4 - 055: The Fourth Piece

[K Man]

First off, I've got some good news for everyone. You may have noticed that Wizard is up and about lately...well so is Udjat. He contacted me via PM last night and requested re-entry to this campaign, citing that he now has the time and energy to dedicate to this game. And, in saving me a tone of work, they have already written a way for them to come back in. So what does everyone think?

Any objections can be made publicly or privately to me.
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Romar -

Confused and feeling slightly ashamed, you pick yourself up and follow Irinys to that Amber tower...to the weapon you have just helped build. You have convinced an entire city to leave their sanctuary and head into the desert, under the guise that you are an emissary of a friendly kingdom. Then, you have relayed the news to an empire that plans on thieving the crystal...but for a greater good right? If the war is done and over, what would a few old citizens from a desert town matter...?

You hardly notice that you've been led up to the audience chamber of the Queen's tower once again. There she sits, regal and mad as ever. Her face is grim, an expression-less visage of a ruler. She looks upon you and her son quizzically.



"Speak."

Irinys takes the cue from her and speaks for you.



"I bear good news Mother. Romar has returned from the Desert Palace and not only has he found the shard, but he has convinced the townspeople to remove it and carry it into the desert under the guise that it will be used for good."

"If all goes well, we plan to attack in three days time when they are weak and unable to provide much resistance. At that time, we shall snatch the crystal and the weapon will be complete."

You're alerted to a flash of light above you. Looking through the semi-opaque amber above you, darkened figures mill about and giant pieces of rock are moved...the shards! They are contstructing the weapon directly above you! The queen confirms this.



"Excellent work Romar, you have performed better than I could have expected."

"In return for your work, I provide you this."

She naps her finger and, in true fashion of royalty, a lesser approaches and provides you a small amulet. It fancy is design and sparkles even in the muted light of the amber tower. It is a gold chain, big enough for your head and hanging from it is a small blue disk roughly three inches in diameter. Inscribed around the edge of the disk are arcane words in Elven that you could never hope to understand.



"It will help you find him, Hirsuthe..." The Queen continues. "Once you wear it and think of your enemy, a small pinpoint of light will shine in the direction that he is to be found."

"No matter where he hides, this light will shine to him."

The queen leans forward, her face looking wicked and cold as ever.

"I trust this is satisfactory for your deed."

More of a statement than a question really. Irinys nudges you towards the exit, indicating you should say some thanks before he escorts you from the tower to be teleported back to the desert city.

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All but Romar -

{I forgot to update the legend of the map with the beasts' HP...sorry about that. It is indeed dead.}

[Fort Save Girud = Fail, 5 more Temp DEX Damage] [Galdren Fort Save = Fail, 4 more Temp DEX Damage] [Krysta Fort Save = Nat. 20]

As the poison courses through the party, wracking pain through the largest fighters, you each feel a small earthquake. The ground beneath you moves ever so slightly...the fortress is moving!! The Colossus has begun to push again!!

A sense of urgency rushes over you.

You really can't tell which way the block is moving...towards Ravenshead or away, but it definitely is moving. [Search Checks] There doesn't seem to be anything of interest in this large empty room.

Moving to the nearest door (#3), you look up to see where it heads. The stairs climb upwards a short distance, and then level in a brightly lit area. You can hear nothing or see nothing to indicate what is up there.

Detect Undead - The spell reveals nothing within its range. It could a byproduct of this very fortress as you do hunt the lion within it lair, or the truth...that has yet to be seen.

You look up the staircase...no time to hesitate...

[Cure Light Wounds Rolls = 9, 9, 8, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 2, 8, 7, 6 (Use as many as you'd like)]
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[Fangor the Fierce]

I say bring them on, as we need all the help we can get!!!

Krysta tries to fend off the pain racking her body, as the posion tries to course it's way through her veins. If she has learned anything, it is that sometimes the gods look down and aid them in times of need. Surely, this was one. As the pain ceases, she spies the staircase, and more importantly, that nothing seems to be up here. Turning to the others, she shrugs, as if asking if they should move forwards.

Not wanting to wait, she reaches the brightly lit area, swords drawn....

Mordrock then readies his own approach, trying to see if there is anything that he needs to do. He grabs his necklace, wondering how big the area upstairs is. (KMAN, how big/wide is the area upstairs?)

Adelia, healing the others, wishes she could do more about the wounds that seem to be not healing without some better spells. If only she had prepared other spells, but then again, now was not the time to regret things. She was here to do a job, and she will do everything to get it done...


OOC - As for healing, with all but the last charge, the party is healed up. That uses up the first wand, and now, only the other remains, with 50 charges, Good investment!

[Japic]

Girud will gratefully take the first four (9, 9, 8, 3 = 29 + 38 =67/69 hp) while fire envelopes his insides, ripping at his very essence. His body may be whole, but this encounter has left him feeble beyond reckoning as the beasts venom finishes it's work.

{New Dex 2/12 -4 mod}

Stumbling awkwardly towards the stairs Girud follows as best he can, they had to finish this before things got any worse.

Alton goes up before Girud wondering just how much more punishment the Giant could take.

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{OOC: So far as the other two go; lets do this, get them back in here to finish what they started.}

[VemuKhaham]

No objections, just a question; are both wizard and udjat returning to the game, or only udjat? You said 'he' first and later 'they'. Anyway, I think it's great: 'Hoe meer zielen, hoe meer vreugd.'

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Trying to present himself less absent-mindedly than he actually was to the queen, Romar had bown and greeted the queen in his usual subservient manner.

He received the beautiful necklace, heard of its use and stared at it with wide open eyes. After a few seconds of silent admiration at the shining thing he hung it around his neck and bowed again to the queen.

"I have seen more kings and queens than could be expected for many lifetimes and this at my age, and received many times their gratitude, in words and in treasure, but never has such a gesture more pleased me than the one you make now, Your Highness. You have given me more hope in my quest than I had hoped for when I asked your aid."

And with that, Romar exits the palace with Irinys to be teleported back to the Dune Palace - back to the shame and to the misery that he was about to inflict.

[Jevva]

Galdren takes the next three applications of the wand (putting him at full), and then stumbles slightly as the poison once again takes its toll on his body.

New dex: 9/16

[TheUdjat]

((We will both be returning.))