Gotta Hand It To It
- "There's somebody," Peri said. A man, a warrior monk by the looks of it, was guarding the entrance of the massive structure. "Keldy?"
Keldorn prayed to Torm and concentrated.
- "Aye, lady. I sense an evil intent from him."
- "Surprise, surprise..." Peri sighed. "Most probably he has been waiting for us and is happy to collect my essence to serve his master and crush me like the insignificant bug I am. In other words, prepare for a fight and stay in formation."
As the party approached the man, ascending the wide steps, he spoke.
- "I have been waiting for you," he stated in an ominous voice.
Peri burst into a giggle and Sarevok stiffened a chuckle. This seemed to annoy the man, who frowned disapprovingly.
- "Let's see how amused you are when I collect your Bhaal essence in favor of my father!" he said angrily.
- "Don't forget the part about crushing her like an insignificant bug she is," Sarevok chuckled.
- "Nine outa ten correct, lass! Seems yon lad is the son of the scale-maggot!" Korgan laughed.
That was enough for the man, who didn't appreciate not getting the awe he had been expecting. He unleashed a horrible wilting spell on the party, a spell that drained humidity from the bodies of the enemies. It was a formidable spell, and one Imoen and Edwin employed frequently. However, the party was prepared and was well protected from magical effects, both by the help of their equipment and protective spells the mages and Sarade had cast on them beforehand. Along with the pre-triggered spell the man got several shimmering magical shields around him, and called forth a group of shady undead servants. The undead were merely a nuisance, but nevertheless they got in the way.
Imoen and Edwin didn't even have time to finish their incantations to take out the magical shields of their opponent, when Keldorn's magical sword made short work of them and the warriors were free to hack the monk at their leisure. As the gleeful Minsc prepared for the last strike, Peri felt an unpleasant apprehension in her gut. Surely it couldn't be this easy? And indeed...
- "FOOLS! Did you really think I would go down that easily? More proof of the inferiority of your puny race!" the monk bellowed, and was gone.
- "Er... Keldy? True sight sound like a plan?" Peri suggested, knowing that Keldorn had a powerful ability to cast the spell revealing all manner of illusions and invisibilities.
The ominous silence had everyone on their toes. Keldorn started to use his innate power bestowed by his divine patron, but didn't have time to finish before a massive gust of wind knocked everyone off their feet and tossed them sprawling in a distance, Korgan and Minsc losing their consciousness and Peri and Sarevok struggling to get on their feet.
Facing them stood a huge dragon who had just flapped its mighty wings, and was aiming an acidic cone of breath at the fallen party.
- "Coveeeer!" Peri screamed, ducking the acid shower. She shot a quick look at Sarevok, who nodded in understanding, proceeding to protect Keldorn so that he could finish the True sight spell. Both of them knew that these dragons could turn invisible at will, and then sneak on their opponents.
The battle seemed to never end. Sarevok had lost count on how many times he had been sent reeling backwards and lost his consciousness, then staggered upwards backed up by Sarade's frantic healing. The devas, elemental princes and magical swords the spellcasters summoned lasted their time, and were slain. Fortunately the wyrm was starting to take some damage as well. At one point it was positively bleeding and staggering.
- "Hey, we'll get 'im! Quick, Sarevok, finish 'im! Yon maggot is toast now!" Korgan panted gleefully, and Sarevok charged to do just that.
But before he managed to strike, the wyrm was turned invisible again and disappeared somewhere. With an audible groan they recognized the familiar incantation they had heard so many times from Anomen, and nowadays Sarade. It was healing itself back to full health in the sanctuary of invisibility.
But finally the completely exhausted group managed to bring the wyrm to the end of its powers. The acid was burning their skins, the wounds abundant, their bodies battered from flying backwards as the dragon waved its wings.
- "Now. It looks dead. I will sever its head. And if it sprouts two new ones and attacks us again, I'm going to scream," Peri said in a flat voice. She severed the head, but nothing of the sort happened. She sighed in relief and collapsed on her knees. Then she took a look at her companions and gasped.
- "Imoen! Imoen is dead!" Her eyes welled with tears.
- "Worry not," Sarade said. "I have a Resurrection spell right handy."
She prayed and concentrated, hovering on Imoen's body, and after half an hour the pale girl rose sitting, grinning and regarding her surroundings.
- "So you finally killed it, huh? Gotta hand it to it - that one had something to back those brags up with," she said.
- "Indeed. Makes one wonder what kind of opponent Abazigal will be," Sarevok said gravely.
- "Well, we are not about to go and find out until we get some really good rest," Peri said. She really should have teleported the group to the pocket plane, as it would be a lot safer there. But she was tired of the sulfur ponds and rock formations. Everyone was so exhausted and it was so nice just to sit in the sunlight, not moving an inch.
- "So Sarevok," Imoen asked in a way of small talk, "what was it like to be dead?"
- "Do you intend me to believe that this was the first time that a weakling like yourself has been had to revive by a priest?" Sarevok chuckled. "I imagine this group has gained a discount at the temple of Helm because of you, dear sister."
- "Yeah, but that is different. It is just a bit of blackness and whoop, here you go. I have never been really, really dead like you," Imoen persisted in a cheerful tone.
- " Keep prodding me, and that could quickly change," Sarevok said, but was grinning.
- "Bah, you are just buff and bluster, and I am an archmage! Go on, tell me!" Imoen insisted.
- "Miss archmage, I am not the one who was lying deader than a doornail just a moment ago. The knowledge won't do you any good now, and when you would need it, it would be too late. Now lay off, your chirruping is giving me a headache," Sarevok said in a more serious tone, something dark behind his eyes. Imoen finally understood that he wasn't willing to discuss the thing and nodded. Perhaps it was something that was very difficult to share.
