Rise of the Runelords

An indecisive look came over all those remaining.   Henrik was the next to jump into the flames and likewise was immediately reduced to ash.  Everyone else swallowed hard and followed.

You found yourselves definitely someplace else.  You were spread out on a stone plane some 200 feet across and that seemingly floated in in infinite column of space as you could see no end when you looked up.  There were seven stone arches spaced evenly near the edge of the floor.  No on was close enough to the edge to look over.  A multi-level pool and fountain was the only other structure.  On the highest level hovered a fist sized blue stone set in a very elaborate gold setting.  It glowed from a light emanating from its core. High above the pool floated Karzoug, who immediately broke into a monologue.  Most of you paid it no attention.

The Runelord of Greed acted first. You weren't too worried about a massive damage spell as you were all spread out.  Instead, time itself began to warp. Karzoug started moving very fast and disappeared completely in less than a second. When he reappeared, there were three different groups of devils amongst your ranks: ice, barbed, and erinyes.  The Ice devils soon vanished and D'Argo yelled that they were still there, just invisible. It soon became clear that most if not all the devils could likewise see through invisibility.  In addition, an 80x40' wall of scintillating color divided a section of the plane.  You had seen D'Argo cast a spell with a similar effect, although his was always horizontal.  The devils attacked.  You returned the favor.

Malloric and Golain faced some ice devils while Pirozzi who was originally off on his own moved to help. Karzoug yelled down, "I can see you sorcerer!"  Pirozzi cringed a bit and kept going.  The ice devils attacked.  Balros took on three barbed devils allowing Edwin the freedom to cast.  In another area, Henrik, D'Argo and Wolfgar were attacked with entangling ropes.  Only Henrik was able to avoid the initial attack.  He went straight after the Erynes.

The devils kept you all busy for a few rounds.  Malloric swirled his cloak and was soon helping Balros keep Edwin safe, leaving Golain on his own against the ice devils.  Pirozzi had blasted at a few devils and had thrown a few attacks against Karzoug.  Only some of his attacks were able to penetrate spell resistance.  He headed over to help Golian.   Balros was being intermiottantly grappled by barbed devils until Malloric arrived and started firing arrows.  The ice devils disappeared again and soon were standing where the barbed devils had been.  Golian, now without opponents, headed to help Henrik, Wolfgar and D'Argo.

Edwin summoned a huge air elemental and sent it after the devils one by one.  It was a little humorous as the devils would teleport around forcing the air elemental to chase them.  Edwin also unleashed the constrictor staff, cast air walk and sent the snake after Karzog.  Balros had fly cast on him by Wolfgar and headed up after Karzog on his own.  To everyone's surprise, Karzog let go of his glaive and it started attacking in its own and cast fireballs now and then.  When Karzog became wounded, it also cured him.

Malloric was devastating the devils and Karzog targeted him with a spell and he disappeared, not to return. He then focused his attention on Pirozzi and trapped the flying sorcerer in a force cage. With the prismatic wall in the way, it took some time before anyone else in the group noticed.  Balros was after Karzog but had to play follow the leader as Karzog fly back and forth through the prismatic wall unaffected.  Balros was forced to move up and over and could never get close enough fast enough to really lay into the wizard. 

Karzog dispelled the air walk on the giant snake which Edwin then redirected to some of the remaining devils.  The Air elemental was still chasing devils.  After one of Karzog's moves through the prismatic wall, he let loos an ear piercing scream causing Henrik and Wolfgar to shield their ears.  Golian was too late and fell.  Henrik had just about finished with smiting the devils and was working out how to get at Karzog.

About this time, a few of the party noticed Pirozzi - the mime- on the far side of the battle.  D'Argo answered with a disintegrate.  Wolfgar was now in the air and after Karzog, who had just cought D'Argo in some familiar tentacles.  His flying glaive had returned to his hand once and then was let loose again.  It was not terribly effective.

More spells and chasing. Karzog cast such spells as temporal statis on Henrik (who resisted the magic), finger of death on Wolfgar (who took damage, but not nearly as much as it could have been), a disintegrate and others.  Wolfgar and Balros were able to move to opposite sides of Karzog when he cast a spell that sent Wolfgar flying.  Balros luckily resisted as if he hadn't he would have been sent through the prismatic wall.  An angered Karzog cast another maze removing Balros from the combat.

Edwin was kept busy the whole time keeping people cured ad directing the elemental and snake.  He was able to take a shot or two at the wizard with his crossbow.  With the group running low on spells and some quite wounded, Karzog teleported to the far side of the battle.  Sensing an opening, the group charged only to find a repulsion spell in the way which kept all from moving closer.  The group and the wizard resorted to spells and eventually the wizard fell.

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D'Argo surprised everyone by moving into the room first and laid down an cone of acid. Malloric took a few quick shots at another of the nearby creatures. The rest moved in a little more cautiously. The creatures reacted and swarmed DArgo, who began to think his moving into a room of extra-planar/universe thieves was not such a good idea after all.  Pirozzi helped out by lobbing a powerful fireball.  The rest moved in.  The creatures started to fall rapidly. As they did, an arc of electricity would spark from the odd device and strike the corpse, turning it to ash.  Each time this happened the image wavered and warped, blurred and then came back into focus.  The creatures healed very quickly so the few that were finally remaining had nearly returned to full health.  Still they were no match from the many weapon blows and more area spells.  After the last of them fell and was turned to ash, the device began to spark wildly. Random, flaying arms of electricity started waving about the room.  Some came close but did no damage.  The arcs started to connect to each other and were soon all connected and grounded to a spot on the floor.  There was a flash of light and a crackle of electric power.  Left standing at the spot was a large dog-like creature.  Someone said, "Haven't we seen one of those before."

D'Argo replied, "Not me." as he fired a disintegrate that landed short.  "How'd I miss that?" he mumbled.  The beast shook itself as if a little dazed and then focused as it clearly used some ability and directed its attention on the group.  Malloric moved up to fire arrows driving several deep into the beast.  Balros, Golian, Wolfgar and Henrik followed.  The beast just waited.  Malloric took a few more steps to get just close enough and caught the beast's gaze.  Deep, bloodless wounds opened all over his body. The wounds didn't kill him, but the shock from the massive damage nearly did.  Golian yelled, "Now I remember. Don't look at it! Remember right before we fought Mokmurian? That room with three of these things?  They were much smaller."  There was a collective "Oh yeah."  Followed by a "Bet this is gonna hurt."  The creature snapped at those who moved into melee.  Many of your blows missed as you were diverting your gaze.  Malloric, kept his eye on it in order to pepper it with arrows. He soon questioned the wisdom of that as more wounds covered his body.  Edwin moved to him to cure.  The beast withdrew to the far end of the room and disappeared.  "We must have scared it off.?" D'Argo cast a spell and replied "Nope, it's still there." Wolfgar took the cue and cast invisibility purge so all could again see it.  You moved in again.  The creature concentrated and a billowing cloud of fog appeared obscuring vision for all but Golian.  You heard the beast scrambling over the device and move around to the middle of the room.  "Pirozzi yelled, "Hey, it's out here!" as several more took damage from rending wounds. Several more spells failed against the beasts inherent resistance, but you were soon able to beat it down.

You spent the rest of the day as you were getting low on resources after the fight with Viorian and the giants, two sort of fights with Karzoug and this one.  The next morning you decided to head back to the statue and lens on the other side of the spire with a stop at the second room where you encountered Karzoug (image?) because someone remembered there were other doors out of that room.  The plan was to open the doors quickly and have casters readied with dispell magics, which D'Argo assured you could get rid of the image.  The door was opened, dispels cast, and Karzoug remained.  Then the confusion began.  Malloric ran into the room to another door and threw it open while Balros stepped up to one of the first doors and closed it.  "I thought we were not going in." Pirozzi asked quizzically.  Golian replied, "I thought the plan was to go in."  Someone else said, "I thought were were supposed to get rid of Karzoug's image.  Malloric brought everyone's focus back when he yelled, "We have company in here!"  One of the casters let loose another dispel, this time with the desired result.  All filed into the room to find Malloric firing arrows through a doorway at three lamia. Henrik moved in first, followed by the other melee. Casters stayed back to support with spells. Before the others could follow Henrick though , one of the lamia cast a blade barrier across the doorway isolating Henrick in the room with them.  Another hit him with a flame strike and another reached out to deliver a harm spell which he resisted completely.  Balros looked at D'Argo, "He's gonna need help."  D'Argo quickly replied, "Got it. Meet at that door." 

He grabbed a hold of four of you and teleported into the room, leaving Pirozzi and Edwin behind.  They were fine with that as they could see through the barrier enough to lend support. Golain failed against a harmful tough and skulked back into the center of the group to take a potion.  Wolfgar cured him.  Henrik smote one nearly killing her and the rest dished out damage as fast as you could. 

About this time, another door into the main room opened and a lamia moved out and stood right next to Pirozzi and Edwin.  Two more could be seen in the room beyond and one surrounded the three of them with a blade barrier.   "Oh shit!" was heard by everyone.  More flame strikes and harms followed.  D'Argo cast his own projected image to be at the other door and caught the two in black tentacles. Only one was able to immediately free herself.  The tentacles really slowed them down. Acid bolts, empowered scorching rays, and other spells flew from the casters.  Soon the lamia were defeated, but not after doing serious damage.

You spent the rest of the day searching the entire spire and realized you had now cleared the place.  It was back to the statue and lens to ponder the next step.  Pirozzi summoned a monkey which was grappled and had it's hand cut slightly.  Pirozzi directed it to smear its blood on the lens in placed where the dried blood was.  You noticed the little guy look a little stunned as if suffering from vertigo.  That lasted a nearly a minute.  Golian remarked that maybe the rune-forged weapons might be of use.  Pirozzi took his long spear and touched the green crystal lens.  He reacted in a similar manner.  However, he was able to replay the experience.  He reported that he saw the room as if looking through the lens but everything was very out of focus causing him to feel dizzy. Everything that is but the flame in the brazier right in front of the statue.  You spent the remainder of the day resting and discussing strategy for the morrow.

You all gathered around the brazier and spent nearly a minute casting preparatory spells.  Balros was the first to go.  He stepped into the brazier and was immediately and instantly turned to ash. 

You go about the normal after battle checklist.  Pirozzi is off in a corner going over magic items, Edwin is checking to see if anyone is still hurt, Malloric and Henrik are making sure the 'perimeter' is secure, etc., when D'Argo reappears in your midst - naked.  He and you all stand frozen and stare at each other with grand quizzical looks on you faces.  D'Argo begins speaking. He has yet to realize he's naked.  "That was a bit odd. How'd we get here?"  Wolfgar stares at him trying to say something, but no words come.  D'Argo looks back, What!?" and then down.  "Oh! . . . Um, can I get my stuff back?"

D'Argo relates a story of being somewhere else and in the presence of some being.  It seems his death was at an inopportune moment and complicated some plans that are supposed to unfold.  He was given an option of returning to the group or not, which obviously he did.  As he relates this part of the story he begins frantically looking for his captured spellbooks.  "It seems," as he continues paging through the books, "that there is to be some sort of cataclysm and that somehow we play a part in it."   He dejectedly drops his head and shoulders. "I guess it really did happen."  Pirozzi, peering over his shoulders, sees most of the pages are now completely blank.

You stay the rest of the day in Khalib's quarters and have yet another fantastic breakfast. Wolfgar has a good morning.  You head out to areas of the spire you have not searched.  You spent nearly an hour exploring and searching the pagoda structure, sarcophagus, statue and greenish lens before you moved on. You found several empty rooms before coming to the one set of double doors you saw in your early forays but had not yet opened.  What a surprise.

The interior of this dazzling chamber is awash in golden light—it shines from every gem, every strip of gold, and every silver-inlaid wall carving, creating a kaleidoscope of color and riches. The checkerboard pattern on the floor is interrupted in a twenty-foot-wide path from the northeastern doors to a throne on a dais of onyx to the southwest by a path of what appear to be countless rubies, forming a “red carpet” of sorts to the throne itself. This throne, if possible, makes the rest of the chamber’s extravagance seem pale and poor, for it is made of shining gold, diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, and draped with shimmering, glowing furs from unrecognizable creatures. The throne itself is sized for a giant, and stands nearly twenty feet tall from foot to peak.

On the throne sat a large woman in golden full plate, a heavy steel shield with gold filligree and a scimitar.  She was large in the sense that she was nearly 12' tall. Henrik said something like "Lay down your arms and we will negotiate your surrender."  She replied by saying something like, "Come try and take it" The battle began.

You had already cast a number of longer duration spells and took a round or two to prepare.  She took only a few steps closer to you and waited.  As some of you started to move into the room, you saw two rune giants move out from some shadows and take up positions on her flanks and in between columns so their attacks would not be hindered.  Henrik and Balros moved up the middle with Edwin, Worlgar, D'Argo and Pirozzi right behind.  Malloric moved off to the side to get a bead on one of the giants.  Golian was invisible and all assumed he would pop up somewhere shortly. It appeared to be turning into a stand up, toe-to-toe melee with the victor to be that last to fall.  D'Argo and Pirozzi were casing spells and quickly realized that she had some powerful SR, so they changed targets or moved to more conjuration type spells.  She attacked multiple times each round with her sword and added a shield bash.  Balros was able to disarm her.  He was surprised when her sword, after is left her hand and before it landed on the ground, shrunk to ,normal, size.  She became quite angry at this and took the time to retrienve her weapon, allowing attacks of opportunity.  As she grasped the blade, it returned to 'large' size.  The meleers were trading blows when Henrik and Golian focus their efforts on one the rune giants, dropping it in a matter of seconds, due mostly to some massive, unerring blows from Henrik.  Malloric was in the mean time sticking the other giant with arrows.  That giant would not leave the female's side, all the more to Malloric's amusement.   Worlgar was attacking one of the giants and Edwin was keeping everyone cured. At about this time, she hit Balros with a massive swing.  Balros' face went momentarily pale.  He felt his rune-forged weapon pulse in his hand as he shook off some effect from the blow.  A short while later she scored another massive hit. This time the magic was too much for him and he turned to crystal.  The remaining giant non-verbally asked for her leave and she granted it.  It charged Malloric.  Thanks to the many arrows from Malloric, it was too late for that giant and it fell quickly.  Alone, she was no match for the lot of you, although she did force Edwin to use a lot of healing skills.

After the battle, you debated Balros' fate as you checked around for magic items.  D'Argo pointed out that Karzog is a transmuter and that maybe her sword has similar powers and that if that is the case, the magic is likely dispellable.  It was and you did.  As you removed the magic items from her you were surprised that they shrink to normal (medium) size, although she did not.  You moved on.

There was a passage and another door out of this room. You choose the door. Even more surprising that the opulence of this room, the open door revealed a waiting Karzog. You readied for a fight you weren't completely prepared for.  Karzog started with his now predictable ramblings:

“And so the fools have found me. I must applaud your tenacity. You are much more persistent than the worms I thought you to be. You are more like hungry maggots in your endless squirming and writhing to get to the death that awaits you at the core of your fate. I am that fate, maggots. I am your death!”

He lashed out with a few spells as you did the same.  Malloric quickly noticed that Karzog was protected by a very power type of displacement or more likely was not actually there.  His 'non-existence' was quickly confirmed and you pulled the doors shut.  You moved on to other unexplored areas.  Another set of double doors opened to another Karzog.  Instead of wasting time, you simply pulled the doors shut.  At last the long hallway came to an end.  You opened this door, half expecting yet another Karzog.  What you saw was even more strange.

The plain stone walls of this long room have been lined by a variety of tables, boxes, crates, and cylinders. Some are made of stone, but others appear to be composed of metal. Strange winding cables protrude from some to connect to others. All of this clutter seems to focus upon a large metal framework constructed at the southern end of the room, where strange currents of energy dance and shimmer. Now and then, these currents coalesce into shapes—images startling for their familiarity and yet totally alien. The image revealed is of a massive city of towers and gigantic monuments set in a mountain valley at the foot of a huge peak—Xin-Shalast, as it would appear from this high mountain vista. The city beyond the energy curtain is very different, however, in that its towers and buildings are ablaze with light both magical and mundane and the great central road and surrounding streets teem with tens of thousands of giants and humanoids of all descriptions. The sounds and even the smells of this strange metropolis waft through the image—an image that is, perhaps, trying to be an open window. Amongst all the clutter a dozen robed creatures move as they tighten bolts, remove cable ends from one plug and insert them into another, turn dials and push buttons all the while having one eye on the image as if they are working to bring it into clearer focus.

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