Arek waited downstairs for Tavion in the morning. His brother came down
looking rather relaxed, and it was noticeable that he had had a good night
sleep. Tavion smiled at his brother, but frowned when he saw that something
was obviously bothering him. "What's up Arek?" he asked his brother.
"Octavion is back," he told his brother. "He is in charge of the Fallen Paladin Order. They have made a headquarters at Durlag's Tower just south of Baldur's Gate. The Order wants us to deal with them. Now we both know what is at Durlag's Tower, what I want to know is what Octavion is up to. Got any ideas?"
"A few. The first would be that he wants a stronghold to build up his forces and rival those of the Order. The second theory, which I hope isn't right, is that he is trying to use Durlag's Tower to summon up Mardaag, the pit fiend of Cyric. If that is his plan, he wants revenge on you. You were the one that told the Order about him after he killed his wife."
"Well, we'll just have to hope it's the first. We should be leaving as soon as possible. The sooner we get there, the less of a chance that he will know that we are coming for him." Arek stood up and went up to his room and woke Victoria. He then went to Minsc and Valerine and woke them both. He returned to his room and gathered his gear. He went back downstairs and an hour later, the party had joined him downstairs. "Ok people, listen up. We are going back to Baldur's Gate. The Fallen Paladin Order has set up a stronghold at Durlag's Tower. The Order of the Radiant Heart wants us to wipe them out. Their leader is a Fallen One called Octavion. I know him personally and I helped caused his Fall. We are going to the tower to take out the Fallen Paladins. We are leaving immediately so if there is anything you need, get it now. We won't be back to anywhere close to a town in a while. You have one hour." He stood up and went to the Innkeeper. He paid for the rooms and also ordered a Dragonbreath Whiskey. He sat and drank his whiskey while talking with Minsc and Tavion about the mission. An hour later the mages had rejoined them and they proceeded to leave the city. They made their way north, once again towards the familiar lands of Baldur's Gate.
After a day on the road, the party stopped to rest for a few hours. While Arek, Tavion and the mages set up the camp, Minsc looked around the surrounding forest. He came across a clearing similar to the one they had stopped at and noticed that it had been visited recently buy something that didn't belong in the forest. Using his tracking skills, he was quick to determine that the travelers were heavily armored and some carried halberds from the deep imprints in the ground. He followed the tracks into the woods for a few yards when he heard voices that he didn't recognize. He stopped at the end of the tree line and gazed into a clearing in which he saw three men. Two held halberds and the third carried two saw-edged scimitars. On their chest plates he noticed a symbol very similar in design to that of the Flaming Fist, but instead of a fist, it was a burning cross, the symbol of the Fallen Paladin Order. Minsc stepped into the clearing and caught the attention of the three Fallen. The leader of the three, the one armed with the scimitars, said to the other two, "Well look what we have here. Kill the intruder; we have to get to the tower." The guards nodded and moved in on Minsc. Minsc grinned at the two advancing guards. He pulled Boo out of his belt pouch and looked at the hamster. The hamster blinked and Minsc yelled, "Go for the eyes Boo, GO FOR THE EYES!!!!!!" He charged at the approaching men, Lilracor at the ready.
Back at the campsite, Arek heard Minsc's familiar war cry. He looked at Tavion. "You stay here, I'll go to Minsc," he ordered. He took off into the woods, following the sounds of combat.
Minsc closed with the closest warrior. He parried the swing of a halberd and slashed with his own weapon. The warrior caught the sword on the shaft of his weapon. The shaft split causing the warrior to drop his weapon. Minsc swung his sword again, sending out a fountain of blood where the warriors head once was. He heard his sword say, "Ha-ha-ha, throw a coin in that fountain!"
Arek heard a sickening sound as he closed closer to the clearing where he had heard Minsc's war cry. He was glad to hear that the sound of fighting continued, more glad to hear that Minsc was still alive. He quickened his run, hurrying to his friend's aid.
Minsc closed with the second Fallen One, Lilracor held in front of him. He blocked a swing from the enemy's halberd and pressed in. He closed in with the warrior, getting right in his opponent's face. He head butted the warrior, hearing a satisfying crunch that signified the breaking of the man's nose. Minsc then kneed the man in the groin, causing the man to fall to the ground; Minsc soon put the man out of his misery with a dagger through the throat. That just left the leader. The leader pulled out his scimitars and readied himself. Minsc closed in on the warrior, watching for where the first attack would come from. The sword on his left feigned an attack and Minsc fell for it, leaving his right side exposed. The warrior took advantage and swung his other saw-edged blades at Minsc's arm. The hooked blades reaped damage to Minsc's arm causing him to drop his sword. He fell to the ground in pain as the leader stood over him. The leader lifted his swords over his head and swung down, but before they could connect with Minsc's body, Minsc heard the clang of steel on steel.
Arek was quick to catch the Fallen One's scimitars with the Avenger before they could kill Minsc. The leader was as surprised to see Arek as Minsc was to be alive. Arek pulled his sword upward, sending the scimitars up too. Arek took advantage of the Fallen One's surprise and slashed a long deep gash in the man's midsection. The man's intestines fell to the clearing floor at the same time as his body, leaving a large pool of blood. Arek rushed to his friend's side. "Are you ok, Minsc?"
"I.do not.know.I.have never.been in.so.much.pain! Is Boo.alright?" His face lightened when he heard a squeak from his hamster companion. "Oh Boo, you scared evil very good today. But you can have a rest for now; I won't be fighting anymore today." With that Minsc passed out. Arek lifted his friend, not an easy task for a man as huge as Minsc. He carried him to the campsite and laid him down. He called Valerine over to him.
"Can you do anything for him? His arm is badly wounded and he has lost a lot of blood."
"I'll try, but I can promise nothing. We really need to get him to a temple. Are we close enough to Nashkel? The sooner we get him to a temple, the better his chances are."
"We are only a few hours from Nashkel. We should leave as soon as you have done what you can."
"Ok then, leave me, this may take some time, depending on the seriousness of the injury." Arek nodded and walked over to tell the others what happened. After about an hour, Valerine stood from Minsc's side and came over to the rest of the group. "I have done all that I can. It should last until we can get him to a temple. It's good that you found him when you did Arek; if he had lost anymore blood, he would be much worse off."
"Ok, thank you Valerine for what you have done. Everyone, pack up, we are heading for Nashkel immediately. Minsc needs to get to a temple." Everyone bustled about quickly and soon they were on the road again. Within a few hours they had gotten to Nashkel. They went in to the temple and Arek spoke with the clergyman. The clergyman had Arek take Minsc to a back room. When he returned he told them that it would be some time before he could assess the damage to Minsc's arm. He also told them to get some rest and when Minsc was conscious, he would let them know. The group headed to the inn next door and got some rooms. The mages went to sleep while Arek and Tavion stayed up and talked.
"What happens if Minsc's arm is useless?" Tavion asked.
"Don't even go there Tavion. Minsc has had worse injuries; he will be just fine in a few days. We will have to go to Durlag's Tower without him though."
"That will make that task a lot harder, especially if Octavion is trying to summon Mardaag."
"I know, but it is a risk we have to take." At that moment, the clergyman from the temple walked in.
"Your friend is awake," he said. "You may come see him." Arek and Tavion stood up and followed the clergyman back to the temple. They went back to the room where Minsc was.
"How are you, Minsc?" Arek asked his friend.
"Minsc and Boo are fine, thanks to you Arek. You arrived in time to give Minsc and Boo a little longer to kick the backsides of evil."
"How's your arm, big buddy?" Tavion asked.
"The arm will heal in a few days, thanks to Valerine and the clergyman's efforts. Then Minsc and Boo can go with you to Durlag's Tower."
"We will be going to the Tower tomorrow. We need you to rest."
"You would go without Boo? This is an outrage."
"We need you to get better. Without your sword arm, it will be hard for you to fight."
"Ahh! You know nothing Arek. Minsc doesn't need his good arm to kick the backsides of evil. Just give me a blade and my other arm will still wreak havoc on them."
"Look, I am the leader, and as much as I like having your fighting abilities with me, I want you to get better and that way you can kick the backsides of evil twice as well." Minsc could tell he wasn't going to win, so he simply rolled over and ignored the fact that Arek and Tavion were still there. The two left Minsc and returned to the inn. They went to their rooms and slept.
The next day, the party headed out of Nashkel and headed for Durlag's Tower. Tavion felt very weird not having his ranger companion leading the way. He wondered if he would live to see his friend again.
Minsc followed the group out of Nashkel at a distance. He had managed to convince the clergyman to let him leave. It is amazing how scared some people are when they have someone big and pissed off yelling at them. He knew Arek would be mad that he followed them, but he didn't care. He wanted to fight the evil Paladins. He wanted them to pay for the sins they had committed to become Fallen Ones. He followed carefully and at a distance from the party not because he didn't want to be found, but because he wanted to be there at the time when Arek might need him most, to repay Arek for saving his life.
Arek and the party reached the mountains that held Durlag's Tower. In the pass that held the tower, lurked many dangerous creatures, at least there had before Arek and his party arrived. The group dispatched several Horrors and Shades before reaching the gates of the tower. Arek and Tavion took out the guards with their swords and Phoenix, Cloudwing, and Frostbite burned the gate down with their fire. Arek and Tavion walked into the tower. The first floor was very dark and even Tavion, with his eyes trained for tracking, found it hard to see. They walked through the halls of the floor carefully. They reached a massive hall with stairs that led up at one end. The only problem was the score of beasts that blocked the way. Some thirty Umber hulks, a dozen Trolls, and half a dozen Stone Giants stood in the hall, very angry about the human intruders. Arek, Tavion, and the familiars stood in front of the mages and readied for the coming attack.
Minsc could tell that Arek and the party had stopped, and he could tell why. Never before had he seen so many beasts in one place, at one time. They must be in league with the Fallen Order, he thought. Minsc came into the hall of the room that held the beasts. He saw Arek and Tavion charge the first group of Umber hulks and cut them down. That only took for four of the beasts. The rest were now enraged that they had lost brethren. They came at them fully furry. The front row of beasts were cut down, more slowly this time, and with each advancing row, the fighting speed slowed as Arek and Tavion fatigued. He saw Tavion go down, and Arek rushed to cover him, but soon Arek went down. Minsc leapt into action. The battle didn't last very long after Minsc joined the fight. With a renewed sense of vigor he cut into the lines of Umber hulks, defending Arek and Tavion while they recovered. Even with only one good arm, Minsc dealt lethal blows with his sword, Tavion's Equalizer. The Umber hulk's numbers dwindled, from over thirty, to twenty, to ten, to none in a matter of minutes. The Trolls advanced on the group soon thereafter. Over eight feet tall, these magic resistant beasts still proved to be little match for Minsc. With a rejuvenated Tavion and Arek, the Trolls were knocked down and then killed with fire balls sprayed on them by the Familiars, as well as Victoria. The giants came after Minsc, Tavion, and Arek next. Arek easily cut his two down and then moved to help out Minsc. Minsc and Arek dispatched the two they were fighting, and Tavion, with the help of the mages, cut down the two he was fighting.
"By the gods! What are you doing here Minsc? I thought I told you to stay and heal up," Arek said
"I could not lie around while there was evil to destroy. You needed me here, and Boo and I saved your lives."
"And we thank you for that. I'm sorry I tried to make you stay in Nashkel; we didn't expect to fight what we found here. It's a good thing that you did follow us," Tavion said before Arek could make a comment.
"Well, I guess Tavion is right. Thanks Minsc, it would have been hard to survive that fight without you. And now, I think we should make sure the room is clear, and try to get some sleep. I don't think that the Fallen Order knows we are here. Hopefully, we still have the element of surprise. Watch change after four hours; we'll sleep for eight. Get some rest everyone." The group dispersed, making sure that the room was empty. Minsc took first watch and as Arek lay down to sleep, he couldn't help thinking about the number of creatures he had fought here. Three dozen Umber hulks, a dozen Trolls, and half a dozen stone giants. And they were all on the first floor of a ten floor tower. What else lay in wait for him in the halls of this massive tower? What did Octavion really want to do with a headquarters here? All these thoughts and questions flooded into his mind as he finally drifted off to sleep.
"Octavion is back," he told his brother. "He is in charge of the Fallen Paladin Order. They have made a headquarters at Durlag's Tower just south of Baldur's Gate. The Order wants us to deal with them. Now we both know what is at Durlag's Tower, what I want to know is what Octavion is up to. Got any ideas?"
"A few. The first would be that he wants a stronghold to build up his forces and rival those of the Order. The second theory, which I hope isn't right, is that he is trying to use Durlag's Tower to summon up Mardaag, the pit fiend of Cyric. If that is his plan, he wants revenge on you. You were the one that told the Order about him after he killed his wife."
"Well, we'll just have to hope it's the first. We should be leaving as soon as possible. The sooner we get there, the less of a chance that he will know that we are coming for him." Arek stood up and went up to his room and woke Victoria. He then went to Minsc and Valerine and woke them both. He returned to his room and gathered his gear. He went back downstairs and an hour later, the party had joined him downstairs. "Ok people, listen up. We are going back to Baldur's Gate. The Fallen Paladin Order has set up a stronghold at Durlag's Tower. The Order of the Radiant Heart wants us to wipe them out. Their leader is a Fallen One called Octavion. I know him personally and I helped caused his Fall. We are going to the tower to take out the Fallen Paladins. We are leaving immediately so if there is anything you need, get it now. We won't be back to anywhere close to a town in a while. You have one hour." He stood up and went to the Innkeeper. He paid for the rooms and also ordered a Dragonbreath Whiskey. He sat and drank his whiskey while talking with Minsc and Tavion about the mission. An hour later the mages had rejoined them and they proceeded to leave the city. They made their way north, once again towards the familiar lands of Baldur's Gate.
After a day on the road, the party stopped to rest for a few hours. While Arek, Tavion and the mages set up the camp, Minsc looked around the surrounding forest. He came across a clearing similar to the one they had stopped at and noticed that it had been visited recently buy something that didn't belong in the forest. Using his tracking skills, he was quick to determine that the travelers were heavily armored and some carried halberds from the deep imprints in the ground. He followed the tracks into the woods for a few yards when he heard voices that he didn't recognize. He stopped at the end of the tree line and gazed into a clearing in which he saw three men. Two held halberds and the third carried two saw-edged scimitars. On their chest plates he noticed a symbol very similar in design to that of the Flaming Fist, but instead of a fist, it was a burning cross, the symbol of the Fallen Paladin Order. Minsc stepped into the clearing and caught the attention of the three Fallen. The leader of the three, the one armed with the scimitars, said to the other two, "Well look what we have here. Kill the intruder; we have to get to the tower." The guards nodded and moved in on Minsc. Minsc grinned at the two advancing guards. He pulled Boo out of his belt pouch and looked at the hamster. The hamster blinked and Minsc yelled, "Go for the eyes Boo, GO FOR THE EYES!!!!!!" He charged at the approaching men, Lilracor at the ready.
Back at the campsite, Arek heard Minsc's familiar war cry. He looked at Tavion. "You stay here, I'll go to Minsc," he ordered. He took off into the woods, following the sounds of combat.
Minsc closed with the closest warrior. He parried the swing of a halberd and slashed with his own weapon. The warrior caught the sword on the shaft of his weapon. The shaft split causing the warrior to drop his weapon. Minsc swung his sword again, sending out a fountain of blood where the warriors head once was. He heard his sword say, "Ha-ha-ha, throw a coin in that fountain!"
Arek heard a sickening sound as he closed closer to the clearing where he had heard Minsc's war cry. He was glad to hear that the sound of fighting continued, more glad to hear that Minsc was still alive. He quickened his run, hurrying to his friend's aid.
Minsc closed with the second Fallen One, Lilracor held in front of him. He blocked a swing from the enemy's halberd and pressed in. He closed in with the warrior, getting right in his opponent's face. He head butted the warrior, hearing a satisfying crunch that signified the breaking of the man's nose. Minsc then kneed the man in the groin, causing the man to fall to the ground; Minsc soon put the man out of his misery with a dagger through the throat. That just left the leader. The leader pulled out his scimitars and readied himself. Minsc closed in on the warrior, watching for where the first attack would come from. The sword on his left feigned an attack and Minsc fell for it, leaving his right side exposed. The warrior took advantage and swung his other saw-edged blades at Minsc's arm. The hooked blades reaped damage to Minsc's arm causing him to drop his sword. He fell to the ground in pain as the leader stood over him. The leader lifted his swords over his head and swung down, but before they could connect with Minsc's body, Minsc heard the clang of steel on steel.
Arek was quick to catch the Fallen One's scimitars with the Avenger before they could kill Minsc. The leader was as surprised to see Arek as Minsc was to be alive. Arek pulled his sword upward, sending the scimitars up too. Arek took advantage of the Fallen One's surprise and slashed a long deep gash in the man's midsection. The man's intestines fell to the clearing floor at the same time as his body, leaving a large pool of blood. Arek rushed to his friend's side. "Are you ok, Minsc?"
"I.do not.know.I.have never.been in.so.much.pain! Is Boo.alright?" His face lightened when he heard a squeak from his hamster companion. "Oh Boo, you scared evil very good today. But you can have a rest for now; I won't be fighting anymore today." With that Minsc passed out. Arek lifted his friend, not an easy task for a man as huge as Minsc. He carried him to the campsite and laid him down. He called Valerine over to him.
"Can you do anything for him? His arm is badly wounded and he has lost a lot of blood."
"I'll try, but I can promise nothing. We really need to get him to a temple. Are we close enough to Nashkel? The sooner we get him to a temple, the better his chances are."
"We are only a few hours from Nashkel. We should leave as soon as you have done what you can."
"Ok then, leave me, this may take some time, depending on the seriousness of the injury." Arek nodded and walked over to tell the others what happened. After about an hour, Valerine stood from Minsc's side and came over to the rest of the group. "I have done all that I can. It should last until we can get him to a temple. It's good that you found him when you did Arek; if he had lost anymore blood, he would be much worse off."
"Ok, thank you Valerine for what you have done. Everyone, pack up, we are heading for Nashkel immediately. Minsc needs to get to a temple." Everyone bustled about quickly and soon they were on the road again. Within a few hours they had gotten to Nashkel. They went in to the temple and Arek spoke with the clergyman. The clergyman had Arek take Minsc to a back room. When he returned he told them that it would be some time before he could assess the damage to Minsc's arm. He also told them to get some rest and when Minsc was conscious, he would let them know. The group headed to the inn next door and got some rooms. The mages went to sleep while Arek and Tavion stayed up and talked.
"What happens if Minsc's arm is useless?" Tavion asked.
"Don't even go there Tavion. Minsc has had worse injuries; he will be just fine in a few days. We will have to go to Durlag's Tower without him though."
"That will make that task a lot harder, especially if Octavion is trying to summon Mardaag."
"I know, but it is a risk we have to take." At that moment, the clergyman from the temple walked in.
"Your friend is awake," he said. "You may come see him." Arek and Tavion stood up and followed the clergyman back to the temple. They went back to the room where Minsc was.
"How are you, Minsc?" Arek asked his friend.
"Minsc and Boo are fine, thanks to you Arek. You arrived in time to give Minsc and Boo a little longer to kick the backsides of evil."
"How's your arm, big buddy?" Tavion asked.
"The arm will heal in a few days, thanks to Valerine and the clergyman's efforts. Then Minsc and Boo can go with you to Durlag's Tower."
"We will be going to the Tower tomorrow. We need you to rest."
"You would go without Boo? This is an outrage."
"We need you to get better. Without your sword arm, it will be hard for you to fight."
"Ahh! You know nothing Arek. Minsc doesn't need his good arm to kick the backsides of evil. Just give me a blade and my other arm will still wreak havoc on them."
"Look, I am the leader, and as much as I like having your fighting abilities with me, I want you to get better and that way you can kick the backsides of evil twice as well." Minsc could tell he wasn't going to win, so he simply rolled over and ignored the fact that Arek and Tavion were still there. The two left Minsc and returned to the inn. They went to their rooms and slept.
The next day, the party headed out of Nashkel and headed for Durlag's Tower. Tavion felt very weird not having his ranger companion leading the way. He wondered if he would live to see his friend again.
Minsc followed the group out of Nashkel at a distance. He had managed to convince the clergyman to let him leave. It is amazing how scared some people are when they have someone big and pissed off yelling at them. He knew Arek would be mad that he followed them, but he didn't care. He wanted to fight the evil Paladins. He wanted them to pay for the sins they had committed to become Fallen Ones. He followed carefully and at a distance from the party not because he didn't want to be found, but because he wanted to be there at the time when Arek might need him most, to repay Arek for saving his life.
Arek and the party reached the mountains that held Durlag's Tower. In the pass that held the tower, lurked many dangerous creatures, at least there had before Arek and his party arrived. The group dispatched several Horrors and Shades before reaching the gates of the tower. Arek and Tavion took out the guards with their swords and Phoenix, Cloudwing, and Frostbite burned the gate down with their fire. Arek and Tavion walked into the tower. The first floor was very dark and even Tavion, with his eyes trained for tracking, found it hard to see. They walked through the halls of the floor carefully. They reached a massive hall with stairs that led up at one end. The only problem was the score of beasts that blocked the way. Some thirty Umber hulks, a dozen Trolls, and half a dozen Stone Giants stood in the hall, very angry about the human intruders. Arek, Tavion, and the familiars stood in front of the mages and readied for the coming attack.
Minsc could tell that Arek and the party had stopped, and he could tell why. Never before had he seen so many beasts in one place, at one time. They must be in league with the Fallen Order, he thought. Minsc came into the hall of the room that held the beasts. He saw Arek and Tavion charge the first group of Umber hulks and cut them down. That only took for four of the beasts. The rest were now enraged that they had lost brethren. They came at them fully furry. The front row of beasts were cut down, more slowly this time, and with each advancing row, the fighting speed slowed as Arek and Tavion fatigued. He saw Tavion go down, and Arek rushed to cover him, but soon Arek went down. Minsc leapt into action. The battle didn't last very long after Minsc joined the fight. With a renewed sense of vigor he cut into the lines of Umber hulks, defending Arek and Tavion while they recovered. Even with only one good arm, Minsc dealt lethal blows with his sword, Tavion's Equalizer. The Umber hulk's numbers dwindled, from over thirty, to twenty, to ten, to none in a matter of minutes. The Trolls advanced on the group soon thereafter. Over eight feet tall, these magic resistant beasts still proved to be little match for Minsc. With a rejuvenated Tavion and Arek, the Trolls were knocked down and then killed with fire balls sprayed on them by the Familiars, as well as Victoria. The giants came after Minsc, Tavion, and Arek next. Arek easily cut his two down and then moved to help out Minsc. Minsc and Arek dispatched the two they were fighting, and Tavion, with the help of the mages, cut down the two he was fighting.
"By the gods! What are you doing here Minsc? I thought I told you to stay and heal up," Arek said
"I could not lie around while there was evil to destroy. You needed me here, and Boo and I saved your lives."
"And we thank you for that. I'm sorry I tried to make you stay in Nashkel; we didn't expect to fight what we found here. It's a good thing that you did follow us," Tavion said before Arek could make a comment.
"Well, I guess Tavion is right. Thanks Minsc, it would have been hard to survive that fight without you. And now, I think we should make sure the room is clear, and try to get some sleep. I don't think that the Fallen Order knows we are here. Hopefully, we still have the element of surprise. Watch change after four hours; we'll sleep for eight. Get some rest everyone." The group dispersed, making sure that the room was empty. Minsc took first watch and as Arek lay down to sleep, he couldn't help thinking about the number of creatures he had fought here. Three dozen Umber hulks, a dozen Trolls, and half a dozen stone giants. And they were all on the first floor of a ten floor tower. What else lay in wait for him in the halls of this massive tower? What did Octavion really want to do with a headquarters here? All these thoughts and questions flooded into his mind as he finally drifted off to sleep.