|
Other Links |
Iskar Treachery
Lieutenant Thorn had completed conducting his tour of the area surrounding the small elven encampment. With night falling he suggested they head back to the small encampment. "Well my friends, darkness falls. I think it is probably best if we make our way back to camp now. I'm sure you could use a good night sleep after all." Everyone nodded in agreement. They turned and began to head back down the stone path back toward the encampment. Suddenly, a strange voice cried out, "Visitors! Watch your backs, the Drolvarg are attacking!" Without warning, they were surrounded. The Lycanthropes, known as Drolvarg, surrounded the party. The Drolvarg were huge snarling brutish creatures. Saliva fell from huge fangs bared on their strange wolf-like faces. Standing more then eight feet tall, their enormous hands were ended in huge feral claws. The clawed hands swiped through the air viscously and with amazing speed. The smell of their damp matted fur filled their nostrils, almost choking them with their canine stench. Reacting instinctively, the group sprang into action to defend themselves. Galeth, Firiona, Lieutenant Thorn and Sir Jevik immediately interposed themselves between each of the beasts and the rest of their friends. The hair on the back of Firiona's neck begun to stand on end from the huge surge of magical energy being channeled by the two wizards Al`Kabor and Ognit Eznertob. A mighty explosion of fire, as hot as the sun itself, enveloped one of the Drolvarg as Al`Kabor unleashed his attack. The wave of heat caused everyone to wince briefly as the shock wave surged past them. The Drolvarg fell to the ground, killed in one blow by this most powerful wizard. The smell of burnt fur hung sickeningly in the air and the corpse left was a mass of fused bone and ichor. Ognit let loose his spell, causing two Drolvarg to fly high into the air, away from the party. The creatures flew back several yards and landed very hard and painfully upon the ground. Much to Ognit's horror, the creatures were back on their feet immediately and within seconds one of the huge beasts were standing, slavering and angry over the tiny gnome. It raised its terrible hand and sent it crashing down upon the head of the gnome, sending him sprawling, his head bleeding from the massive blow. Instantly, Dagda spun around and kicked the creature in its backside. She shouted something in a guttural and obviously very primitive language. The Drolvarg turned toward the barbarian warrior, angrier then ever but no longer paying attention to the badly injured gnome. Hearing the barbarian's shout, Al`Kabor cocked his head and asked, "You didn't just say what I thought you said did you? In the gnollish tongue of all things? That's not very lady like." Without taking her eyes off of her opponent, Dagda answered the wizard, "That curse always works well in Blackburrow. Gnolls tend to be sensitive about that area of their bodies." She continued to direct her savage litany of insults at the Drolvarg, using just about every known language. Running to the side of his fallen friend, Dabner Drednever called upon the healing power of Brell Serilis his hands taking on a soft blue glow. The glow moved from his hand and then encircled the wound on Ognit's head. The wound closed and stopped bleeding. Ognit rose again to his feet. While Dagda kept the Drolvarg she was attacking distracted, Dreezil had crept behind it. Drawing out his dagger, he sliced the Achilles Tendon of the beast bringing it instantly to its knees. The others quickly finished it off. As Firiona and Galeth did their best against the remaining two Lycanthropes, a strange thing happened. Suddenly, one of the beasts was enveloped in a greenish cloud. Pustules and oozing sores sprang up instantly on the beast, whose breath was suddenly rasping and labored. From no where a large staff, a skull adorning its tip, came crashing down upon the back of the creature's head. The creature turned and upon seeing what had hit him, namely an Iksar wearing ornate armor, it's eyes grew wide with fear and it began to run. This Iksar gave chase and bringing its staff down hard onto the back of the creature's head once again, the Drolvarg was finished. It was then that they noticed a second Iksar that ran with the first to join the fight against the remaining Drolvarg. The second Iksar was dressed plainly, and wore nothing more then some modest leather clothing. Both wielding staves, they joined in and attacked the Drolvarg ferociously. The final Drolvarg was no match for such a sizeable force and quickly fell lifeless to the ground. The creature felled, the two groups sat in silence looking at each other with uncertainty. The Iksar in the ornate armor then noticed the small wound on Dagda's arm and spoke. "Warrior, you are wounded," the strange lizard man said in perfect common with only the slightest hint of some accent. He closed his serpentine eyes and whispered something softly to himself. Then placing his hand over the wound on her arm, it disappeared without a trace. Dagda looked at the Iksar and raising an eyebrow said, "You are a healer. Thank you." The Iksar then addressed the rest of the group, "Are all of you ok? This is certainly not the welcome that visitors to our land should receive." Galeth stepped forward and answered, "I believe we are all ok. We defeated them quite easily, with your help of course. Tell me, what is your name?" The creature moved strangely. His motions were slow and graceful but at the same time it was capable of amazing speed, dodging quickly during the combat and moving with blinding speed. The Iksar looked at them, his head tilting from side to side. "My name is Danak Dhorenth. Friends, may I ask of you where it is you are traveling?" Intrigued at the chance to meet such a strange and wonderful creature, Firiona stepped forward. She said, "Well, the Lieutenant here was simply taking us on a little tour of the area. However, tomorrow we begin our journey to confront the Ring of Scale." Danak's serpentine eyes dilated upon hearing the words, "The Ring of Scale? Oh my, that is such a long way and so very dangerous as well!" Danak pulled an incredibly detailed map from his satchel. Firiona remarked, "That's a very nice map! Far more detailed then any I have laid eyes upon." Al`Kabor raised an eyebrow, "Indeed it is, I've seen many a map of this continent in the archives of our libraries in Erudin but none as detailed as this!" "Do you like it? Here, you may have it then," he graciously handed the map to Firiona, bowing as he did. Moving with serpent-like speed to her side, he quickly pointed to the bottom of the map. "This is where we are on the southern tip of the continent. Where you need to go is way over here on the Northeast corner. That's such a long way for you all to travel on foot." The Iksar then took looked them all over and smiled showing a mouth full of pointed teeth, "I believe I can help you though. You see, over the centuries my people have perfected gate travel. I can open a gate for you right now that will take you within just a few miles of your destination." Danak held the talisman dangling from his neck with one hand and moved his other hand in an intricate pattern over the ornate bauble. Closing his eyes, he whispered unintelligible words to himself. The talisman began to glow softly in his hands. Suddenly, a shining blue portal appeared in front of the Iksar, shimmering with cool blue flames. Startled, the party looked in shock at the strange gate. Firiona took a step back from the gate and said with hesitation in her voice, "Well, I really appreciate the offer Danak. My friends and I are very tired from our trip. I'm afraid I must respectfully decline your offer of help." With serpentine speed, Danak Dhorentath grabbed Firiona Vie by the arm. Taking her by surprise he pulled her into the gate, which disappeared with a hiss leaving nothing more than the smell of ozone hanging in the air. Galeth jumped immediately toward Firiona as she was pulled in but he was left holding nothing more then thin air. The party stood there for a moment in shock, each looking at the other and then to the place where Danak and Firiona Vie had once stood. They slowly turned their attention to the remaining and more plainly dressed Iksar that still stood there. This Iksar too, looked a little shocked and more then a bit frightened to be left so suddenly. Surrounded by twelve angry, scaleless visitors the creature cowered away from them. Galeth's face was reddened with rage. "I must return and tell King Thex the terrible news. Bind the vile Iksar at once! Dagda, Thubr, Jevik! We will escort the prisoner back to the mainland to answer for his crimes!" The party's short stay on the new continent came to an end that night. The party returned to the continent of Faydwer immediately. Shocked and worried about the sudden abduction of their close friend and the Chosen of Tunare, they kept a close watch on the Iksar Prisoner as the ship sailed back toward home.
|