A/N:WHAT'S UP MUCKACHUNGAS!? It's Travez here and… I'm going to be frank, I am absolutely loving this story, but I have come to realize that two characters in this story are the main focus of it all, so I want you all to know that, if and when Durgaul and Ember die, this will be the end of this particular story, but that won't be the end of Role the Dice! In fact, I would like to say that it will only be the end of Season 1. Not only that, I want to have it that the entire Role the Dice Storyline will revolve around Traves and Anastasiya reincarnating into different lives in the D&D Multiverse, having fantastic adventures, exploring new ways to live and die, and eventually, after the Final Season of Role the Dice, these two will have their happily ever after on Mount Celestia once and for all!
Also, I am going to be slowing down my uploads, as I can feel the burn out coming hard, and so I'm only going to work on Role the Dice Chapters whenever I have time off, that way I can focus on getting my work days done and over with. So anyway, I bring this up now cuz, as you guys have probably come to tell over the years, whenever I get a fresh spanking new idea popping into my head, I either flake out on my other stories in order to focus on the new one until it burns me out, or the reviews I get are so terrible and mind shatteringly infuriating that I just rage quit on a story. So I am setting it up this way so that, if I ever get a new idea for a Role the Dice Story to pop into my head, I can then make notes on a possible future Season for Role the Dice, and if Traves and Anastasiya get killed, then the storyline for that campaign will end. In this way, I have something of a safety net that will allow me to write a proper conclusion to a story that I have written, but it will also allow me to take advantage of my new ideas without feeling the burnout of a single idea at any one time.
Also I would like to apologize for a lack of exploration or dialogue between important characters as such, as you guys can guess, I'm fairly new to Dungeon Mastering, and I've only been a DM for a scant few sessions irl, so I'm afraid i started this a little underprepared, and so I want to apologize upfront about this. The reason I have few interactions beyond the basics is because I'm so focused on trying to get the party leveled up to deal with this adult red dragon, so I'm a bit rushed. As for the exploration, I kinda forgot that I have a white board map that I can use for the exploration part of the story^^" So the combination of a lack of prep, a rush to take care of this dragon, and my own forgetfulness have made this story a combat heavy one. So I wish to apologize and I will try to improve upon this in the future.
I would also like to reply to a review I got on the previous chapter by D3lph0xL0v3r: Yes it is a Dragon Slayer Greatsword, but it isn't the Dragon Slayer from Berserk, as much as I would like it to be. I just used the description, but, fun fact, a good number of monsters can't be hurt by conventional weapons, however the Dragon Slayer is a magic sword! So it is capable of hurting any supernatural being *Imitates Boomstick from Death Battle* Even Ghoooosts! However, I will be giving this Dragon Slayer Custom Stats which I will state here and make sure to add to his Character Sheet later:
-The Sword's True name is Ascalon, and it's shape and design are based on the user's preferences. It is also sentient of a Neutral Good Alignment, and hates anything Evil.
-Ascalon is made of Adamantine, Mithril, and High Quality Steel, making it practically indestructible, lightweight in the hands of the one attuned to it, and extremely durable.
-The Dragon Slayer, thanks to it's many wielders, has become capable of dealing it's extra 3d6 Damage to any creature that is of an Evil Alignment, including Undead that have no alignment at all.
-Ascalon the Dragon Slayer, thanks to it's design, is 7ft long and over 400lbs, and due to the amount of evil creatures it has slain over it's many centuries of combat, it now rests in the Material, Ethereal, and Astral Planes of existence, allowing it to phase through anything that isn't an evil aligned creature or object. This allows the Ascalon to be the only known weapon capable of destroying a Lich's Phylactery with one well placed strike, and if the sword chooses to attune to whoever wields it, it becomes as heavy as a normal greatsword.
Anyway I think that is enough out of me! Please be sure to Follow, Favorite, Review, and Share this story if you and anyone you know likes Dungeons and Dragons Content! Catch ya on the Flipside! NAT 20!
Session 7: The Durance of Hate
Holding the Dragon Slayer in his mouth, Durgaul's body transforms as his body takes on his elven form, picking up the sword and slinging it over his back, the sword, for some reason, adhering to his back without straps or even a sheathe to carry it. However, that is when Durgaul slips on some coins and falls down the pile, the sword falling with him and then hitting him square in the face, knocking the dragon out. "DURGAUL!" Ana shouts, rushing to her love, who falls unconscious, the others rushing to him.
Mount Celestia
Durgaul finds himself standing on the shores of Mount Celestia again, and he looks around. "What the!?" Durgaul shouts, "Why am I back here!?"
"Hello again, Traves Medina…!" Bahamut says, to which the dragon turns and kneels.
"My Lord, not meaning to be rude, but what is the meaning of this!?" Durgaul asks, shocked.
"I simply came to ask you a question… Well technically there are two things I need to ask you." Bahamut says, "Though I must congratulate you on your first successful battle against an Adult Black Dragon… While I did ask you to go out and see if you could find dragons that would be willing to join my side, it seems you have had some rotten luck in finding dragons that have been entirely evil."
"Tell me about it, ever since I started on my journey, it's been nothing but dragons, with the demons at the start…"
"Especially how you nearly got slaughtered by those Abyssal Chickens…!" The God laughs, to which Durgaul groans at the reminder of his near disastrous first battle.
"And my chinese zodiac is the Rooster…"
"So I guess you could have called it… A Cock Fight, huh?" Bahamut says, laughing, to which Durgaul snickers.
"Okay, I'll give you that one, my lord!" Durgaul says, laughing, to which the Gold Dragon bodyguards join the two in human form, all of them having tea together. "So what did you wish to ask me?"
"Well since you've… Leveled Up… I was wondering if there were a few things you'd like to try doing…" Bahamut says, "Namely, would you like to embrace the Lawful side of yourself a little more, in the form of Clockwork Soul Sorcery?" Durgaul looks at him and scratches his chin in thought, but then smirks.
"It's tempting, but I think I want to hold that off for right now!" Durgaul explains, "I would like to hold off on that, but is there something I can do otherwise?"
"Oh?" Bahamut asks, to which Durgaul brings out the book "Tasha's Cauldron of Everything" and looks up "Chapter 1: Character Options" Section 3 "Changing Subclasses"
"I would like to change my character subclass to something else… I did some thinking and I've come to realize that Psi Warrior, while it is amazing and all, it's not for me… I've had to think long and hard on this, and I realize I should have gone with Echo Knight… This is what I want to mix with a single level in Clockwork Soul Sorcerer in the future."
"So it's the ability to manipulate fate you want out of the Sorcerer, correct?" Bahamut asks, playing with his beard a bit, smirking. "You are certainly an interesting young man."
"There is also the fact that I recently got the Dragon Slayer, and I want to spend more time in my mortal form." Durgaul explains, "But there is also the fact that an Echo takes my form, so if I have it take my true form, then it will be extremely intimidating for anyone who sees it!" To this Bahamut laughs heartily and nods, "Though there is an issue I have with wielding the Dragon Slayer in my true form, is it possible?"
"I don't think so, if you value your Breath Weapon, I don't think it would be allowed, however, if you have your Echo use your Breath Weapon in your Place, I think it could still work, theoretically anyway! So unless you want your Echo to utilize your breath weapon in your place, you'll have to use the Sword in Human Form. However, I will allow you to use the sword if you sacrifice the use of your Bite and Breath Weapon."
"I can accept that!" Durgaul says, smiling as he finishes up the last of his tea, "Question, when will I be waking up?"
"In a few minutes… So, until then… Did you know that your little lover actually found a Staff of Withering, one specifically designed with a hand that it's fingers close together…?"
"Oh I can see her chopping people over the head with that!" Durgaul says, laughing. "Oh speaking of which, do you think it's possible to bring Ana here for a moment?"
"Sure!" He snaps his fingers, and Ana crashes onto Traves, who hits the ground with the Genasi having retaken her original form as a beautiful brunette with green eyes. She looks around, shocked and terrified.
"Wha- Where am I!?" Anastasiya asks, shocked, she then feels a pleasurable sensation, her cheeks red as she notices Traves is underneath her. "Traves!? Where are we?" She gets up, blushing whilst smiling a bit. "Did you teleport me somewhere for us to have some… "fun"...?"
"As much as I would like for that to be the case, there is somebody I need you to meet…" She gestures to Bahamut. "Anastasiya, meet the Platinum Dragon God, Bahamut!"
"Eep!" She says, quickly fixing herself, "My lord!" She curtseys as best as she can, given her surprise.
"I can see why he likes you so much! You're just so adorable!" Bahamut says, chuckling. "Though let us get down to business!" He sits down and offers them seats, and they are each given tea, made to their specific tastes. "As you have probably guessed, I'm the one responsible for your rebirth into this world, and as such, I am the one who has your character sheets, to which I can modify as I feel is needed…" He then shows Ana her character sheet, and the young woman is shocked at how accurate it is to the character she played one time. "So I wanted to bring you here to offer you a chance to expand your repertoire, but as you know, by taking levels in another class will mean you end up sacrificing much of your abilities in the long run."
"I understand, but what about Traves here?"
"He has chosen to forgo multiclassing for the time being, though I don't know why!"
"You suggested I take on the abilities of a Clockwork Soul Sorcerer, but if I were to do that, I'd only be doing it for one level, so I could get the Restore Balance Feature." Durgaul explains, "I wasn't planning on going full Spellcaster when I was working on creating my character in this world…"
"Wait you got to create your character?" Ana says, her eyes wide with shock. "Not fair!"
"Actually Ana…" Bahamut says, "You only ever played Dungeons and Dragons once in your world, right? The only reason why you didn't get a choice was because you only ever created one officially playable character using the game's rules, as such, while you had an endless amount of potential, I only had one example which to work with."
"Damn it…" Ana says.
"Still… I think I made the right call turning you into a Genasi, and besides, the Draconic Ascension Ritual is a thing here, so you can be a dragon, eventually!" The Dragon God explains. "Though, as you said, it is unfair, and I wish to apologize for not being considerate enough to ask you what you wished to be." He bows his head in forgiveness. "I am sorry!"
"There is nothing to forgive, my lord…" Ana says, sighing. "Question, what will happen to us if we die in this world?"
"That is up to you…" He looks to the skies above, "You can either choose to remain here for eternity, or you could move onto another Material Realm, and continue your adventures there! Though neither of you have saved this world yet, if it falls into ruin, you need to remember that Mount Celestia is one of 17 Outer Realms, all of which are connected to all of the different Material Realms. If you two wish to try your luck again in another realm, then by all means, do so! Unfortunately, Anora will wither and die anyway, the two of you being here is only delaying the inevitable, for it wasn't a world that was explored, and as such, it will eventually die some time after you both meet your ends."
Traves and Ana look down, and they look at each other, gently taking each other's hands. "Still, it will be exciting to see what antics you get up to in the near future, while you both still live. So try to make a good show of it, will you?" Bahamut says, "The two of you exploring this world and making it a better place before it eventually dies will make for a wonderful story to tell."
"Well before we wake up, we should decide on what we want to do…" Traves says, "So Ana, what should we do when we both die?"
"When? Not if?"
"I'm just embracing the fact that we will both eventually die, and so I want to be ready to proceed to the next step when it happens." Traves explains, to which Ana nods, conceding to that point.
"Well if I am being perfectly honest, I would like to try exploring this multiverse a bit! I never got into Dungeons and Dragons when we were in our old world, but if I'm being honest, I'm having a lot of fun with what is going on! So I would like to see how things play out in other worlds!" Ana says, smiling, "Only question is, where do we go after we finish our adventures here?"
"I might have an idea for the two of you…!" Bahamut says, whispering to the two of them, and Traves's eyes brighten with a smile on his face.
"The Old Anora…!"
"Yes, and while I did want to send you to your original Anora, I needed you to get your bearings in this world by trying to save this one first, so you both can get used to living like this…!" Bahamut says, bowing his head in apology.
"Does that mean we will get to see Alex and Eve?"
"Correction, you will be Alex and Eve! Only Question is, do you want your party to consist of Alex's siblings and their lovers, or some unique allies?" Bahamut asks.
"I think we will have to get back to you on that one, this is going to be a tough decision." Traves says, smiling, to which the Dragon God nods, and there is a timer going off. "Seems we're out of time… Have a pleasant day, my lord!"
"And both of you as well!" To which Traves and Ana bow as they vanish.
The Temple of Light
Durgaul and Ana wake up, their heads pounding, to which the dragon notices a campfire with Damos sitting next to it, stirring his Cauldron of Plenty. "Oh, you're awake!"
"Damos?" Durgaul looks around, not seeing the others. "Where is everyone?"
"They've all made their way to the palace to free my good-sister! She is in the Durance of Hate, the palace's dungeons." Damos explains, "They just spent the last few hours trying to find the entrance, and clearing out the Palace of any remaining undead inside."
"And how do you know that?" Durgaul asks.
"I could hear the fighting from all the way over here, the palace isn't that far from here!" That is when the doors open and the group comes back through, beaten and weary. "Sheesh, you guys look like shit!"
"Doesn't help when the party's tank and druid are out of commission, and the Cleric is guarding them!" Longclaw snaps but then breathes "That was unworthy of me, my apologies."
"No offense taken, I didn't realize it was that bad…" Damos says, looking at the group. "Wait, where's my brother?"
"Stayed behind to locate something in the palace, said he'd return when he could." Evolyne explains. Damos nods and everyone goes to eat the stew Damos made and everyone smiles as they feel their strength returning. "I wonder what could be so important to your brother that he'd go looking for it and let us return here."
"More importantly, where is Werk? That Owlin who got Hydrochlora to attack us?" Fiona asks, angrily.
"I've been here the whole time!" A voice calls from the rafters, revealing the Eurasian Eagle Owlin sitting above them.
"You! How dare you show your face here, you vile traitor!?" Fiona shouts.
"I know you are angry with me Fiona by-"
"ANGRY!? YOU BETRAYED ME AND OUR MASTER!" Fiona shouts, "YOU MURDERED HIM!"
"I did no such thing, and I can prove it!" Werk shouts, taking off a potion satchel around his shoulder and tosses it to the group. The group sees that inside there are glass vials filled with a foul smelling dark green liquid. "It's called Resonance, the mixture requires certain ingredients to be able to brew it, the biggest one being that of the flesh of the one who wishes to share his memories with others! It cost me a large sum of gold to make all of these to prove my innocence!"
"Liar!" Fiona shouts, her eyes glowing red with fury. "You seek to kill my allies and rape me again!"
"THAT WASN'T ME! IT WAS A DOPPELGANGER WEARING MY FACE!" he then takes out an identical bottle, "I'll join you, but doing so will be highly dangerous and traumatic for me…" Everyone… is hesitant about this, especially Fiona, who wants nothing more than to gut this creature, but if she can prove him false, then all the more reason to kill him. However, if he is telling the truth, then she has been blaming the wrong person the whole time. Daring to go first, she drinks the potion after Werk lands and takes his drink, everyone following suit at that point…
That is when they all find themselves in flashes of Memories… The first is that of Fiona helping him after he had broken his wing trying to save her, setting the bone and helping him recover… The Second of them is that of their Master, a cloaked figure who presents the Book of Secret Arts to Fiona, and though everyone feels… a twinge of jealousy, there is something more profound in it, Pride and Adoration. The next memory is that of Week being sent out to find a Doppelganger that has been causing trouble for the city, in which he found the creature's hideout… Finding the damning evidence and then returning to base, only to see himself killing the master as Fiona is knocked unconscious…
The Owlin attacks the doppelganger and his cronies, only to be badly beaten… The memory fades and they find Werk Chained to a wall with a grate above him, a Collar of Silence around his neck as he looms above and sees the Doppelganger performing several heinous sexual deeds with Fiona, the Owlin screeching as loud as he can, only for the Collar to make his screams of anger and despair silent, and after the creature is done with her, he brutally beats and tortures Werk in the sound of silence… For months he is forced to watch these acts until his talons grow long enough that he is able to pick the locks to his chains, rather sloppily Fiona adds, and necessitates Fiona's escape by blowing up their prison vault and destroying the treasure hoard the Doppelganger and his cronies had amassed and causing a huge distraction on the way out. The visions end with that as everyone comes to as they see Werk still out cold.
"He saved me…" Fiona says, crying as she rushes to the Owlin, "Werk… Forgive me…!" She gently holds the convulsing Owlin close, to which Damos sets the man aside so that he can rest, and soon Mephisto flies back into the temple. "Mephisto…"
"I have good news and bad news… The Good News is that I found what I was looking for!" He gently holds out his hand and presents to the group an old map, which, when put in comparison to the ones they already have, reveals the locations of the other haunts of the other three Riders. "The Bad News is… You remember that Adult Red Dragon you're all intending to fight? It turns out he is the one guarding Diablo… Or at least the information where Diablo is located. I don't know which of these cities each of the riders are being held in, but I do know that each of these ruins will provide you with clues to where each rider is."
"Thank you, brother, and as promised, once we've rested, we will help you get Kurastha from the Durance of Hate…"
"Yes, that is even more bad news… I did a small bit of scouting into the Durance, and I tried to take command of the Undead… Unfortunately, I am currently too weak to command them, I am sorry to ask this, but I need you to put those undead in the Durance to rest, if you wouldn't mind. I don't know everything that was stored down there, as we had very few prisoners to begin with, thanks to a few factors you know about, little brother…" Damos nods, "So whatever you find down there that isn't rotten food, or wasted materials… If you find any treasures that were stored down there, be my guest to take it, just don't go beyond the door marked "666" in the Third Level of the Durance…"
"What's beyond that?" Durgaul asks, curious.
"Things your little mortal mind won't be able to grasp without going mad…" Mephisto says, subtly giving the dragon a warning, who lowers his head in submission, with the Pit Fiend nodding before he finds a place to rest, and everyone just decides to lie down and get some rest. However, the only one of them who doesn't rest is Damos, who can't seem to fall asleep, so the Tiefling decides to go outside for some fresh air, and looks up at the stars, his eyes falling upon a certain star in the sky, his star… It was on the day that he was born that this star changed from the white of the others to a deep red.
"Can't sleep?" Evolyne asks, walking over, a robe wrapped around her body as she does so. Damos looks at the beautiful woman in front of him and blushes a bit.
"Y-yeah…" Damos says, trying to keep his head clear. "You couldn't sleep either?"
"Yeah…" She looks up at the stars, "So part of your quest is done…! You finally got one of your siblings back!"
"Yeah…" Damos says, "It feels good rescuing him, but there is something that has been bothering me…"
"What is it?" Evolyne asks.
"Why did Zariel target my brothers specifically? I mean, if anything, they would've been her most valuable assets to keep the Blood War from going out of control… Zariel is also not one to act on her grudges in such a manner. I mean sure she is a rage fueled berserker, but she wouldn't do something that mind-numbingly stupid just to get back at my father for whatever slight he may have caused her." Damos says, sitting back, but then his eyes wander to the parts of her body that are exposed, her large breasts which are on display, her fine-toned legs, but also the lean muscle with little traces of body fat on her body. "That aside… What kind of bard are you?"
"I'm a Bard from the College of Swords!" Evolyne says, proudly. "My family, on my father's side anyway, have been Blades for generations, we created the College of Swords to devote ourselves to a mindset of mystical swordsmen. However, we also believe that a certain Stereotype that tends to follow bards around is actually rather ignorant and cruel of the world."
"What stereotype is that?" Damos asks.
"That all bards are out to seduce and bed anything that can be bedded…" Evolyne says, looking up, "And though I may dress to tempt you, I only do that for you…"
"And why would you do that for me?"
"You were born in the Nine Hells, so you wouldn't know this… But Tieflings born in the Material Realm are actually able to see their destined mate in their dreams… That is the one person they are bound to by fate, and it is the only thing of fate we accept." Evolyne explains, "Baatori Tieflings, like yourself, are incapable of these kinds of dreams…"
"I… I see…" The young Baatori says, looking down. "But are you sure I'm the one in your dreams?"
"A Materia Tiefling's dreams are often clouded, or the face and features of our destined mate are often shrouded in darkness, that is unless they are close-by or we have seen them with our own eyes." She says, smiling as she looks at him. "You might not believe me, but it's the truth…!"
"Well… If it's true… I'm flattered, really…" Damos says, blushing, to which Evolyne smiles as she sees it. "Only thing is, while I would like to reciprocate those feelings…" He looks up, "I honestly can't…"
"Why?" Evolyne asks, feeling her heart clench with pain.
"I'm a Devil of the Nine Hells, the moment I return, I'll truly become Lawful Evil again, and I don't know what I could do to you… I could become abusive, I could become neglectful…" Damos says, clenching a fist as he shakes with dread, "Knowing this, are you willing to take that risk?"
"Yes, because the moment I marry you, I will be tied to you for eternity…" Evolyne says, gently placing a hand on his fist, looking into his eyes, smiling gently at him. Damos blushes as he looks at her, and he feels his fist loosening as she gently takes her hand, and looks into her eyes, the two slowly leaning in, and gently kissing one another. Unbeknownst to them, Mephisto smiles as he watches his little brother find his Destined One, and smirks.
'Foolish brother, even we Baatori can see who we are destined for in our dreams…' Mephisto thinks, rubbing his chin, 'Though why you don't have those dreams is a mystery… I will have to research this when I have time later…'
Evolyne smiles as she pulls back from the kiss, gently touching her lips, having felt a rush run from her lips through the rest of her body, a feeling of completeness, but only for the duration of the kiss. Damos, likewise, feels that rush and smiles as he looks at her, but then shakes his head with a smile, "Let's not go all the way yet… I would like to enjoy these moments we have together, if that is okay with you."
"Alright, but know that my bed is always open to you…" She gets up and walks away, her tail lifting her robe and revealing she has no panties on as she walks back to where she is going to sleep, and then it makes Damos realize that the only thing covering her body was that robe, causing his nose to bleed his black blood. His inner devil, which manifests on his left shoulder, starts screaming at him to take her, and make her his right now, whilst his inner human, who appears in robes on his right shoulder, reminds him that he just promised to take this slow, but… When the human half looks at the ass on that girl, he tells him that speeding it up a little bit might be worth it, just not too fast. The two poof out of existence as he smirks like a pervert as his nosebleed gets worse. Evolyne can feel his stare on her and she smirks lovingly as she makes her way back to bed.
The Next Morning…
Durgauls yawns, stretching out his mouth to reveal his rows of teeth as he picks himself up, having been sleeping on top of the hoard of coins, stretching his body out like a cat as he carefully makes his way off the pile, and walking down to where the group is just waking up as well. Everyone yawns as they rouse from sleep, in which everyone is stunned to see that Evolyne is actually the first one up, the woman having made everyone a nice hearty breakfast, in which appears to be omelets with some sort of bean soup ladled over it and filled into it, and Durgaul smells it with a smile. "Is that black bear chili?"
"Oh you know it? I added a nice little tiefling-style twist to it!" Evolyne says, smiling. Everyone digs in, in which Durgaul, Damos, Evolyne, and Eryn actually enjoy the flavor, but the others have faces that are different shades of red, however, out of all of them, Ana screams to high heaven.
(Sorry Wolfflight, but she failed the Con Save with a Natural 1^^")
"SO SPICY!" Ana screams in pure agony, in which Durgaul brings out his Alchemy Jug and makes her some honey, which, thankfully, helps her with the pain.
(Yeah, Honey and Sugar helps cut the spiciness of some foods, just a few drops will help ease the pain! Try it sometime!)
"Thank you, Durgaul…" Ana says, whining as she bravely goes in for a second bite… And finds the pain is not as great as it was before, in fact, it tastes even better.
"Sorry, but the spices I used are pleasant for Tieflings born in the Nine Hells, as they are similar to what cooking down there is like." Evolyne says, shrugging her shoulders.
"No wonder this tastes so good!" Damos says, crying as he eats. "It's like I'm back home!"
"I find it spicy but satisfying!" Eryn says, everyone else just remains silent and endures the pain… Everyone who managed to survive the first bite manages to feel some vigor in their bodies. Mephisto flies over smelling something good, and the Pit Fiend tries out the food, his eyes tearing up as he tastes it.
"Just like mother used to…" Dul'Mephistos says, crying.
"Right?" Damos asks, smiling at his big brother. The group finishes their breakfasts as they make their way to the palace, in which Durgaul is shocked at how opulent the place is, despite the remains of skeletons all over the place. There are metallic statues decorating, stands on which broken artifacts were once placed, the entire palace is covered in black and white granite and marble, with touches of highly expensive wood and furniture to match, though most of these structures have rotted due to Hydrochlora's influence on the city having caused it to decay. "This must've been beautiful back in it's hayday, brother…"
"It was… Kurast was my wedding gift to Kurastha… She wanted to return to her home country in the Suncradle, but she had been banished due to her being a Mordenkainist."
"Mordenkainist?" Durgaul asks.
"She believed in the High Sorcerer Mordenkainen's Theory of the Balance, in which the Nine Hells and the Abyss need to keep fighting each other, for if any one evil wins, then everyone loses, even evil itself." Mephisto explains, "Thanks to her beliefs and her siding with both the Zakarum and Haradrim, she was banished from the country of India, but due to her people having saved me and our brothers multiple times, I offered them a place where they could be safe in the continent of Ironfell, here in Moldova." Mephisto then leads the group towards the hidden door that leads into the Durance. "I'm still too weak to be of any assistance, but I believe you all can do it…!"
"We won't fail you brother!" Damos explains, reaching for the doorknob, only for one of his brother's arms to grab his wrist firmly.
"Be warned! I sense a powerful undead down there, something I think Hydrochlora prepared to ensure that even if she was defeated that very few things would be able to save Kurastha! Take every possible precaution!" Dul'Mephistos explains, to which Damos nods, the Pit Fiend letting go of his brother and opens the door for them, finding a long staircase that leads down… Down… Down… Into the Durance of Hate…
The Durance of Hate
The group makes their way into the entryway into the Durance, which is a rather tight squeeze for the group, with Durgaul having to wait by the stairs until things open up. Out in the front is Longclaw, and as he opens the door… "WHOA!" Longclaw says, stopping his foot.
"What is it?" Damos asks, to which Longclaw points down.
"Notice the tiling? It's different than the tiling in this room, I'm thinking this is an armed pitfall to prevent prisoners from escaping!" Longclaw says, "Barely noticed it before my foot touched the stone…" He breathes a sigh of relief, "Fiona, can you disarm it?"
"Hmmm…" Fiona asks, the group reshuffling to allow Fiona to examine the trap… And she then looks at the torch sconce and gives it a quick examination… Her hand manages to feel it jiggle. "Aha!" She then shifts the sconce and there is a series of clicks that causes the floor in front of them to shift. "Done!"
"Whoa!" Damos says, "Now that was amazing!"
"It was a simple hidden switch! There is probably one on the other side, with both being designed to act independently of one another, and yet work for the same trap!" Fiona says, smiling, as she looks at the group, "Now just be careful not to touch anything near the other door until we are all on the other side! Whatever is in here, we may need to reactivate the trap to get out of here!"
"Roger roger!" Eryn says, everyone nodding. Everyone moves through the threshold and soon finds themselves in a large hall with a massive amount of stink in them, but this isn't the Stench of hate, this is the stench of decay… The group notices dungeon cells, and everyone looks inside and sees skeletons lying inside the cells… "Eilistraee's mercy…"
Durgaul looks at these bones and sighs as he sees them, having taken his elven form to follow through. "My god… Hydrochlora had left these poor bastards to starve, and they ate each other…!"
"Gods… This is too cruel…" That is when the spirits of the dead rise from their corpses, all of them looking at Damos, all of them moving past and through the party, reaching for Damos's ring.
"Release us…" One of the ghosts says.
"Free us…!" Another says mournfully.
"The Lord of Hate promised us freedom if we did our time…!"
"It is not right that we are trapped here!" A woman's voice says.
"Guys…?" Damos asks.
"Tell them the truth, Damos…" Durgaul encourages, to which the Tiefling nods and looks at them. "People of Kurast, heed me, the dragon is dead… We had slain her just last night, and we have come to free Kurastha, however, you have all served your time here in this prison, and if you gather around my friend, Durgaul, he will be able to free you!"
"Wait, me!?" Durgaul asks, shocked. "I'm not a Cleric, you are!"
"You are the son of a Greatwyrm, are you not? Perhaps you have something that might help?" Durgaul then looks to his sword as it begins to glow, and the ghosts reach for it instead of Damos's ring.
"Ascalon…!" One of the ghosts says.
"Save us, Ascalon…!"
"How can my sword save you?" Durgaul asks, confused.
"Ascalon can kill those who are aligned with evil…" A Ghostly Priest says, "It was forged in the flames of seventy-times-seventy Gold Dragons, and quenched in the blood of Seventy-times-Seventy Red Dragons, the combined malice of all the red dragons grants that sword the power to sever the connection we spirits have with the Border Ethereal, allowing us to ascend, or descend, to our proper afterlives. One swing of your mighty blade will free us all…" Durgaul looks at them, and gently takes his blade in hand.
"I wish there were a more elegant way to free you…" Durgaul says, "Forgive me!" He swings hard, and all the ghosts erupt into ectoplasm, being sent through the Ethereal Realm into the Astral Realm, where they each go to where they are destined. Meanwhile with Durgaul and the group, they see the Greatsword glowing in his hands with a dark aura.
Durgaul'Nurgahl… A voice says from within the blade, Long have I waited for you, my destined master…
"What…?" Durgaul asks, looking around. "Are you guys hearing what I'm hearing?"
"I think that sword of yours is sentient!" Eryn says, looking at it.
I am Ascalon the Dragon Slayer… I am a weapon designed to defeat great and terrible evils, and to bring peace to the restless dead… By keeping me close as you slept, I had bounded with your soul… The Voice says, My powers were granted to me by an ancient dwarven smith named Goto, who created me in order to slay evil dragons… However… Before you found me at last, I was wielded by a number of great warriors, Saint Michael of England, Guts the Berserker, Issei Hyoudou of Yamato, among others, but now you have found me, and thanks to my previous masters, I have gained power and sentience…
"Well then Ascalon, what can you tell me about yourself?"
My powers reflect the one who attunes to me, as well as my size and shape… For you, like Guts the Berserker, is that I am that of a 7ft Greatsword, and due to my design, anyone whom I don't choose as my master will feel the effects of all 400lbs of my weight. However, I am made of Adamantine, Mithril, and Steel, in which I can't be destroyed, save by a Rust Monster's rusting abilities. Ascalon explains to Durgaul, Thanks to the magic used to create me, I was born with the ability to severely wounding anything of the Evil Alignment, and after having seen so much battle against the forces of evil over the centuries, I have become present in the Material, Ethereal, and Astral Planes of Existence. As such, even if I were used in a location where my size would be a disadvantage, it would not matter as I can shift between these realms at my will, allowing me to be used in such places and harm nearly any sort of creature.
As Durgaul listens to the sword explains it's powers to him, everyone looks at him, seeing their friend's eyes glaze over for what appears to be a few moments, a serious look on his face. "I see…" Durgaul says, "Glad to have you, Ascalon…" He sheathes the sword on his back and looks at the group, "What?"
"Are you alright?" Damos asks.
"Yes, perfectly fine! This sword is sentient, and it was communicating with me…!" Durgaul explains, "Anyway, let's keep going, shall we?" With this, the group continues down the hall, finding themselves in front of what appears to be a room along the wall, to which Fiona checks the door… Finding it isn't locked, but it also isn't trapped either… A few of the group decide to enter, wanting to explore it whilst Durgaul, offering to do so scouts ahead. Inside the room appears to be a break room for the guards… Eryn examines the walls… Despite the fact he had studied much arcana, the mystical formulae carved into the walls is beyond him, though he has a feeling it's a means either to protect those inside or a means to dampen the sound outside the walls… In the corner, next to him, Eryn sees a chest, and… He notices a key inside of the hole, and his eyes light up as the thought of possible loot entices him to reach for the thing… However… Fiona notices and tries to reach for him, but it is too late as Eryn takes hold of the key and begins to turn it… Only to feel his hand be covered in some sort of sticky adhesive.
"OH SHIT!" Eryn shouts, realizing what he's done as a mouth opens and bites down on the helpless Drow, who screams in pain as he takes the hit.
"Eryn!" Fiona shouts, her eyes looking over the monsters as she swings forward with both of her psychic blades, and swings with the deftness of a snake, the Mimic tightening it's grip as it tries to scream in pain. Eryn, screaming in pain, focuses as he breathes in deeply and blasts the inside of this Monstrosity's mouth, scorching it, the creature screaming in pain, but only grips tighter as the Sorcerer tries to escape. The group hears this and the first to enter is Longclaw, who… Feels a Brutal Failure hit him as his claws try to extend, only to retract instantly, much to the relief of the Shifter, who didn't look forward to getting eaten again. Unfortunately, the others can't get in as the room is too small, and none of them can get a clear shot, so this is all up to the group inside. Despite having the Half-Drow in it's mouth and stuck to it, the creature can't find a second amount of purchase in the man, Eryn having activated his Armor of Shadows the second after the first attack.
"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Eryn shouts.
"Hang on!" Fiona shouts, striking out again, her psychic knives causing the creature to cough up blood, and Eryn gets a mouthful of it, to which the Half-Drow snarls in anger and breathes deeply again, and unleashes another torrent of fire, burning the creature to ash. Eryn, absolutely livid, goes to sit down in a corner, grumbling about "damnedable mimics" and "stupid shinies"... Durgaul rushes back to the group.
"What happened?" Durgaul asks.
"Mimic…" Evolyne says, "Thankfully they managed to kill it quickly, and Eryn didn't suffer much injury.
"Oh thank Eilistraee…" Durgaul says, to which Fiona searches the remains of the Mimic, and finds that the key in it is actually covered in the adhesive of the Mimic, but with some water from her water skin, it is easily washed off.
"I think this might be the Warden's Key to all the cells around here!" Fiona says. "Whilst you didn't find any treasure, you actually made an impressive find!"
"Thanks…" Eryn says, still angry with himself for falling for such an obvious trap.
"And how did your search go?" Damos asks.
"Well I think i found the recreation room!" Durgaul says, "It seems the next area over there was designed to allow the Prisoners some time to play, stretch their legs, and get some exercise!" Durgaul explains, "Though I felt something off, so I didn't explore it further."
"Alright, let's move on!" Damos says.
"I'm not going any further in!" Eryn says, sitting down, "I need some time to recover from that…"
"Why wou-"
"Damos…!" Durgaul says, to which he points to his head… Though Damos doesn't understand.
"Mind Flayers…" Evolyne says quietly, to which Damos mouths "Oh" in response.
"Then take all the time you need, but don't take too long… I don't know how close that undead my brother mentioned is." Damos says.
"I'll catch up soon, I just need to calm down…" Eryn says, holding up a thumbs up. Everyone nods and makes their way towards the Recreation Area Durgaul found, and true to what the dragon-elf said, there are not only prison cells here, but there are also what appear to be tools used for exercise, boards for Dragon Chess, cards made of metal, among other things, but there also seems to be tables with what appear to be trays that are covered in long since decayed and moldy food. The group does their best to get used to the stench when they notice a door off to the far left, it is marked as Maximum Security: Room 666.
"Look around! If Kurastha isn't here, then we may have no choice but to enter Maximum Security!" Damos says, to which everyone nods and checks out the cells, and, for nearly ten minutes, finds nothing but more corpses that looks like the prisoners cannibalize each other, the boards, their pieces, cards, nothing of interest, but as Damos studies the door, he notices there seems to be something wrong with the door, as if there is supposed to be a door handle there… Durgaul walks up… And notices something.
"Damos, what's that up there?" Durgaul asks, pointing to what appear to be glowing ruins above the door, writing in a language that Durgaul can't understand, but Damos can.
"Those are Infernal Password Locks… A Form of Glyph of Warding that can be deactivated by speaking the correct password in Infernal!" Damos says, "Let's see here…" He studies the runes… But then sighs, "Dammit, Mephisto!"
"What's wrong?"
"It's written in a dialect of Infernal that only the Royal Family knows!" Damos says, "I can't read it…!"
"Maybe I can…!" Evolyne says, to which the Blade smiles as she reads it. "It reads… "What is the only thing that can make a devil dream"?" Damos and Durgaul look at her in shock, "Love…" The woman speaks in Royal Infernal, smiling as the runes glow and the door slides upwards… "After you Durgaul, go and see what we are dealing with…"
Alright… Both of you, be ready… Durgaul says telepathically, taking cautious steps inside, noticing a few stones as he enters, and he decides to cautiously climb onto the ceiling, his talons finding small pieces of purchase, enough to help him climb without causing much noise… His eyes watching the darkness before him, with torches slowly lighting up, and the dragon seeing with his own eyes what it is, it is the Skeleton of a Storm Giant…! Durgaul sees that the Maximum Security prison is much bigger than it initially looks, as the wing is three stories deep, with the skeleton being just 10ft shorter than his current position, and, thankfully, he hasn't been spotted… yet… Guys… I think we have a problem…!
What is it, Durgaul? Damos asks back.
I think we're about to face something really big and very dangerous! I think it would be best if I were to hold my current position, that way I can blast this thing if need be!
Storm Giants are immune to Thunder Damage aren't they? Evolyne asks.
Fuck! At least the best I'll be able to do is chip damage until I see a good time to strike with the Ascalon…! With this, the group slowly decided to enter the room… and everyone… Finds that the Skeleton isn't reacting to them, at least not yet, as if it is just standing motionless, and waiting for something… Durgaul, being above the thing, decides to take the initiative, and drops down… Drawing Ascalon, and aiming his greatsword for the first strike… Using the flat of his heavy sword to smash the damn thing… And upon impact, the giant undead's eyes light up and the creature cackles as the hit strikes, moving it's body to take the blow, before turning to Durgaul… Thankfully, the next to make their attack is Damos, who raises his ring, sending out a bolt of Sacred Flame, the creature laughing as the attack doesn't take hold.
"VAJRAAAA!" Nevermore shouts, 'I know all the damage it will deal will be reduced, due to what it once was, but every little bit shall help in this endeavor!' He throws his Javelin of Lightning at the Storm Giant Skeleton, who opens his arms wide, welcoming the attack, his eyes glowing. Nevermore notices this too late and when the attack lands, the Giant Skeleton laughs loudly as some of the damage that Durgaul had landed heals instantly. "OH SHIT!"
"OOOOH NOOOO!" Durgaul shouts in horror. However, Evolyne remains calm as she draws her sword, and begins to do… A Belly Dance…? From her, scintillating colors flow from her shaking hips, but the Skeleton, despite having less wisdom than a rock, simply snaps it's fingers and the soundwaves from the bones break the spell.
"Oh come on!" Evolyne shouts in Infernal.
"Shit!" Ana says, concentrating as she calls on light to her hands, and brings it down upon the skeleton, the pale light hits the Giant Skeleton, in which the creature buckles a bit, but remains standing, resisting the full effects of the attack. "Everyone, hit it hard! I don't know how long I can keep this up!"
"You heard her! Hit it!" Fiona shouts, rushing to the Giant. She sees Durgaul still falling, being just close enough to strike while he falls, so as she runs the numbers in her head, she lashes out with both of her psychic blades… Stabbing both into the creature's leg, the undead just looks at her… Annamina has a feeling of what this means, and fires both of her crossbows, one of them going wide, whilst the other strikes true, causing a small section of the finger to turn into glittering dust. Longclaw, looking at the skeleton, closes his eyes and he prays.
'Old Gods, I know I have been an utter disappointment to you, and I have come to accept my recent punishment through the Brutal Failures I suffered during the battle with Hydrochlora… But I beg you, please, don't let this thing take my friends from me!' Longclaw silently begs as he extends his claws, finding his left claws are glowing with a Double Critical, whilst his other is seething fully with acid. Thankful for this gift, Longclaw charges forwards and slashes at the Skeleton, the acid sinking deep into one of the legs, eating it away completely, whilst the other deals damage to the other leg's Tibia is badly eaten away… The Giant Skeleton falls as it's leg snaps, and the creature falls prone…
However, the Storm Giant Skeleton simply smirks as he raises his hand, which crackles with lightning, and aims it just ahead of him, the exact center of it on Durgaul, who gasps as he sees lightning flying from the hand of the Skeleton… The bolt manages a direct hit… The Dragon-Elf screaming in terror as he braces for the impact of the lightning bolt, and gets sent flying into the wall, his body smoking from the electricity, then collapsing to the ground, convulsing. The Giant Skeleton laughs as it picks itself up, using it's sword and part of it's remaining leg to balance itself.
"NOOOOOOO!" Ana screams, horror filling her voice.
"Calm your tits, Ana…!" A voice is heard, along with a snap of fingers as a piece of the rubble that came from Durgaul's crash flies at the Giant Skeleton, which screams as it feels the damage sink in deep, breaking some of it's ribs. Everyone turns to see Eryn walking in, a bit angry, but fine. "The idiot is just out cold… Sapphire Dragons are immune to Lightning and Thunder Damage, just like Storm Giants… Only thing is the impact took Durgaul out of the fight… So we've got to deal with the rest of this ourselves…!"
"Stop talking about my tits as if you know them!" Ana shouts as she blushes bright red.
"Well Tits or not… THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW!" Damos shouts, sending out a Guiding Bolt at the Skeleton, who roars in pain as a good number of it's bones turn to glittering dust. Nevermore, shaking his head, but feeling like this battle would have been over already if it hadn't been for his stupidity, charges at the skeleton, and lands a Double Critical into it's face with a single punch, and when he reels back his other fist, he glares at the creature.
"FIND PEACE IN THE AFTERLIFE!" Nevermore shouts, slamming his fist into the forehead of the Giant's skull, causing the creature's entire skeleton to crack violently, only to explode into shards of bone… But these bones also transform into bones that have been splintered, and everyone looks in shock. Dul'Mephistos flies in, having felt the presence of the creature having been destroyed, and he looks in horror at what this creature is. "What in the Nine Hells…?"
"This wasn't a Storm Giant's Skeleton…" Dul'Mephistos says, "This was a Gashadokuro!"
"A Gashadokuro!?" Nevermore says, shocked and terrified.
"What's a Gashadokuro, brother?" Damos asks.
"They are undead creatures formed from the spirits and bones of those who had starved to death… They are much more powerful than that of the skeletons of giants because they are able to regenerate their injuries if inflicted with certain types of damage, one randomly chosen by fate when these giant skeletons are unborn." Dul'Mephistos says, "They are as strong as normal giant skeletons, but their ability to regenerate makes them much more dangerous than even them. However, in order to create them, you either have to willingly starve prisoners to death so they feed on each other, or you cause a famine of such undeniable proportions that raising the dead causes such a powerful chain reaction that a Gashadokuro forms from it."
"Sheesh…!" Annamina says, "I said I wanted to fight undead, but I didn't think I'd be fighting something this brutal!" That is when they hear groaning as Durgaul picks himself up, having reverted back to his true form.
"Ouch…" Durgaul says, "That hurt…"
"It may feel like it, but you're just fine!" Eryn says, smiling at his friend. Ana rushes to the dragon and wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him close, crying as Durgaul rubs his head against her shoulder.
"You idiot!" Ana says, crying, "Don't scare me like that again!"
"I won't… I thought I was going to die there for a second…" Durgaul says, "Thank Bahamut and Eilistraee for a Sapphire Dragon's Immunity to Lightning…" After this, the Pit Fiend is given the key to a cell in the far corner of the room, in which the Devil takes the key and places it in the keyhole, before knocking on it a few times, with a few knocks that answer back. The Key turns and Dul'Mephistos opens the door, revealing a beautiful elven woman with glowing blue eyes walking out, her clothes dirtied, as is the rest of her body, but she is still beautiful.
"Kurastha, my love…" The Pit Fiend says, floating down and hugging the Lich, who hugs him back, smiling.
"You're back…!" She says, her voice barely a whisper.
Damos smiles as he looks at his brother, and the party decide to leave, giving the couple time to get to know one-another once more. However, as they do so, Durgaul notices something on the other end of the room, and walks towards it, and his floating horns start spiraling in excitement. "Uh oh…" Damos says, to which everyone notices there is a small pile of treasure, enough to fit a ten foot space… Containing 4,000 Gold Coins and 1,600 Platinum Coins… Durgaul, being the Dragon that he is, is salivating… But… Taking a deep breath, he backs away, and moves his wing in a way that signals to his friends. "Go ahead guys…"
"Are you sure?" Damos asks.
"I held everyone back in that fight. I don't deserve a portion of this treasure…"
"Your generosity is appreciated…!" Nevermore says as everyone goes to split the treasure up evenly, with each person, aside from Durgaul, getting 500 Gold Coins, and 200 Platinum Coins. After this, everyone heads topside to split up Hydrochlora's Hoard, in which everyone splits up the hoard 9 ways, in which each person gets:
-500 Copper Pieces (With Durgaul being given an extra 4 Copper)
-200 Silver Pieces (With Ember being given an extra 100 Silver)
-4,222 Gold Pieces (With Eryn being given an extra 2 Gold)
When it comes to the Gems and Mundane Items, Durgaul is given them, as he is a dragon after all, and the Mundane Items, despite being hoard items, aren't worth that much money, whilst the Gems are best held onto the Dragon, who has shown he can get a proper trade out of them. As for the Art Objects, they are being stored away for selling another time. Durgaul smiles as he looks at Kurast, the group quickly packing up their earnings, whilst Dul'Mephistos floats over to his brother with his wife, and the two devils spoke in Infernal for a bit, saying their goodbyes, but then Mephisto sees Evolyne, and does something Damos had never seen before, and before Evolyne can say anything, Mephisto speaks. "You have my deepest gratitude for what you have done for me and mine, and I hope that my brother proves to be of further use to you…"
"Princess Evo'Magia Labolas, Daughter of Crown Princess Glasya Labolas of the Nine Hells of Mount Baator!"