The Sundered Tower of Faeriax'soth

For the next ten days the Fists work alongside the expedition digging up a long buried temple to Vulkoor. They help explore the first two levels, Wil proving his worth opening a very tricky locked trap-door on the first level.

Wir 4th Rhaan 998 Y.K.

Then its back to Stormreach to pick up Celedrus and two scrolls of Planeshift, which they've decided to have around in case of emergencies. From there they Shadowwalk to the Necromancers Tomb.

In the tomb the bodies the Fists had left behind have been stripped to the bones by the insects that infest it but nothing attempts to harm them as they make their way to the Gate.

They pass through the Gate unopposed and enter Mabar where Celedrus casts Attune Form on everybody but Kapek, who carries the item that shields an area against the effects of Mabar.

Will examines the stones that surround the gate on the Mabar side and translates the writings on them as 'the portal to the tower lies towards the great forest'. In the distance they can see a forest but in the OPPOSITE direction to the one they had gone last time.

Roughly a hundred feet from the stones they encounter an archway, standing alone on the plain. Mirra through the use of her magic sees that it resonates with Conjuration magic. Wil translates the words written on it and with his help Mirra activates the portal and the Fists leap through. They appear at the base of the floating tower.

Quickly the Crimson Fists scale the chains that connect the tower to the ground. Reaching the chunk of rock on which the tower rests Kapek grapples the edge of one of the four outlying towers and they climb up. However no sooner is the tower reached than strips of skin stir from the ground and attack. Mirra identifies them as FORSAKEN SHELLS.

The creatures attempt to wrap themselves around their victims and the Fists attack back but the creatures seem able to absorb incredible amounts of damage. Luckily protected as they are by Freedom of Movement spells the creatures tactics have little effect and they are, eventually, defeated.

The balcony they are on contains a strange apparatus of buttons and rods. A metal door leads into the tower. Wil examines the door and discovers it doesn't actually touch any part of the tower, just hovering a little in the air in the gap of the doorway.

Mirra examines the apparatus hoping she can figure out what it does. She manipulates the buttons to raise and lower some kind of power but exactly what they have no idea.

Ajax applies a crowbar to the door and it disintegrates the second it touches the door. Making Ajax very glad he hadn't gone with his first instinct of trying to kick it down !

Wil casts Clairvoyance but his magic doesn't work, neither does Mirra's when she casts Knock.

Wil decides to magically examine the door, to his suprise it has no magic aura but he suddenly notices he can't see the aura's of his comrades magical items either, although a quick check reveals they are still working. He guesses all Divination magic is being suppressed.

A close examination of the door leads Mirra to decide it is made of 'Void Stone', a vital component in making 'Spheres of Annihilation', and a substance that will disintegrate anything that touches it. This news does nothing for the groups comfort levels.

As they debate what to do next suddenly the door swings open to reveal a strange, metal creature.......

Immediately the creature releases a burst of negative energy that strikes every member of the group. Miira identifies their foe as a Shadesteel Golem. Ajax charges into teh coridor and attacks it, Lorric joins in tumbling behind the creature. As they attack acidic slime starts to pour from faces carved into the cieling. As it burns into the two members of the Crimson Fist they notice it is healing the Golem.

Those outside the corridor see the slime start to build up against a invisble barrier that blocks the doorway. Celedrus casts Disintegrate on the Forcewall blocking the doorway destroying it. Their attention quickly switches to another Shade Steel Golem as it climbs over the edge of the balcony. It breathes a blast of black fire that sets fire to the unfortunate Celedrus.

Meanwhile in the corridor Ajax Rages and knocks the Golem into immobility and then, remembering the slime is healing it, hits it again knocking its head clean off. As the Golem dies the door descends again clipping Ajax's arms which goes numb but doesn't disintegrate. The door clicks into place blocking the way out and locking him and Lorric in with the acidic slime.

Lorric leaps up and grabs a hand-hold on the roof and hauls himself up above the slime-spewing faces. Ajax tries to copy him but fails and plunges back into the slime, burning himself yet again, leaving him hovering on the edge of death..

Outside the second golem unleashes a burst of Negative energy, Kapek replies with a clutch of Force Boomerangs and Wil with a Flaywind Burst.

Celedrus tries, and fails, to put himself out. Near death he collapses but then the Contigency spell he wisely cast easrlier kicks in and casts a Heal on himself.

In the corridor Ajax is near death he grabs Lorric's hand and uses his 'Fleet Warriors Array' to cast Dimension Door on them both, transporting them out of the slime and onto the balcony.

Celedrus seeing the bone showing beneath Ajax's flesh uses a wand to cast Cure Moderate Wounds on him. As this happens Kapek and the Golem exchange black fire and boomerangs. Then Lorric sweeps in and finishes the creature.

Ajax lends his Third Eye to Kapek and Wil boosts Kapek's intelligence with a spell. With this advantages Kapek concentrates furiously on his DragonMark and manages to cast a Heal against the opposition of Mabar.


While the other Fists get their breath back Wil climbs down to the base of the tower and recovers the body of the Shade Steel Golem which had plummeted over the edge. He brings it back up and proceeds, with Mira, to dissect the body. Within it they discover a strange mechanism, Mira analyzes it and realizes it is what the Golem used to open the doors to the tower's interior and that it is powered by Negative Energy.
Celedrus theorizes that he can power it with his 'Rebuke Undead' ability. He channels a 'Rebuke undead' attempt into it and the doors slide open. Wil moves slowly down the corridor, checking for traps. He finds and disarms the trap that Lorric had tripped earlier but discovers no other traps. Every few minutes the doors try to shut again but Celedrus keeps burning 'Rebuke Undead' attempts to keep it open.
At the end of the corridor they see a cavern filled with crackling black lightning. A bridge stretches over the cavern and leads to a door into the tower.
It is decided that the black lightning is probably a Negative energy effect that their 'Death Ward' and 'Life's Grace's' spells should protect them against. Wil volunteers to test this theory and steps out into the lightning and is unharmed.
The Fists cross the bridge and open the door into the tower. Inside is revealed twelve figures dressed in robes and chanting softly, standing around a jewelled skull floating in mid-air. A stone gargoyle stands behind them, watching over all.
Wil gets off a 'Flaywind Burst' before the Acolytes can react and driving sand rips into them, knocking some flat and wounding most. Before the rest can fully recover Ajax and Lorric are among them, ripping them to shreds.
The Acolyte's arcane skills prove no match for the Crimson Fist's 'punching-in-the-face' skills and with claw, tankard and tangat the Acolytes and the gargoyle are brought down. They do get off some spells first and Ajax finds himself on the wrong end of a powerful 'Ray of Enfeeblement', much to his disgust.
The floating skull does nothing during the fight, to the Fists relief who had feared it might be a Demi-Lich. More careful examination proves it to just be a skull allthough one with ruby teeth and sapphire eyes, so Ajax smashes it and takes the jewels.
Kapek goes to throw a grappling hook up through a hole in the roof to the next floor but when he steps under the hole he finds himself rising up into the air. The other Fists quickly rush over to the space and join Kapek in floating up to the next floor.
The next floor has strange patterns carved into the floor and contains two huge statues. The Fists seeing neither a Gilded figure nor a Liche decide to simply move on to the next floor.
The next floor is a small space surrounded by walls with several doors set into them. Lorric hears faint noises coming from behind the nearest one. Wil picks the lock and the doors swing open......to reveal two Mummies who have clearly been waiting for the Fists.

The Mummies take advantage of the Fists surprise to cast Blindness and Hold Person on Wil but he resists both spells. Simultaneously a Dread Wraith steps through the wall and hits Ajax draining his vitality.

Two Shadows also step through the wall but the ever-vigilant Kapek attacks before they can do anything, slaying one and injuring the other which flees back into the wall.

One of the Mummies touches Wil and invokes foul necromantic powers against him but Wil is protected by his Deathward spell. Wil responds with a 'SandScour' spell and Celedrus adds a Fireball. Ajax tries to hit one of the Mummies but due to his 'Enfeebled' state his attack bounces off their armour.

The Dread Wraith tries to attack Lorric but he has been waiting for it and dodges the attack and hits it back. The Wraith flees into the wall.

Wil shrugs off another Hold Person and, to Ajax's relief, dispels the 'Enfeeblement' on him.

The Dread Wraith and the remaining Shadow charges out of the wall but Kapek and Ajax were waiting for them and shred them before they can do anything.

Lorric charges one of the Mummies, its friend responds with a Slay Living but Lorric resists. Kapek and Ajax join him attacking the creatures. Blows whistle back and forth and the Mummies fall.

An examination of the notes the Mummies were working on by Wil and Mirra show they were writing about the tower itself. It is apparently a huge machine for extracting or imbuing life force, a 'SOUL MACHINE'. While those two concern themselves with intellectual matters the rest of the group loot the Mummies.

The Crimson Fists float up to the next floor. There three black skinned giants are sitting playing cards at a table. A tiny figure is imprisoned in a bell jar on the table. The Crimson Fists recognize the creatures from the battle at the Necromancers tomb, they are Death Giants. Familiar as they are with such creatures they just attack them before they are noticed.

Wil summons three giant spiders which shoot webs on the enemy and Mirra intones tales of glory. Lorric and Ajax charge in, supported by Kapek's boomerangs, and although they take mighty blows, give better than they receive and quickly kill the Death Giants.

Urged on by Ajax, who wants to continue while his final Shift lasts, the Fists hurry on to what they reckon must be the topmost level.

The room contains a huge iron statue from which spurts strange energies. A book floats in front of the statue's face. A table is also there with several books upon it.

A whirlwind of blades suddenly appears and explodes driving blades into every corner of the room doing hideous damage to everyone. The blade creature reforms and Lorric charges the creature and slams it with his tankard, Kapek pounds it with boomerangs and Ajax slashes it with his claws. It disintegrates under their attacks.

Kapek's senses, honed by his years as a hunter, tell him something is in the shaft heading down to the lower floor. He unleashes a trio of boomerangs and one impacts with an invisible figure. Kapek feels something trying to force its way into his mind but with a supreme effort of will he expels it.

Lorric leaps on the invisible creature and attacks and Ajax joins in, striking where Lorric does. They feel glass shatter under their blows and a smashed brain suddenly appears and plummets to the floor below in a shower of glass and strange fluids. The energy fades from the statue.

*Ajax comments
Thus confirming Ajax's philisophy of life : 'Brawn will always beat brain'.

An examination of the statue shows it to be made of iron but with no magic. The books are on many subjects but nothing to do with the Tower or its owner.

On descending to the lower floor they examine the figure in the bell jar which Kapek reckons to be an Eladrin. However it doesn't respond to their words or even register on a Detect Thoughts spell,which does work as Divination magic has started working since the death of the brain creature.

The Fists decide to retrace their steps, heading down to the floors previously visited and exploring them more thoroughly. This floor and the Library however reveal nothing new.

The floor after that is the one with the metal statues and the strange marks carved into the floor. Despite Ajax's warnings that they should just leave Kapek insists on experimenting with the statues.Eventually one of them is pushed around the room (using the marks carved in the floor as tracks) until it rests next to the other statue. Then they both come to life.

One of the statues breathes a Cone of Fire on the Fists, the other attacks Lorric. The Fists pile in. The other statue gets off a painful Cone of Cold but they are battered into uselessness.

After a while further examining the room the Fists notice the statues are starting to regenerate and decide to leave.

On the floor where they first entered the tower the Fists mount a intensive search. Wil decides that the far wall is illusory and as he concentrates on it, it dissolves away to reveal a corridor that leads to glass double doors with a crystal eye set into it, it looks down on them, blinking occasionally..

Ajax wishes to stop there and rest before the group continues. He cannot Shift or Rage again today (if Mabar HAS days), Kapek cannot cast Heal and Celedrus is running low on offensive spells. Perhaps most importantly the Deathwards and Life's Grace spells that had protected the Fists have run out.The others are unsure what they should do next.

After some debate the Fists decide to rest until dawn. In order to do so safely it is decided to leave Mabar and rest in the real world. The Fists Dimension Door past the black lightning, climb down the cables and teleport back to the gateway and out of Mabar.

It is 5 in the evening when they re-enter the jungle and set up camp for the night.

In the morning the Fists breakfast on a Heroes Feast and re-enter Mabar, renewed and ready for battle. In a short while they find themselves back in the tower, in the room where they had defeated the Acolytes and the Gargoyle. It seems empty until the group's blood is chilled by a soul-numbing scream.

A creature sweeps out of the ceiling and another, still shrieking, pokes its head through the solid ceiling. They are Deathshriekers.

One of them strikes Ajax, draining his charisma. Lorric hits it in return and Kapek lashes the screaming head with Force boomerangs. It swoops down and tries to strike Kapek in return but misses.

Furious Ajax slays the Deathshriek which attacked him and Kapek finishes of the second one.

Wil examines the double doors while the crystal eye watches him impassively, blinking occasionally. He discovers the door is magically trapped, a casting of 'Detect Magic' reveals the trap is related to the spell Black Blade of Disaster ! This news does nothing to reassure the Crimson Fists.

Aided by Mirra Wil disarms the trap and pushes the doors open. It swings opens to reveal a staircase spiralling down into the darkness. The Fists descend into the depths. After a turn of the stairs they reach a landing where a room is fenced off by an iron grill. Inside the room lies two coffins and a raggedly dressed human standing guard over them with a rusty broadsword. He has numerous puncture marks all over him.

When spoken to he yells wildly and rushes to the attack, trying desperately to hit the Fists through the bars of the grill. Ignoring his useless attacks Mirra decides he is under the effect of a 'Dominate' and uses her 'Song of Freedom' on the unfortunate. The spell works, the poor man is freed from the spell and returns to his senses.

Now himself again he introduces himself to the Fists as AERISTUS HAMMEL (Mirra recognised the name as a renowned adventurer). He and his group entered the tower to try to free a noted hero but fell to the occupants of the tower. He doesn't know the fate of his comrades but has been kept as a food source for two female vampires who sleep in the coffins.

Ajax sniffs the coffins to learn the scent of the vampires and then smashes them to deny them to the vampires.

*Ajax comments

This is Lorric's idea and to help track an enemy so there is absolutely NOTHING weird or freaky about him sniffing where two female vampires have been sleeping.
They do smell nice though.


Aeristus agrees to accompany the group and they provide him with what magic gear they can spare.

Joined by their new ally the group descend the next spiral of the stairs, suddenly coming face-to-face with a Nalfeshnee, crammed into the corridor.

Celedrus casts 'Align Weapons' as Wil feels his intelligence start to fade but with an effort of will throws off the effects of the spell. Ajax charges in and attacks the Nalfeshnee, noticing as he does so a Marilith standing behind it. Behind the Marilith the corridor ends in a stone wall, besides it is a doorway into a room.

Ajax pounds the hell out of the Nalfeshnee and then Kapek finishes it with a boomerang but the other two he had thrown pass straight throw the Marillith. Kapek realizes it is an illusion. A 'Blade Barrier' appears cutting Ajax off from the rest of the group. Lorric dives through the barrier avoiding the blades with amazing speed and attacks the Marilith, realizing as his blows pass through it that it is an illusion.

Ajax moves up to the doorway and glances through taking in the weird contents of the room. There are eight pods set in the walls of the room and fed by eight glass tanks. In three of the tanks float figures in the fluid that fills the tanks. Two tables also occupy the room, on one invisible hands assemble a patchwork man from bits of bodies.

In the middle of the room stands a throne upon which sits the Lich. He is flanked by a Marilith and a huge Fire Elemental. Above the Lich hovering near the ceiling is a man who skin seems to be made of gold. The Gilded Man !

Using the 'Message' spell on him Ajax informs the others of what he can see. Mirra casts 'Dimension Door' to transport the Fists on the wrong side of the 'Blade Barrier' into the room. They disappear but don't re-appear !

The Marilith casts 'Blade Barrier' across the doorway. Ajax grits his teeth and charges straight through the Blade Barrier but the Liche was waiting for him and a ray shoots from his fingers and strikes Ajax. An anti-magic ray. In a instant Ajax is stripped of his 'Bull's Strength', 'Heroes Feast', 'Barkskin', 'Align Weapon', 'Death Ward' and 'Attune Form'. Much worse he loses his Shifted form and any ability to Shift until the spell wears off.

*Ajax comments
Once again Ajax realizes exactly how rubbish he is inside an anti-magic effect. Not only is his fighting potential destroyed but without his Fast Healing, Beastskin hide and extra vitality he is easier to kill.

Ajax switches targets and attacks the Marilith with his Pincer Staff and Lorric tumbles in and attacks the Lich. Unfortunately powered only by his Rage Ajax is a shadow of his previous self and his attack doesn't really bother the Marilith, her attack however slashes into Ajax with deadly force.

The Lich produces a scroll and casts it and disappears to re-appear on the other side of the room. There he gestures at Lorric, Lorric sees a space full of twisting black walls appear before him. It feels it try to suck him in but he resists and the maze vanishes.

Ajax tumbles desperately away from the Marilith towards the Lich, Lorric joins him but as they attack they realize it is another illusion.

The rest of the Crimson Fists finally appear. Kapek spots the distortion that tells him where the invisible Liche is hiding and pelts it with Force boomerangs, following his aim Wil blankets the area with a 'Flaywind Burst' and Celedrus adds an 'Acid Rain'. The Liche retreats behind the Blade Barrier and spits a line of fire that catches Celedrus and Wil.

Lorric leaps through the 'Blade Barrier' to take the fight to the Liche once more. The Marilith, rather unimaginatively, casts a 'Blade Barrier' that cuts through the rest of the Fists. The whirling blades nearly kills Celedrus, only the vitality granted him by the 'Heroes Feast' keeps him alive. Kapek opens up on the Liche with force boomerangs finishing it. Immediately the Fire Elemental goes out of control.

Wil casts 'Control Monster' on the Fire Elemental and succeeds in gaining control of it and he immediately turns it on the Marilith. The Marilith however disposes of it in one blur of attacks.

Lorric picks up the Liches body and to make absolutely sure of it pushes it feet first into the 'Blade Barrier'. Mirra casts 'Greater Dispel' and dispels the 'Blade Barrier' trapping her and the rest of the group. Now able to see the Marilith it comes under a hail of attacks as Kapek hits it with his boomerangs, Wil with a 'Flaywind Burst' and Celedrus with a 'Magic Missile'.

Enraged the Marilith charges Kapek and so Lorric and Ajax seize the opportunity to jump on it. Lorric smashes it with his tankard and Ajax snaps his Pincer Staff shut around its neck and grapples it and pins it down. Kapek steps up and slays it with a cold iron Tangat. The last of the tower's defenders had fallen.

Ajax smashes open one of the tanks. He discovers the fluid it contains has a paralyzing property that Ajax just manages to resist. The figure it contains is dead, as are the other two figures in the other tanks.

As the rest of the Fists loot the Liche Mirra examines the Gilded Man and discovers he is surrounded by a 'Temporal Stasis' spell. Mirra casts a 'Greater Dispel' and the Gilded Man is free !

He is strangely unsurprised, having apparently been expecting just this from his reading of the Prophecies. He calmly informs the group that the Expedition are all dead as are all of Celedrus's tribe.

The Fists have many questions and the Gilded Man answers them. They discover that Lorric's mother has information vital to dealing with the threat to all existence. The Gilded Man also informs them that the tower can be destroyed by setting all the machines that surround the tower to full power. He also confirms that Martell was part of the group that arranged their kidnapping where they had first met.

The Gilded Man refuses to accompany them on their mission to the Abyss declaring that there are two tasks that must be accomplished and it will take whichever the Fists don't. As they are going to the Abyss it will travel to the Utter Cold to find the angel Zaphikel. He does however offer to transport them, once, to any destination they choose. The Fists discuss the matter and decide to head back to Sharn to equip themselves properly for an assault on the Abyss.

First though the Fists set the machines to their highest settings, they expect to find the Vampires but although Ajax gets a whiff of their scent there is no sign of them. With the tower set for destruction the Gilded man 'Planeshifts' the Fists back to Sharn. Then vanishes off on his own mission.

Hammel thanks the Fists for his rescue and tries to return the magical gear they had loaned him but they insist he keeps it. He asks where he can find them in future but his attitude takes a distinct turn when they inform him that they can be located at the 'Deathsgate Guild'. Hammel is a member of the rival 'Clifftop Guild' but more than that he claims there is something deeply evil about the operations of the 'Deathsgate Guild' although he refuses to provide specific examples. He earnestly warns them of continuing their association with the Guild. Then he heads off to reclaim his life.

The Fists head back to their home where they find Anvil and are happily re-united with their old comrade. They also divvy up the loot from the Necromancers Tower and begin, often with Anvil's help, to turn it into items that will help in their next mission.

Over the next few days two noteworthy incidents occur. Mirra discovers that when an Anti-Magic Field is cast on the Eladrin in a bottle he transforms into a fully grown, living Eladrin. Although he immediately reverts to stone when outside the Anti-magic field. Mirra eventually figures out that a 'Break Enchantment' will free him of this curse and he is freed.

It turns out he was in the tower to rescue the Gilded Man and is pleased to hear that the Fists have succeded in releasing him. He has come from Thelanis where Palimino is locked in combat with the forces of Mabarian. He is also able to tell the Fists that the child is still alive.

*Ajax comments

Ajax also takes the time to hire a Cleric to perform 'Sendings' for him. He contacts Yulunga to enquire about the Black Claws. He learns they are doing well but are preparing for battle as the fighting in the Eldrin reaches is getting closer.
The other is to Clian who he is relieved to learn is alive and prospering and missing him. 

They also receive a visit from Martell D'Cannith. Lorric responds to his arrival by belting him one for his involvement in their kidnapping which Martell glumly accepts as just. They discuss their past involvement.

*Ajax comments
Ajax doesn't hit Martell because he fears if he starts he won't stop.

Original adventure, 'Prisoner of the Castle Perilous' by Stephen S. Greer.