14/10/2011

The Atropal Lachryma

As the creatures come closer the true horror of their visages becomes clear and strikes to the heart of Kapek, Mirra and Celedrus, robbing them of the their strength,speed and vitality. Mirra is so badly affected she is paralyzed by the mere sight of the Banshees.
But this is nothing compared to the horror of what happens next. The Banshees howl and Mirra simply dies. Her noble heart stilled in an instant by the horror of that sound. Fuelled by burning anger Ajax and Lorric hurls themselves at a Banshee each as Oz sends an anti-undead arrow winging into one of the foul creatures.
Kapek rushes forward and unleashes the power of his Dragonmark but the power is halved by the evil atmosphere of Mabar that surrounds them.
As horrific as the Banshees are at attacking from range, up close they are less formidable. Lorric's Banshee tries to flee but is tripped by him and quickly finished. Ajax's sinks into the ground and so evades the enraged Shifter who, in the grip of his fury, charges the trees as the only targets in sight.
The second Banshee leaps from the ground into the middle of the group and is pounded by missile fire by Kapek and Oz but they fail to kill it before it can scream again and in that terrible instant Oz's life is ripped from him. The next second Lorric finishes the creature as Ajax reduces the trees to fragments.
The remaining members of the group are in shock. In the span of a few awful seconds the Fists have lost two members. Celedrus assures the rest he can return their comrades on the morrow if they are all still alive by then. In a daze they decide to remove themselves from the Mabar affected area until their numbers are renewed and the damage done by the Banshees healed.


The Crimson Fists retreat out of the area and set up camp. Over the next few days Celedrus's Raise Dead spells return their lost comrades and other spells restore the speed, strength and vitality lost by them (and him and Kapek) to the Banshees. They also have Celedrus communicate via Sending with the expedition leader to assure him they aren't dead and are working on securing a deal with the Drow.
On the fourth day they start the day with a Heroes Feast to prepare themselves for the horrors ahead and return to the area via Mirra's 'Shadow Walk', which leaves Oz, Mirra and Kapek teetering precariously at the edge of a 100 foot drop. The drop leads down to the dry bed of the lake, there they see Obelisks and statues and a square pit. Celedrus identifies one of the statues as being of IXTCHAMEL'TRAA, a vast centipede-like creature coiled around an Obelisk, the other , a hulking form without a head, is a being that is known as an aspect of ATROPOS.
A groove has been carved into the lake bed, none of the Fists are really in doubt that this was caused by the fall of the comet from the skies. Most strange is that throughout the lake patches of algae float on the air, as if supported by the water that had vanished long ago.
Then the moon appears from behind the clouds, as moonlight strikes the lake bed swarms of ghosts become visible, flowing like shoals of fish through the lake. The Fists grab for weapons only to relax in astonishment as the moon slides behind the clouds and the undead vanish.
The Fists are understandably dubious that the missing Drow could be alive in this lake of horrors but it is suggested that Celedrus use a 'Sending' to a friend among the missing. To everyone's surprise he receives the message 'We are in the lake'.
Two flying creatures start to move towards the Fists, gathering shoals of undead to them. As they get closer the Fists open fire with a barrage of arrows, force boomerangs, Magic Missiles and Fireballs.
As the creatures get close the Fists see there are three Atropal Scions and two Dark Angels and they do not seemed to be particulalrly bothered by the firepower being thrown at them.
Oz and Celedrus cautiously retreat and Mirra casts Major Image so an angel bearing a flaming sword (and looking strangely familiar to Mirra's comrades) appears beside the front-line of Lorric and Ajax.
Celedrus casts Fly on Lorric and Ajax and Mirra intones tales of glory as the creatures close in and then the Psions vanish !
The Dark Angels swoop in, one viciously attacking the Fists angelic 'ally'. They are in return charged as Lorric and Ajax charge one each.
A wave of despair wash over the Fists, sapping their will to fight as the Atropal Scions invoke their aura's of despair and Negative energy. Mirra realizing the first Dark Angel has tumbled to the truth of its adversary moves her illusion to attack the other one but its comrades barks a warning that it is an illusion.
Locked in combat with one of the Dark Angels, Ajax endures a barrage of claw and wing attacks and feels his skin start to rot off his body. But joined by Lorric Ajax is able to slay his opponent. Together they turn on the second Dark Angel and swiftly slay it.
Kapek once more invokes his Dragonmark, healing his comrades and smiting the invisible Atropal Scions, they appear high above the Fists squawking in pain. One unleashes a Cone of Cold on Ajax and the other two try to drain his and Lorric's life-force but are resisted. In return the duo, making full and gleeful use of their Fly spells, dive upwards towards their foes and slay one each.
The last Atrophal Scion flees into the lake but Ajax's blood is up and he is not going to let a foe escape. He sweeps down into the lake and with a swipe of his claws sends the last Atropal Scion tumbling, broken, to the lake bed. Ajax grins in satisfaction but the grin vanishes as he suddenly realises he is inside the lake and the moon floods the scene once again with moonlight..........


Ajax freezes with horror as the undead merge into one gigantic cloud from which a huge hand made up of dozens of squirming ghosts reaches out for him. A chorus of unearthly screams and wails assault the ears of the Crimson Fist as the hand strikes at Ajax who, quite understandably, flees as fast as the Fly spell will take him.
Kapek urgently warns his comrades that two invisible Atropal Scions are flying alongside the massive composite creature which Celedrus identifies as a creature called a LOST SOUL.
The Lost Soul charges and Lorric counter-charges it with them both meeting in a head-on collision on the edge of the lake. Ajax joins him a moment later. Lorric notices while his blows don't seem to pack their proper punch Ajax's claws do and quickly switches to using his Claw Gloves.
The Atropal Scions target Lorric and Ajax with Dispel Magic removing the Fly from Lorric and the Heroes Feast from Ajax but losing the protection of their invisibility by this overt move. They also invoke their Negative aura's sapping Ajax and Lorric's will to fight. Meanwhile Kapek and Oz target the Scions with withering missile fire.
The Lost Soul disintegrates under the blizzard of attacks rained down on it. Ajax charges down and slays one of the Scions and the other one flees under a hail of missile fire before Ajax runs it down and finishes it off.
This does, of course, leave him in the middle of the lake again ! And the remaining ghosts start to coalesce into another Lost Soul. However before it can attack the reckless Shifter the moon vanishes behind the clouds and it disappears.
The group gather on the ledge to discuss the matter and heal up. It is estimated judging by how many ghosts remain that only two more Lost Souls can be formed before there are no more ghosts left. It is suggested Ajax act as bait and draw the Lost Souls to the group so they can be disposed of and he readily agrees. A rope is tied around him and Ajax flies once more into the lake.
This time two of the composite creatures form, one on either side of Ajax. They start to move towards him and Ajax watches them carefully ready to flee when he judges they're close enough. Then the moon is covered and they vanish leaving a very nervous Ajax with no idea where they are.
Kapek uses his 'Scouts Headband' and is able to see one of the Lost Souls closing in on Ajax and the other moving in on the rest of the group.
Kapek sends glowing force boomerangs winging into the seemingly empty air, the whereabouts of the nearer Lost Soul becoming obvious as the boomerangs impact with it, while Lorric reels Ajax in.
The Lost Souls continue their approach, Mirra recites tales of glory and Ajax invokes his primeval nature and transforms into a Dire Tiger.
Then at the last moment the moon comes out and the Lost Souls are revealed practically on top of the Fists, screaming their mind-shredding cries. Luckily the Heroes Feast has rendered the Fists immune to fear that day (apart from Ajax who gets by on sheer bloody-mindedness).
Lorric, Kapek and Ajax leap into melee with one of the Lost Souls. As they strike at the creatures ghostly hands burst from every inch of it to strike at them.
The other creature charges Mirra and strikes her forcing her to Tumble away from it.
The Fists in combat with the Lost Soul tear into it slaying it then quickly turn their attention on the other and deal with it in a similar fashion.
With the lake now emptied of ghosts Ajax flies into it once again on a scouting mission. He flies over the structures they had observed on the lake bed. The pit is sixty feet deep and at the bottom of it is a pedestal on which rests a giant lump of glistening black stone.
Ajax also spots a raised stone slab surrounded by obelisks. In the corners of the slab burn dim purple flames, they surround a magical circle carved into the stone.
Having returned and reported this it is decided that Ajax will fly over the area again, this time carrying Celedrus so he can give his expert opinion on what lies down there. Celedrus is a little reluctant as to this plan but is gently remained he is under the Fists command.
Ajax and Celedrus set off, this time flying lower so Celedrus can get a good look at the details. At this height it becomes obvious the statue of Atrophos is oozing black ichor and as they pass over the pit they can feel the palpable evil emanating from it.
Celedrus observes the circle carefully and theorizes that it is some sort of teleportation circle or portal. He makes out three words carved into it, 'ATROPOS', KIRX'KATECH' and 'SHOTHRAGOT' which he believes to be destinations.
The subsequent discussion touches on the fact that these seem very unhealthy places to be travelling to. The course of the discussion triggers a memory in Lorric, he remembers the Sending Sparky received from his sister which mentioned his mother was held in Pazunia. It is pointed out that one of the portals in the Necromancers Tomb leads to Pazunia, one of the upper circles of the Abyss.
Lorric wants immediately to return to the tomb and enter Pazunia to rescue his mother. The rest of the group are sympathetic but feel just charging in will get no-one rescued and probably them dead. Kapek having gained little from the Drow particularly wants the chance to turn some of their wealth into useful magic items. Also Kapek and Ajax feel they are honour bound to fulfill their contract with the expedition first. Lorric is reluctantly persuaded to not invade the Abyss just yet.
It is decided that Celedrus will cast a Flame Strike on the rock in the pit, which is undoubtedly one of the Atrophal Lachyrmae, in the hope of destroying it. The flame roars from the skies and strikes into the pit with immediate effect. The earth shakes and the moon seems to form a screaming mouth, an appalling scream rips across the landscape flattening the Fists and permanently deafening everybody.
Kapek uses his Dragonmark to cast Heal restoring everybodys hearing and healing them up.
Lorric and Kapek notice several objects detach themselves from the surface of the moon and start to fall towards the earth. As this happens strange skeletal creatures which are recognized as Mohrg start to emerge from caves in the edge of the lake along with what appears to be a Lich.
From the mud on the lake bed more undead pull themselves up, although these are fully fleshed but with glowing red eyes and fangs. They are accompanied by some form of gigantic undead lizard. With fear and awe in his voice Celedrus identifies the creature as the 'HULLATHOIN'. Mirra remembers tales that say how the insects that swarm around it turns every living thing near it into undead.
Lorric notices the vampires accompanying it are Drow. He passes Celedrus a spy-glass and Celedrus confirms what they all suspected, those are the missing Drow, now Vampires. It is vaguely considered that they should put the Drow out of their misery but no-one really wants to attack thirty Mohrg, a Lich, twenty vampires and the Hullathoin
The Fists quickly decide to leave and report what they've found to the Drow Matron. Mirra casts Shadow Walk and they hastily depart.
They soon make their way to the Drow territory. Celedrus opts to wait in the jungle in case he is executed on his return and Lorric waits with him to mess with the Drow and make them paranoid about him sneaking in again.

*Lorric comments
Lorric remains with Celedrus as much to make sure the Drow don't mess with him or execute him as much as anything else, but does not draw undue attention to this, as he figures Celedrus' confidence has probably taken enough of a battering already.

The rest of the Crimson Fist march boldly towards the Drow caves and are soon intercepted by a patrol who escort them to the Drow Matron.
In the presence of the Matron and her court the Fists tell their story and reveal the fate of the missing Drow. The Matron listens quietly and then has her High Sorcerer cast some form of truth identifying spell and has them repeat it. Having heard everything she passes her judgement. The Drow will allow the Expedition to study the ruins albeit under constant Drow supervision. Celedrus will be allowed to return home after he has spent ten years and a day in exile. She then curtly dismiss the Fists who exit glad things went so smoothly for once.
They return and pass on the news to Celedrus who receives it with no great joy but resignation and the acceptance it could have been worse. He asks if he can accompany the Crimson Fist and is gladly accepted as a capable, if fragile, spell caster is a useful addition to their ranks. Ajax lends him his Amulet of Constitution to raise his survival chances.
The matter with the Drow settled the group return to the Expedition to inform them of the deal they have secured with the Drow. The news is received with some thanks but unfortunately due to the time it took the group to join up with the expedition and then to find the missing Drow there is practically no time left in the expeditions schedule. Also during this time the problem of the cloud over Sharn has apparently been solved. A group of adventurers lead by their old comrade Anvil have solved the problem and freed Sharn of its curse.
Therefore Professor Melurit has contacted the expeditions backers and arranged for a two week extension to the time it will spend in Xendrik to gather what knowledge it can from the ruins. He offers to hire the Crimson Fist for this period as well.
The Crimson Fist request some time to decide and take themselves off to a quiet spot to discuss the matter. Lorric wants to enter Pazunia and find his mother, Kapek wants to return to civilization so he can have magic items made that will improve his chances of survival and everybody wants to return to Mabar and rescue the Gilded Man.
It takes some time but eventually a plan is reached. They will return to Stormreach where they will sell the items they have recovered then Kapek will use his share to commission the creation of items that will aid him.
Then they will return to the Expedition and gaurd it for the last two weeks, when it returns they will accompany it as far as Stormreach where Kapek will pick up his items. Then they will return to the area where they will enter Mabar to rescue the Gilded Man and then Pazunia to rescue Lorric's mother.
There is one final element, Oz had originally signed on only for the intial job to protect the Expedition. He announces that when they reach Stormreach he will depart for Sharn. It has been a fun ride with the Fists but Oz has wisely decided its time to cash in his share of the loot and buy a bar while he's still alive. He invites his comrades to drop in for a free drink anytime and the Fists wish him well with genuine affection, Oz has been with them through some amazing and dangerous events and none blame him for choosing a more peaceful path when the opportunity arises.