We left the scene of carnage blood still dripping from us and a quick search revealed a secret door as is standard practice I did not find any traps and with my usual skill unlocked it. In doing so I noticed that there had been recent activity as recent as three days ago. Opening the door we found a corridor that ended in a dead end but the exit might as well have had a flashing sign saying SECRET DOOR HERE for it was that obvious as was the simple trap. Through the door I heard conversation regarding a ceremony – the one involving my fallen comrades, so we set up an assault order, I loaded a malice missile and opened the door.
What greeted me was a sight that boiled my blood. The Paladin was strapped to a statue in the likeness of Orcus, across the room a hobgoblin archer (1) shouted a warning to his fellow soon to be deads. Berrien leaped into the room sighting three hobgoblin archers and a dire wolf at which he fired two shots striking once. I loosed a malice missile striking hobgoblin (1) its acid eating his flesh. Hobgoblin (1) still reeling from his melting hide retreated and fired at Berrien but the arrow went wide. I heard a guttural curse and an arrow hitting the floor as if dropped. Another arrow flew at Berrien and grazed his arm. The dire wolf growled and ran up the stairs to attack us but became somewhat stuck and vulnerable as it was too big to fit. Palos moved then charged one of the hobgoblins out of my sight (3) and I heard the familiar slicing sound of a hit. Guy called upon his god and sent a burning column of light at the dire wolf but it shrugged off most of the blow. The dwarf charged the dire wolf striking a good blow he struck again but the wolf ducked Torin, our fearless leader, cast chill strike at the wolf chilling its veins he then warmed it up again with his fiery spit.
Berrien’s shot may have missed the wolf but I used its trajectory to score a nice hit drawing gouts of blood. To my left I could hear the hobgoblin (3) assail Palos but had to duck when Berrien shot at him even though it missed and he did little damage Again the sound of arrows dropping to the floor came from the center of the room as hobgoblin (2) fumbled. My previous targets (1) shot may have hit Berrien but did little damage. Suddenly Kallel appeared from a secret door and struck Berrien with the black mace. The dire wolf scratched the dwarf, Palos pressed his assault on his quarry as his first blow was deflected then cam the sound of flesh and bone giving way when Palos cleft the hobgoblin (3) in twain with the other sword. Guy cast beacon of hope then asked his god to heal Berrien and his prayer was answered in spades as Berrien was healed to full fighting fitness. The dwarf used brash strike on the embattled dire wolf caving in its scull (die Bubu die good dog woof) Torin’s’ thoughts turned tactical as he thought to use the door as cover for his next attack, giving him total cover against reprisals but his keen intellect devised that he could not open the door attack and then close the door with any chance of success so he sent a magic missile at the melted hobgoblin (1) but in his impatience he missed and settled for covering our rear flank.
Berrien shifted and shot Kallel I too shifted and struck a powerful blow on him I then tried a repost strike but it glanced off his armor. The hobgoblin(1) with half a face attacked the dwarf but barely scratched him finally figuring out how to use a long bow the hobgoblin with butter fingers took aim and with great skill missed Guy completely but no-one seemed to notice. Kallel moved to attack Guy striking him twice causing his flesh to rot and decay. Guy activated his symbol shifted and healed his wounds. The dwarf shifted and using brash strike deeply wounded Kallel. Torin cast a shocking spear at Kallel and was clipped for the insolence.
Berrien drew his swords but his blows were deflected with Phobos singing from the last attack I used a combination of blade and poisonous spit to further wound Kallel in what must have been a miracle the archer that couldn’t finally managed to hit someone. His arrow struck Palos who instinctively swatted the mossie bite, his comrades (1) attack missed Berrien. Kallel attacked the dwarf causing his flesh to rot away, Palos struck Miss Missy (2) and Guy struck at Kallel, but missed, who shifted to give the dwarf flank, who failed to hit, our leader tactically decided to heal.
Berrien teleported to a corner of the room and sent two electrically charged shots at both Kallel and Mr. Melty (1) striking both. I shouted “Fly Phobos, remove his sight and we shall soon remove his life and heart” and as she blinded Kallel we both drank of the blood now seeping from his wounds. The now blind Kallel missed the dwarf .Palos twin struck his opponent slaying him while Guy cast sacred flame upon Kallel and a column of flame seared his flesh. The dwarf stumbled (on his beard perhaps) and Torin cast a thunder wave hitting the remaining archer (1) but not Kallel.
Berrien shot at Kallel piercing his armor and flesh so I moved up and Phobos bit deep into Kallels left lung and neatly parried an attack from Mr. Melty. Kallel attacked the dwarf twice both blows powerful and his skin turned a sickly pallor. Palos drew his bow and sent two shots at Kallel both bounced off his armor. Guy sent a second sacred flame at Kallel burning him just as the dwarf shifted and using a brash strike dealt Kallel a mighty blow. Torin magic missiled the last archer, killing him.
Berrien fired his electrically charged shot into Kallel. I shouted “For blood! For friendship! For revenge!!” and Phobos flew out and pierced Kallels heart. I then leaped the distance between us and ripped out Kallels heart with my bare hands and treated it like a heart shaped apple.
As we feasted upon the dripping heart of Kallel the others laid our lost Paladin to rest to prevent him from being raised as an undead. Searching the room we found the secret door Kallel came through and unlocking it found the many baubles and trinkets of his station. I sat upon a chair and after offering some to the others, who politely declined, finished off the juicy heart.
Through another door I heard muffled conversation and positioning ourselves for attack I opened it. It was another of those classic corridors with a door to the left and two doors on the right. Further on at the end of the corridor was another room were an odd looking dark skinned dwarf stood guard. Our dwarf suggested that we creep up as close as possible before striking.
Palos and I crept up in the shadows towards dark-D but Palos kicked a loose stone alerting dark-D to his presence. Being made he charged dark-D down and with twin swords gleaming, struck only managing to graze him. Torin cast a spell and a cloud of daggers encircled dark-D but only seemed to be a gnat bite to him. Guy cast and a blast of light blew a chunk out of the wall behind him. Suddenly a hobgoblin war chief burst from one of the doors near me and not seeing me, charged Palos. His ignorance of me cost him though, as with glee, Phobos sliced deep into his back and drank his blood. Out of the door next to me another creature came, it leveled its staff at me and, still reeling from the shock, missed me entirely and left an opening. The Drugar (dark-D) attacked Palos hitting him with his war hammer and to my surprise his beard spat sours at him also I saw movement as another attacked him.
Another creature appeared from the room the chief came from, took a swing at me which Phobos neatly parried and slew him as he tried to leave. His friend tried to do the same and only succeeded in replicating the result. Berrien shot the war chief which struck home. I shoved the war caster back into the room and spat into his face. As I followed him in our dwarf charged passed me and struck a good strong blow upon the war chiefs back.
Palos then collapsed to the floor from his many wounds. Torin’s magic missile missed the war chief. Guy ran forward and cast divine glow into the room striking the other Drugar (d2) and healed the fallen Palos. The war chief overbalanced and left himself open for attack and the war caster cast a spell that would slide me around him but I got in a sneaky blow. He then made break for it but ran into Berrien who shouted that I had fallen. In the other room the Drugars again put the hurt on Palos rendering him unconscious and near death, I heard the shot and the hit. I followed the war caster and asked “What are you doing with my bitch?!” and slid up behind him and shoved something hard into his rear and he fell at my feet.
Torin missed with his attack and Guy again healed Palos bringing him back from the brink and burnt the war chief with a well placed sacred flame. The war chief struck at our dwarf whom parried the spear while the Drugars tried again to kill Palos (poor old Palos) but failed. Berrien took aim and sent an electrically charged arrow into the brain of the war chief, his body convulsed twice before falling.
I leaped into the fray using repost strike on both of the Drugars, our dwarf charged forward taking a hit from one Drugar while the other slipped in some of Palos' blood and used covering attack marking one of them. Palos leaped to his feet and struck one of his attackers as unfortunately Torin miscast and became a target himself. Guy, as if it had become a new tradition, healed Palos and then cast sacred flame on the unmarked Drugar. The marked one struck our dwarf dodging an arrow from Berrien. Activating my armors ability I slithered into a flanking position but could not pierce the armor of the unmarked Drugar while our dwarf struck the most wounded of the Drugar killing him. (killing kin perhaps)
Palos and Guy got no love this time but Torin’s cloud of daggers (cloud of gnats) struck the remaining Drugar, as if to avenge his fallen comrade the Drugar struck our dwarf with a powerful blow and sent poison into his veins. I attempted to strike down the Drugar but again was foiled by his armor however our dwarf struck him with a powerful blow. (you could hear the ribs breaking)Palos with vengeance in his heart cut down the last Drugar with a well placed twin strike.
At last my quest is complete. All that remains is to bury the paladin (I believe our cleric is going to return him to his church) and our former leader. For now I have done what I had set out to do. Phobos lovingly soothed my sadness and reminded me that even though I new what the shadow fell would do to me I came and conquered and enjoyed the taste of Kallels heart on our lips and gaining the satisfaction of feeding that gnawing hunger that has been with me since birth and it dawned on me that the second part of the prophecy that my parents feared so has come to pass.
I prayed to Zihir that I would pass through my home of birth completing the prophecy but the road there would be fraught with danger and I will leave a trail of heartless victims to ensure that they know what the darkness of my home coming brings.
