If they're from the interthereal sea, then they're relatively native, so that's fine.
Oh, that's okay. It's just that apparently there are other places and things outside even the interthereal sea, which the Elven Queen isn't very happy about. If they're from the interthereal sea, then they're relatively native, so that's fine.
The burned creature laughs
The Interthereal Sea is just the broth upon which reality is formed. It is nothing but a womb and a road. Things that come from beyond still touch the shore of it, just not as easily reached, and with very different frames of reference. For instance fire and pain..
The chains on the creature suddenly unspool, revealing a burned crispy woman. That woman peels off her burned epidermis revealing sticky red musculature. Skin erupts all over the muscles, clothing the woman in seconds, revealing a truly beautiful Celestial-looking visage. She smiles and the hovering chains rewrap themselves around her, digging rusty barbs in the new pink flesh and piercing the newly grown aquamarine-colored eyes. Blood and ocular fluid drip down the rusty chains in rivulets.
Ahh, better... Kytania hisses
Ah. You're saying that love is insanity, and that your love has driven you insane?
Seeing that her words have apparently had some impact on the woman, giving her such pause for thought, Sorsha hurries to apologise.
I'm sorry if I have speaken too freely and given injury. Sometimes my tongue just runs away with me.
Since the horrors you work for don't seem to be the ones that the Elven Queen worries about, I'll leave you to get on with your quest, but be careful. She shivers. I think that one way or the other, your love will be the death of you.
She plods off down the slope, and out of sight, leaving Kytania to her doings.
The fire elemental runs up to Kytania, enveloping her in fire. She shrieks, but then begins laughing as her skin crisps and peels off.
Silly dragon, I have spent aeons immersed in fire ..
She inhales and the fire elemental is sucked into her mouth. She spits out a pillar of fire and grins at the bound dracolich
Candle Lighter groans.
"Oh, come on! I spent ages scribing that spell!"He sighs.
"Well, Frost, you're on your own!"
He casts a teleport spell, with difficulty. Unfortunately, the chains do not want to move. There is an awful tearing sound, as teh force of his spell fights with the force of the chains. Eventually, the spell wins, a barely unliving Candle Lighter vanishing along with the chains.
Frost swears.
"Candle Lighter, get back here! Dammit!"
He casts a spell, and razor-sharp icicles fly out of the walls and straight into the hearts of the remaining Gugs, who had been standing around in a daze.
"Whatever is out there is going to have a hell of a fight on her hands..."
A stir runs through the Wildwood as for the first time in years Eiboria returns.
The dragon sheds the frail physical form and goes hunting game through the trees. She spends some months acquiring greater cunning and honing her skills.
Aritha occasionally hears sounds of the dragon hunting nearby and gnashes her teeth in jealousy - and perhaps just a little fear.
Once, an imperial darkness rises and spreads vast wings across the Wildwood, stirring uneasily, and peering towards the boundaries and the mortal world.
Aritha, aspect of a goddess though she is, sits shaking as the ancient darkness comes forth and moves about the Wildwood.
She begins to regret ever having come here, safe though she may be from any foes - but not safe from the Queen of this Realm and her apparent mysterious servants and allies.
The darkness subsides into the palace, and Nirellia Dimonia sits on a throne of ivory and ponders what she has seen.
Ma'am?
After lengthy travels, Sorsha has returned from the fringes where the cave which interested Kytania was located.
She proceeds to deliver her report.
A war is coming, Sorsha. A war for the lands beyond the Realms of Dream.
They will fall.
Barely was their strength sufficient to beat off an incidental side-show of the Seventh Sign.
Six more are to come.
Four Heralds at least are in play.
Perhaps five if the third of the Eldest Elemental Evils has one.
With the meagre resources they have to bring to bear, the war against the Eldest Elemental Evils is lost.
I am the Queen of the Realms of Dream, Sorsha. I can choose to deny them the only weapon they would have against the nightmares beyond to stop them from destroying it for themselves.
That which they would create in its place would as surely destroy them as the nightmares beyond.
The waking world has dwindled and diminished safe behind the fences of Dream for countless ages of the planes.
There is no strength or hope left to them. In the days before they forgot, the dwarves used to sing of the Siucci, loosely translated into our tongue, '...their lights undimmed whilst others' waned, in fire and ash, in blood and rage...'
The Siucci will not go to their rescue. I will not go to their rescue. The survivors of the seven dragons first made are unlikely to do so.
Daelemos is then only dragon left in the waking world with elder blood, and he will defend only those things which are his own.
Her gaze turns to Sorsha.
I could expend you Sorsha, if I wanted to make a token gesture.
Sorsha shivers.
However, I shall for now award you with the title of 'Countess'. Your errand was executed reasonably competently. You are something besides the sum of your parents.
You may go.
Sorsha leaves, relieved not to have earned the Elven Queen's displeasure.
Nirellia continues to contemplate the turmoils of the worlds.
Dang it you whippersnappers! Stop all that racket! And get the hell off my lawn!!!
The Gugs roar and pull the iciles from their thoraxes. They flip them towards the large dragon, piercing his hide and causing gouts of blood to stream out and freeze on the floor. The Gugs advance, raising their silver hammers high, aiming to crush Frost's skull. Their glowing blue eyes bore into him as the fog of their breath causes the cold cave to get even more frigid.Frost swears.
"Candle Lighter, get back here! Dammit!"
He casts a spell, and razor-sharp icicles fly out of the walls and straight into the hearts of the remaining Gugs, who had been standing around in a daze.
"Whatever is out there is going to have a hell of a fight on her hands..."
Frost glares.
"This is taking far too long. Gugs could not survive those wounds. Something must be enhancing them..." He mutters.He casts a spell, and half the Gugs suddenly turn to stone. Then they animate.
"I really do love that spell. Destroy them."
The stone golems turn on the Gugs and attack.