Giga Games 1

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Giga Games 1 / Giga Games.iso / net / d_d / caltech / fluff / adventrs / story078 < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1993-06-22 | 20.2 KB | 517 lines

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + THE ADVENTURERS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + The various characters contained in these writings are + + copyright 1992 by Thomas Miller. Any resemblance to any + + persons or characters either real or fictional is utterly + + coincidental. Copying and/or distribution of these tales + + is permissible only under the sole condition that no part + + of them will be used or sold for profit. In that case, I + + hope you enjoy them... + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + THE PARTY: + + + + Alindyar 11th level drow elf mage (N) + + Lyra 7th level female drow elf mage (N) + + Belphanior 8th/8th/9th level high elf w/m/t (CN) + + Ged 9th/9th level grey elf priest/mage (NG) + + Arnold 7th level human warrior (NG) + + Mongo 9th level dwarf warrior (CG) + + Peldor 12th level human thief (N) + + Rillen 9th level human warrior (N) + + Rob 10th level human priest (LG) + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Date: 7/15/571 C.Y. (Common Year) + + Time: morning + + Place: the Yatil Mountains + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LXXVIII. The Portal Having dealt with the menace of the possessed Bosco, the party has departed the mountain town of Targ, and is riding northward. Ged: Are you _sure_ that you can get us out of this range of mountains? Mongo: No sweat. My mountaineering skills are almost as good as my cooking skills. Speaking of which, I think it's lunchtime. Peldor: Aw, come on. We just ate breakfast a couple of hours ago! Mongo: Quiet, you scrawny human. Peldor: Scrawny? Me? (looks at himself) Rillen: We could ride for a bit longer before we break for food. But, I am getting hungry again too... Alindyar: What voluminous stomachs you warrior-types have. Belphanior: Hey, Rob's belly there is bigger than Mongo's _and_ Rillen's, put together. Rob: (ignoring this prattle, as he daydreams) Huh? Mongo: (munches on some bread) Bah. Alindyar: Look! (points to the side of the rough trail) Near the party was a large track of some kind. It was not unlike that of a large lion or tiger, though without a ranger, the party couldn't confirm this. Belphanior: I sense a soul! (points with his sword, to the side of the road, and the tall weeds there) Rillen: It could be an ambush. Lyra: Or the attempt thereof... Peldor: Or just some lost soul. Ged: Let's check it out, then. (they leave the horses tied to some roadside shrubbery and begin to explore the grass) Suddenly, there was a shriek from above, and a fearsome monster swooped from the sky, divebombing the party. It had the hindquarters of a large, black goat and the fore- quarters of a huge lion. Three heads glared ferociously at the adventurers - one lion head, one goat head, and a red, scaly dragon head. Large, dark wings sprouted from its broad back. Mongo: What in the holy fuck is- OOF! (he is buffeted as the beast's front paws and goat horns slash at him) Agh! Ugh! chimera: (its lion head bites the dwarf's arm, and lifts him up into the sky with it) Graar! Mongo: Agh! It's got me! (tries to unlimber his hammer and attack the beast) Rillen: (readies his bow) What is that thing? Alindyar: Chimera! A deadly denizen of evil parts. Rillen: Oh. I was wondering why someone would sew two extra heads and some wings onto a lion. I guess this explains it. Arnold: Eggsplanes id! (unsheathes his sword and chops a bush in half, since the chimera isn't in his range) Ged: (preparing a spell) Yea. chimera: (its dragon head breathes fire at the party) Alindyar: Argh! (ducks aside, but is charred a bit, and his spell ruined) Damn Lolth's eyes! Lyra: (dodges the brunt of the blast, but also gets her spell ruined) Double damn... Belphanior: (not really in the path of the stream of flame, rolls to one side anyway) Ha! (climbs up onto a large boulder nearby) Come and get me, bastard of a three-headed monster! Ged: (also not in the flame's path, still spellcasting) Arnold: (gets crisped by the flame) Aaaaaaaaaa. (puts out minor fires in his hair) Peldor: (dodges the flames, suffering only incidental damage) Aha! Peldor's great speed and unearthly quickness come through again! (turns invisible as he sheathes his sword, and wanders around) Rillen: (burned somewhat) Argh! What a hothead. Rob: (avoids serious fire damage) Whew. This heat is hot! (begins spellcasting) chimera: (bites and claws Mongo with all available limbs and heads, as it carries him around in the air) Grargh! Grmph! Mongo: Argh! That hurts, you fucker! (finally gets a grip on his hammer, and bashes the thing on its goat head a couple of times) Take that! And that! chimera: Graaaaaaar! (drops the troublesome dwarf and circles around for another strafing run) Mongo: (lands on the ground about 20' below) Oooof! Rillen: (fires an arrow, hitting the chimera in one rear leg) Ged: (casts Blindness upon the chimera) Boccob take your sight! chimera: (fails to save, blinded) Rreaargh! (begins to dive and circle erratically) Belphanior: Perfect. (waits for an opportune monent, then leaps upon the monster, stabbing wildly) Die, die, die! chimera: Rargh! (tries to shake the elf off by looping and rolling) Belphanior: Hah! You won't get rid of me that easily! Rillen: (hits the chimera in one head's eye, with his next arrow) That will stick with him for a while. Rob: (casts Spiritual Hammer, and bashes the chimera with it) Alindyar: There you go, lad. Arnold: (tries to slash the chimera as it swoops by him, but misses) Aaaaaaaa. Belphanior: (stabs the monster again) Ha ha ha! chimera: (flies into a boulder, stunning itself and dislodging Belphanior) Raargh! Grrraaaargh! Belphanior: Wha' happen' ? (sits up) Mongo: It's hammer time! (hurls his weapon at the beast, crushing its goat head into pulp) Yeah! Rillen: I never liked goats anyway. (fires another arrow, hitting the monster in its flank) Peldor: (uses his telekinesis ring to slap the thing's crushed goat head against the other two heads) You know what they say - three heads are better than one! chimera: Raaargh! (extremely wounded and irritated) Rillen: Are you getting a little aHEAD of yourself? Ged: Argh! Stop it with the stupid puns, already! (casts a Burning Hands, roasting the monster) Mongo: (catches his hammer) Yeah! (hurls it again, and hits the chimera again, in the chest) chimera: (not built to take this kind of punishment, it plummets from the sky, dead) Ged: Boccob! Chalk another one up to the mighty team of Ged and Mongo! Belphanior: Hey, what about me? Rillen: And me? Rob: And _me_? The party healed and bandaged their wounds, and by then, Belphanior had located a cave - the lair of the chimera, apparently. Peldor would have dashed right in, if the elf hadn't restrained him. Belphanior: Hold on. There are others back there... though somewhat distant...souls waiting to be fed to- Peldor: Look, here come the others. (points to the party, which is approaching) How are we ever going to get treasure without all of _them_ showing up first?!? Belphanior: Don't sweat it, we'll find a way. The group entered the cavern, cautiously. The place was not overly big (only about forty feet by twenty); in fact, it seemed to be some kind of old mine. Back against one wall was a small pile of treasure - some worn gold coins, a few gems, and a rusty ring. More interesting was the secret door, found by Belphanior to the chamber's rear. It was cleverly set into the surrounding stone. Soem pushing and pulling caused it to pivot, on a central axis, and a dark passage loomed beyond. Rob created some powerful light, and the group moved into the tunnel. Peldor produced a strange torch that gave off green light, thus giving the party a second light source. They didn't have to go far before they found a door. The old, wooden thing creaked as Belphanior opened it (he had already disarmed the two poison dart traps by the time the party reached the portal), and they all entered a large cavern. Belphanior: A soul! (draws his sword) Mongo: (looks around, hammer raised) Where? Belphanior: Uh...(looks upward) Yaaaaaa! At that moment, the gigantic spider dropped down from above, landing right on top of the surprised elf. They both went down in a heap, and Belphanior's left leg and arm could be seen protruding from beneath the spider's bulk, the arm waving Blackrazor wildly, yet ineffectively. Mongo: Holy shit! Alindyar: (looks around) Beware! Ged: What? Rillen: I have a bad feeling about this... From the nearby shadows, a quartet of shadowy figures appeared, their ebon skin glistening in the pale glow of Rob's light spell - Drow elves! drow#1: (to Alindyar) Who are you?!? Who is this woman? Alindyar: Err...umm... drow#2: (to drow#1) Forget it! He seeks to infringe upon our territory! drow#1: It must be. Kill them! drow#3: (a priestess, begins spellcasting) drow#4: (a mage, he begins spellcasting too) Mongo: (bashes the huge spider atop Belphanior, and black juices spurt everywhere) Get off of him, you oversized arachnid! Rillen: (uses his boots of speed to sprint toward the drow, staff raised) Hold that pose. Alindyar: (begins spellcasting) Lyra: (likewise) Ged: Boccob! (also begins a spell) Arnold! Cover us! Arnold: Ridht. (waves his sword and interposes his bulk in front of the magi) I vill protect you! Rob: (hefts his mace) Yeah! Me too! Peldor: (hurls his torch at drow#1) Hey, you! Here, catch! drow#1: Whaaaat? (instinctively catches the torch, and also instinctively drops it, not realizing that the item gives off no heat or flame) Bah! (raises his sword) It is time to die, intruders! (closes with Peldor) Beginning with you, rogue! drow#2: (closes with Arnold) Prepare to die, large oaf. drow#3: (her spell is interrupted by Rillen's staff, as it descends in an arc and bashes her head) Agh! Rillen: It is not _nice_ to cast spells at people who are trying to have a swordfight. drow#4: (casts Hold Person upon some of the party) Alindyar: (saves, but his spell is ruined) Damn! Can I do _nothing_ of consequence today?!? Lyra: (fails, is held fast) ... Rob: (saves, easily) Huh? (hits the giant spider with his magical mace) Ged: (saves, gets his spell cast simultaneously) My spell! Where is it?!? drow#4: (his magic resistance stops Ged's Slow spell) drow#3: (likewise for her) Rillen: (also in the area of effect, but saves, and swats drow#3 again, knocking her down) What? drow#1: (slowed) Wwhhaaaatt? drow#2: (not slowed) A spell! (scores a minor wound on Arnold) Not a very good spell, though. Arnold: Aaaa. Aaaa! (slices a chunk out of the drow) Don'd cud me! Peldor: (easily hits drow#1) Ha! Peldor shall win! Ged: (muttering as he gets his wand) Only with _my_ magical assistance, to slow his foe... drow#1: (misses Peldor) Ddaammnn! Mongo: (squashes the big spider, and he and Rob then pull it off of Belphanior) You okay, pal? Belphanior: (examining the places where the spider fangs penetrated his belly) Argh. My magical gem must have saved me from the deadly poison. (stands up, then throws up nearby) Bleeaargh. I am ill. Rob: Yikes. (pats the elf on the back) It'll be okay. Belphanior: (turns, his red eyes glowing) I know. Nothing's wrong that a few _souls_ won't fix! Mongo: (headed for the melee) Belphanior: (likewise) drow#2: (slices Arnold again) I shall take you apart a piece at a time, oaf. Arnold: Argh. Aaaaa. (slashes at the drow, who ducks the attack) Aaa. Ged: (wins initiative and points his wand at drow#4, the mage) Axui! drow#4: (goes up in flames) AAAAAAGH! (runs around screaming) AAAAAAGH! Ged: Hmm. That got him. Peldor: (misses drow#1) Damn. drow#1: (uses an innate drow ability to cover Peldor in darkness) Peldor: What?!? (fumbles around) Mongo: (tackles drow#1) You shithead! drow#2: (also uses darkness, on Arnold) Arnold: Aaaaa. I can't see any more! (fortunately, he knows blind-fighting, and even more fortunately, he gets a critical hit on drow#2 at that moment) drow#2: (bisected, dies) Arnold: (runs around, his darkness hemisphere with him) Aaaaaaaaa! Can't see! Mongo: (cursing, smashes drow#1 with his hammer) drow#1: Argh! (brings darkness down around him and the dwarf) Mongo: You think _that_ is gonna stop me from beating your head in?!? Arnold: (running around, momentarily encases Rob in darkness as he runs by the priest) Aaaaaaaa. Rob: Huh? What was that, an eclipse? Ged: Hardly, Rob. We're underground. Rob: Oh, that's right. Peldor: (inside his darkness zone, drops to the floor as Arnold runs into/over him) Arnold: Whaaaaat?!? Peldor: Stop, Arnold! It's me, Peldor. Quit that running around, you're only confusing the others. We should sit here until someone gets rid of this darkness on us... Alindyar: (busy carting Lyra out of the way of the battle, looks in that direction) Eh? Arnold: Jusd _sit_ here? There is battle to be had! Peldor: Not for us, in this darkness. Now calm down and be quiet! drow#4: (runs into a wall, and collapses, blazing and dead) Rillen: (hits drow#3 again, with his staff) drow#3: (produces a small dagger and stabs Rillen with it) Hah! Rillen: Bah. Huh? (falls, poisoned) Erk. drow#3: Ha ha! (prepares to cut the fallen warrior's throat) Now I will make you pay! Belphanior: Oh, no you won't! (backstabs the drow priestess, slaying her) Aaaaaah. (absorbs the life energy of the priestess) Aaaaaaaaaaaaah. Rob: (tries to get over to Rillen to neutralize the poison) Excuse me, excuse me. Coming through. Alindyar: (dispels Peldor's and Arnold's darkness, restoring their functionality) There you go. Arnold: Thanks! (charges drow#1, who is trying to defend himself from Mongo's rain of hammer blows) I'll help you! (chops off the drow's arm) drow#1: Argh! Mongo: Hey, thanks! Not that I needed any help, though. It was all over, soon after that, as Mongo's hammer proved somewhat mightier than the drow's sword. The various spells of protection that the drow priestess amd mage had cast beforehand proved to have been in vain. Rob was able to restore Rillen's health with his magic, and the party rested and bound wounds. Lyra was freed from the holding spell, as well. The large cavern had a few smaller, side chambers, and it appeared that the drow had taken up quarters in these. The rooms were quickly searched, and a number of items were recovered for examination. Also, the drow were stripped of all armor, weapons, and items, and a pile was made. Alindyar cast a spell to detect magic (for the first time - Ged usually did the honors, but Alindyar had just learned this spell) and there was much magic to be had. All of the drow armor and weapons were magical, as well as their boots and cloaks. There were a few other items as well, both from their bodies and their quarters... Alindyar: Hold. (picks up a drow sword) This is magical, yes - but only under the earth, in the drow world. Up here, on the surface, it shall be nonmagical within days, due to lack of the mystic radiations under the earth. Belphanior: You mean to tell us that all this crap is _useless_?!? Alindyar: Affirmative. Except, those items not of drow manufacture should not have this problem. Ged: Which are those, I wonder? (begins to poke through the treasure pile) Lyra: Let me help you, there. (does so) Soon, those items which seemed non-drow in make were put in their own pile. This (much) smaller pile consisted of: the rusty ring (from back in the chimera's lair), a silvered dagger, a black wand, a javelin, a tome, two potions, a cloak, and a silver case. This last item had been under the floor of one of the drow's rooms, but the thieves had discovered it. Ged instantly knew that it was somehow holy; he and Alindyar deduced that the drow must have found it somewhere, but couldn't open it or use it (so they instead hid it). Inside the case was an ornate horn, which Ged and Rob realized could only be used by those of Good nature. One of the side tunnels ended in a larger area. A pair of huge doors, some 20' high and 10' wide each, were set into the stone. Runes upon them declared: THIS IS A PORTAL TO THE UNDERWORLD. VENTURE BEYOND AT YOUR PERIL BUT EXPECT NO RETURN HERE. Belphanior: Underworld? Ged: What? By Boccob, that's got to be the most inane inscription I've ever read. But still, the doors _are_ highly magical. Alindyar: (looks at Lyra) The Underworld. We know what that is, do we not, my sweet? Lyra: Yes... Mongo: Well, what are you waiting for? Fill the rest of us in! Rob: Yeah! Alindyar: Well...the Underworld is another name for the Underdark - that series of all tunnels, roads, and cities deep beneath the surface of the world. 'Tis where Lyra and I came from. There are many openings to the world above, some magical in nature, like this portal. I would not be surprised if we could go through it, but not return by it. Peldor: So it's a one-way door to the lands below the Oerth? Lyra: Basically, yes. Ged: Hmm. Belphanior: Hmmmmmmmm. This holds great and numerous promises. Ged: Indeed. Boccob would no doubt demand that we investigate. Peldor: No doubt. Arnold: Whad aboud the treasure? Led's splid it ub first! Peldor: He's right. We should divide the magic now, if we are to go through that portal... Alindyar: Agreed. Rillen: (leaning on a wall nearby) Yes. Ged: Very well...(prepares to cast Identify) Alindyar: I have that spell now, as well. Methinks I shall cast it and assist you in the items' identification. Ged: (grumbling) Whatever. THE MAGICAL TREASURE: rusty ring (human influence) - Alindyar dagger +3 (of throwing) - Peldor wand of magic detection - Belphanior javelin of seeking - Rillen manual of golems (stone) - Ged potion of extra-healing - Arnold potion of flying - Rob cloak +3 - Lyra holy horn - Mongo Obviously, there were pretty slim pickings this time. Mongo had the benefit of winning the dice roll, and instantly chose the horn. He of course winded it immediately, and was pleased to see the effect of doing so: a large quantity of food and drink appeared from the horn - it was a true and great cornucopia. The others pocketed their own new items, some happily, others grudgingly. They rested for a day before gathering near the large metallic doors. Spells proved ineffectual in getting the doors to open, but Mongo saved the day with his chime of opening, which was able to do what the mages' spells could not, through some fluke of fate. The massive portals rumbled, and then slowly opened inward... next time : the Underworld ftp site : ccosun.caltech.edu, in pub/adnd/fluff/adventurers notes : By the time this gets posted, finals will be in progress. Since it's Christmas vacation for most of us, I won't be posting again until early January, so have a great break, or a great three weeks, or whatever... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++