Wars of the Bhaalspawn

by Capt. Incredible

Complete! The Throne of Bhaal can no longer be left unoccupied- a war for the Throne has begun. With his closest companions at his side, one Bhaalspawn sorcerer moves ever closer to claiming the power of Bhaal for his own, regardless of desire or intent.

42. Part 2: An End to All That Remains

The depths of the Abyss were filled with monstrous abominations, horrific fiends that littered the planes like maggots on a corpse. The unending shrieks that echoed through the endless void were like a thousand sheets of glass being broken over and over again to any mortal listener- the sheer power and aura of wickedness that radiated through this Realm of existence was enough to obliterate the minds and bodies of any mortals who were subjected to its power.

To survive the rigors of the Abyss was unheard for anyone still sporting mortal flesh- and yet, there were ways to cheat certain death. The blessings of a god could spare a mortal, sent below into darkness to brave the void for some divine purpose. Those of fiendish blood, tieflings perhaps, might stand a chance, for a scant few moments. And then of course… the gods. The deities of Faerun, ensconced in power and protected by their own divinity, kept whole by the very nature they shared with this devilish realm.

The Pocket Plane had been a small covering, a tiny glimpse of Bhaal's true nature, enough to shield and protect the mortals who had taken refuge inside of it. Given shape and form by the taint within Greywulf, it allowed only the smallest of glimpses into the true nature of the worldscape that surrounded them. A cocoon, Sarevok had called it. A shell that nurtured and protected its wielder while he matured within, trying to become worthy of the power and destiny that was inexorably drawn to him and his sister. Trying to finally become the man who could end the wars of the Bhaalspawn, one way or another. The time for trying was over… there was no time left to be had.

The Pocket Plane was gone, reduced to ash and vapor along with all of its inhabitants. The full magnitude of the Abyss was exposed to the nine men and women who found themselves like specks upon the bronze and glass floors of the Realm of Murder. Above them lay the hellions of the Abyss, all around them pulsed the essence of death. Green skies billowed outward with crimson lightning and black thunderclouds. The very air around them was like a choking fog, toxic to the body and heavy in their lungs as they inhaled. Even as this plane of existence threatened to overwhelm them, the man who had been their leader for so long felt the power of Bhaal, the essence of the Throne warp around his will- air became breathable, the world deigned to take shelter for them again… one more time.

"This… this is it. The actual Throne of Bhaal…" Anomen finally caught his breath, looking up and outward into the Abyss as he stepped forward with the group, taking in the enormity of the task to which they had committed themselves.

The Throne was a massive brass and crystal platform, bright emerald and yellow lining their footpaths with winding staircases leading down into the thundering miasma of green soul energy that formed a whirlpool below the translucent floor upon which they were treading. In the center of the overarching platform was a whirling column of energy, in which a singular figure floated, off in the distance- larger than life, it could be only one person. Behind that column were two more winding stairways, flanked by jagged spikes that rose together and arced as one to a massive bloody throne, the seat of power for this realm.

"We made it. After everything, from Baldur's Gate to Amn and Amkethran… we finally made it here." Imoen swallowed tightly, glancing at Greywulf, as though looking for some measure of comfort or reassurance- a measure he could not bring himself to give. Not in a place as deadly and dangerous as this. "I can feel the power calling to me… I bet you can feel it too…"

"Even I, in my limited capacity as a former spawn can hear the echoes of Murder in this place." Sarevok said with a grimace, hefting his sword to guard. "Be on your guard- Amelyssan will have been expecting us. Surely she will not let our entry to this place go unopposed."

"Let her prepare. Let her throw every enemy and trap she can muster." Haer'Dalis smirked, drawing his swords as the group proceeded further and further into the den of the Throne. "This… this is what I was born to witness. The dawn of a new age- and to think that I will be present to see it. A new deity being born into the Realms- my greatest tale yet. Only one thing stands in our way, now…"

Before the group could draw any closer to the giant figure in the distance, floating in the vortex of power, an all too familiar voice erupted from the ether, materializing from nothing itself. "To think, you could be so mistaken yet again. When will these foolish godchildren ever learn…?"

The tones were unmistakable. The arrogance, the inflection, all of it was oh so familiar. The anger filled Jaheira's face immediately; the rage blossomed across Minsc's features. Imoen and Greywulf both felt their blood curdle as they turned from whence they had arrived- standing in their wake was the Shattered One of Suldenesselar, the Exile of the elven court. Jon Irenicus had returned.

Greywulf did not say a word as he met the eyes of the once-beloved of Ellesime. They were still as cold and dead as the day he'd first seen them, deep under the streets of Waukeen's Promenade in Athkatla. He remembered the cold indifference with which Irenicus had gazed down upon him, trapped in a cell and at the madman's mercy for his 'experiments'. He remembered the pain he'd suffered at the wizard's hands. The losses they'd all suffered, of Khalid, Dynaheir and eventually their very own souls. The half-elf sorcerer let Irenicus glory in the shock of his return for just a brief moment- he broke the silence with a laugh. Long, booming, completely unexpected for the returned villain.

Irenicus arched one eyebrow, frowning as the half-elf threw his head back in laughter, before finally settling down to grin at Irenicus. "You find my return amusing, god-child? I assure you, I have not forgotten our enmity in my time here in the Abyss. If anything-"

"Shut up." Greywulf cut the villain off with a sneer, shaking his head in disbelief. "I laugh because this is the best Amelyssan can throw at us. Ghosts, long since conquered- she thinks your ugly face is going to frighten us into submission? That seeing a man we killed three times will break my spirit? You're nothing but a memory, if that. We killed you before, and we can do it again. I should mention we've done nothing but grow in power since we fought a year ago. I imagine you've been doing nothing but getting that spirit of yours gnawed on by hellbeasts in the meantime. Try not to bleed on my boots."

It was Irenicus' turn to laugh- he looked at the group with what could only be described as a pitying hatred- his lip curled in disgust as he unfolded his arms, pointing at Greywulf. "Such arrogance. Amelyssan brought me back for one purpose- to end your miserable life. Did you think I would fight you alone? That I learned nothing from our previous duels? I have been endowed with the power of Bhaal; I am Amelyssan's power given form, gnat. Her will channeled through me- do you remember when I had nearly claimed godhood at the Tree of Life? The staff of Erana will not help you here."

"Another glorified puppet then. Greywulf, I fail to see how this miserable cretin could have given you so much trouble." Sarevok glared at Irenicus, the two men locking gazes for a moment, as though taking one another's measure. "Surely if I were unable to bring you down, this wretch could not have done any better."

"Ah… the Butcher of the Gate." Irenicus cocked his head, studying the Deathbringer intently. "I had once considered you the prime specimen I would need to capture in order to carry out my plan- until you were slaughtered in the Undercity. How maddening it must have felt to come so close to fulfilling the prophecy and then to come up short. Tell me, how does it feel to owe your killer your life? To know that despite your every effort, you will always come in second to Greywulf? Imoen, even? That for all your anger and for all your boasting, you will have nothing to show for it, perhaps save witnessing your siblings triumph and ascend where you could not?"

"As though you could talk!" Sarevok barked a laugh, though fury could be seen blazing in his golden eyes. "Greywulf has told me all about his struggles with you and your undead sister, wizard. Spurned by an elf queen after attempting to grab power, and your response was to try and bring the entire city to its knees? You might talk like your designs were some grand concoction, but they are the tantrums and whinings of a petulant child who did not get what he wanted. I will enjoy slitting your throat."

"Will you? Or would you prefer the blood of your so-called ally?" Irenicus offered, lifting one hand to slowly point at Greywulf. "Amelyssan knows your enmity still burns strong. Tell me that the hatred you feel for your kin does not supersede any so-called loyalty you might feel for him. Amelyssan will ascend to godhood… if you will simply fight for her side, abandon these fools and slaughter them without mercy, you would have the favor of the new Mistress of Murder… you would be the first of the new Deathstalkers, Bhaal's empowered servants! Perhaps a small demonstration…"

Green lightning blazed from Irenicus' finger and leapt to Sarevok, wrapping itself around his body as the Red Dragon Scale armor he wore transfigured itself, stretching the scales into blades and turning them from red to a dark black and silver. His helmet reformed upon his head and grew two large horns that curled upwards and the Sword of Chaos began to burn brighter still- in mere seconds, Sarevok was clad in the Armor of Bhaal as he had been the day he and Gorion had dueled outside Candlekeep.

The Deathbringer did not speak- he simply lifted his hands, his weapon, taking it all in as he gazed at his renewed body, let the import of Irenicus' offer sink in. He turned slowly, meaningfully to look up at Greywulf- the two locked eyes for a moment, and it was as if they were back in the roads outside Baldur's Gate again, thunder and lightning flashing in between the raindrops around them. Greywulf began to open his mouth to speak- Sarevok was faster, the Blade of Chaos raised and at Greywulf's throat in mere seconds. The others all drew weapons as well, a standoff with the life of one man at stake, seven others ready to eviscerate Sarevok should he act. And yet, despite the icy threats from Jaheira, the furious warnings from Solaufein… it was as if Sarevok heard none of it. He simply stared into Greywulf's eyes, the sorcerer refusing to blink, to show fear to his rival for so long. "Hnh… hmph. One flick of my wrist… and I will receive the power I craved for so long. At least, a measure of it. Would it not be better to serve as the right hand of Bhaal than watch you ascend, or worse, relinquish everything I ever dreamed of? Heh… perhaps you wish you had forced me to swear that Geas now?"

"Would it have made a difference?" Greywulf asked quietly, swallowing, doing his best not to move.

"Perhaps." Sarevok smirked unkindly at Greywulf for a couple of moments more, then lowered his blade and turned back to Irenicus, the latter narrowing his eyes at the proceedings. "But I have learned much in my time under your command- and above all things, I have learned that anyone who crosses your path meets with an untimely death. I do not imagine this mewling wretch before us will prove any different. Let us end his ramblings and move on to the true threat of this place."

"You disappoint me." Irenicus growled, squeezing his fist with a purple glow, letting Sarevok's armor and weapons fade to their previous state. "You could have been so much more… like you, Imoen. Do you remember our chats together in the halls of Spellhold? Our time of learning the depths of your taint? Ah… I can see by the fury in your eyes you do remember after all."

"I remember everything, you son of a bitch." Imoen hissed, raising her bow, nocking an arrow and sighting in on Irenicus' head. "I hope those memories kept you warm when you were rotting in Hell."

"Oh, but they did." Irenicus chuckled, raising a hand- in moments, Imoen doubled over, her eyes widening as she dropped her bow and clutched her stomach, sweat beading on her forehead.

"What the hell are you doing?" Greywulf roared, immediately taking action- no more words were necessary. He loosed an Aganazzar's Scorcher that seared through the location Irenicus had been mere moments ago- the sorcerer reappeared behind all of them, stepping out of a Shadow Door with his whole body glowing green as the power of Amelyssan surged through him even further.

"You challenged me in the seat of Murder- the place where Amelyssan's power is strongest." Irenicus spat as he weaved an enchantment, protecting himself with an Improved Mantle as Solaufein leapt toward him, the large blade he carried rebounding off of Irenicus' magic. "Did you think that the extent of her control ended at the essence sown from the dead spawn of Murder? What of the taint within the both of you? Did you imagine she could not simply give it a little… push?"

Imoen bent over at the waist as Solaufein, Viconia, Anomen and Haer'Dalis all squared off against Irenicus, the magic of the sorcerer keeping them at bay as a Sunfire blasted their first assault back before it even began. Greywulf knelt by Imoen as the young woman clutched at her head, eyes wide and sweat pouring from her brow as Greywulf tried to get her to look at him. This wasn't… no. Fire, burning in her body, scorching her defenses, bringing her to her knees. Letting it out… letting her out. No! She killed that part of her, conquered the Laughing Death…

"Whoever said that your manic mirror image was the furthest extent of the taint inside you? That the Laughing Death you so feared was the only monster you carried inside yourself?"

A booming, monstrous voice echoed inside her head and Imoen screamed, going into convulsions as her hands clutched at the tunic she wore over her elven splint mail, clawing at it as through trying to tear herself open and let something out- Sarevok barked a warning and yanked Greywulf back from the screaming girl- too late to grab Jaheira and Minsc. Both of them were caught in the demonic blast and sent tumbling as the image of Imoen faded, giving way to a demonic beast they'd seen far too often since first crossing paths with the mad elven Exile.

"Child… I had hoped it would never come to this for you." Jaheira whispered, raising her spear to guard at the sight of the Slayer, roaring in triumph at the skies.

"Understand, ever foolish god-child, you have no chance of victory here!" Irenicus hissed, taking the brief moment of shock from the rest of the party to shatter their formations with Chain Lightning, surging through the group as they struggled backwards, gathering together to face the might of both Irenicus and the Slayer. "That you might meet your end at the hands of your own sister… the irony is particularly special. Or… perhaps, you might kill her yourself? Your power has grown enough that it might be within your capabilities, yes?"

"You underestimate her. You always did." Greywulf raised his staff to guard, trying to keep an eye on both threats at once as Irenicus stalked to the Slayer's side, regarding it with a combination of curiosity and satisfaction. "If I could master that beast, she can too. Once we end your miserable existence again, we'll bring her back. The others did the same for me."

"Enough talk!" Minsc screamed, his eyes never leaving Irenicus. "Minsc has had enough of this! Of gods, of Bhaal! Of you, wizard! I have not forgotten what you did to me, to Dynaheir! I will never forget! We will end all of this today!"

"Will you?" Irenicus smiled again, and before anyone could saw a word, emerald energy began flying from the whirlpool of god-essence below them, encircling both him and the Slayer and driving the entire group back. Greywulf squinted, trying to see through the gusting winds and storms before them- the essence was slowly splitting up, taking shape into multiple forms, familiar forms- and as the wind died down, Greywulf's blood froze in his veins. No. NO.

"We... may have a problem." Greywulf whispered as the eight remaining party members stared at the forces arrayed against them. Irenicus, his hands and arms blazing with power. Imoen, transformed into the Slayer and fixing them with a hungry glare as her needle-lined maw clacked open and closed, looking every bit the avatar of murder it was. Illasera the Quick, clad in black splint mail and a scimitar in one hand with her bow slung behind her, a murderous grin on her harsh features. Yaga-Shura the Invincible, towering over them all with his fiery beard grown down to his chest, the nine foot war hammer clutched in one of his boulder sized fists as he threw his head back in a booming laugh. Sendai, fully armored in obsidian plate and ready for war, a mace at her hip and drow magic already forming at her long fingers, white wisps of her hair running along the sides of her face from beneath her helmet. Abazigal, the large blue dragon seated on his back haunches beat his wings once, twice, three times and flew to a position on all four limbs, the horns on his head crackling as lightning erupted in gouts from his mouth, brushing the ground in front of the party. Balthazar- the well-intentioned zealot, warped from any sense of righteousness he'd once had and turned into every bit the murderer of the rest of the Five. He stood before them all, his eyes dark and devoid of any sense of humanity. The brown cloak he normally wore was gone, leaving him clad in his karate gi and already dropped into a fighting stance, eyeing the group without fear.

"I admit, this is not how I anticipated meeting my end. Facing off against foes we had already conquered? It stinks of desperation… if unfortunately effective." Viconia snarled, tightening the grip she held on her mace.

"Stay calm…" Anomen inhaled sharply, glancing at the others, as though expecting some of them to bolt, to run in fear at the overwhelming force before them. "This is no different than any other battle we've faced."

"No… it is different. Understand this, all of you." Sarevok snarled, taking a step forward and glancing back and forth at the entire group with him. "There is no turning back, no second chances here. The fate of an entire divinity is at stake- Amelyssan will not relinquish her power easily. Sacrifices *must* be made if we intend to win."

"Speak for yourself, my dear hunting hawk." Haer'Dalis laughed, fixing the Deathbringer with a nearly feral grin as he lowered his stance, blue locks of hair dangling in front of his face. "I intend to see the end of this story! I trust you will make this a battle to ring throughout the ages, my raven?"

"Fight to the end, if this is to be it." Jaheira shifted her posture, leading with her right shoulder, her strong side. "Let Amelyssan dredge up as many ghosts to face us as she likes. We have conquered them before and we shall do it again."

To any other listener, Jaheira's regal tones would have sounded brave, courageous. Greywulf had known her long enough, seen her at her most private and intimate- he could hear the fear in her voice. In all of them. Bold words, that's all they were saying. Trying to pump themselves up for what might be their last battle. The only one without fear was Minsc- and his was a courage borne from a man with nothing left to lose, at least, in his own mind. Yes, they'd faced off against and beaten the Five before. But with Irenicus at their lead, and Imoen turned into the full manifestation of the taint- it was going to end here, wasn't it? Greywulf tried to banish that thought from his head, squeezing his eyes shut for the briefest of moments, but Irenicus noticed, chuckling in a rare display of humor. "It seems only fair, doesn't it? You have your party of soldiers, I now have mine. Every soul who died in service to Amelyssan is at her command, thanks to the power of the Throne that she commands. Others could have been brought here, made to fight you as well, but the personal connection is the tether that binds them to this plane. My hatred for you is what allowed Amelyssan to bring me back to life… tell me god-child, what shall we write for your epitaph?"

"We're not dead yet, wizard-"

Those who died in service to Amelyssan…

"If you think we're going to roll over and die for you just because you flashed a few corpses in front of us-"

The personal connections… those are what tie them to this plane…

"Lil'Alur! For Shar!"

The power of the Throne. The power of this place…

Greywulf heard the defiance of his companions, saw the group of his foes begin to move, to surround them and make their advance. All-out battle- a losing battle, at that- would be upon them in moments. And yet… the Solar had told him upon completing his last test that mastery of the taint would be necessary to win. Mastery of the power of Bhaal. And here, in the Throne, Amelyssan was using that power for her own purposes, power swirling all around this place… power that his blood gave him access to just as well, didn't it? All that time spent denying his blood… all that time saying no, holding it at bay. To allow the power of Bhaal full access to his spirit, to give in completely to the power of the Throne- Greywulf's head craned back and his jaw opened in a soundless scream, green energy blazing from his eyes as he felt the divinity of Bhaal soak in from beneath him, drawn from the whirlpool of essence that churned and boiled beneath the Throne.

He could feel his entire body becoming saturated with the essence of Murder… could feel Amelyssan's presence, sitting in the center of the it all, soaking in it, drawing it into herself and growing into more and more of a god with each passing moment. The power he was trying to steal from her was minimal- to truly draw it within himself would require reaching that whirlpool of essence below them… it would take time to match her. Time that Irenicus and the Five would never give him.

And yet… what Irenicus had said, the words he'd used when gloating hadn't been lost on him, not completely. There, in the darkness past the mortal plane… those who died in service, not to Amelyssan, but to him. Personal connections, still maintained beyond the grave. The power of the Throne, tying his spirit to theirs in the same way that the spirits of Irenicus and the Five were tied to Amelyssan.

Through the haze of power that his physical body struggled to contain, he could see beyond death, beyond murder… and at the end of that mist, in those ethereal lands, he saw them all.

"You're so close, now… don't give up."

"I… I can't do it. It's too much… they're too powerful for us…"

"Really? And when has that ever stopped you before? Take up your weapon, lead them one more time."

"Into what? A 'good' death? A battle to be remembered, but not won? Maybe that was enough for some of us, in the past… maybe it's enough for Minsc now, but it can't be the end. Not this time."

"Minsc hast lost his way- it is up to thee to show him the light once more. Thou must prove a worthy guide in our stead."

"Please… I have no right to ask this of you… I never did from the beginning. But if you ever loved me, if you ever thought I was worth anything, any of you… please, lend me your aid. Lend me your strength, just one last time."

"You realize what you are asking? To step between worlds, from life to death is no small thing. The spirits of the Five that Amelyssan have summoned were forced into battle- they follow her every command, even as she ascends to godhood. If we come to your aid- it will not be as your puppets. It will be as willing allies, friends. As we were in life, as we are in death."

"I would have it no other way."

"Nor would we. Take my hand… son."

An explosion of fire and light erupted from Greywulf and consumed the area around him, driving the onrushing attackers back, if only for a brief moment- it echoed through the void, and even in the heights of the Throne, Amelyssan's features twitched- a portion of the god-essence had slipped from her grasp… into Greywulf, but only momentarily. It was gone from him now… elsewhere.

As the mist and steam faded, Greywulf collapsed to his knees, totally spent with the outpouring of divinity. Jaheira lowered her spear, trying to get her bearings as well. She saw the man she'd grown so close to for so long- her hands went to his left arm immediately, to lift him up, to protect him- even as another pair of hands grasped his right arm, dragging him to his feet at the same time. "T-together, love… just like always."

A choked gasp died in her throat as Jaheira watched the visage of Khalid slowly solidify on Greywulf's opposite side- unlike the last time she'd seen a specter wear her husband's face, this one wasn't sneering at her, spitting harsh words and venomous accusations. He had no torturous insults or insinuations of guilt to throw her way. Khalid smiled, brushed aside sandy brown hair before slipping his helm on, then drew his sword and shifted his weight to stand before Greywulf. "Y-you will not touch him, fiends. We stand beside him… all of us."

"I… I do not understand…" Jaheira whispered, her gaze swapping from Greywulf to Khalid with what almost amounted to panic. "Greywulf… I- what have you done?"

"It was our choice, Jaheira. We came to help you. All of us." Khalid declared, holding his shield outward, planting himself firmly before both of them, opposing the forces of Amelyssan without fear.

"He's right. And just so you know… he didn't come alone." Those soft, gentle tones were familiar… so recently lost to them. Minsc whirled to face two figures striding from the ethereal plane, solidifying before him; two faces that would forever be etched in his mind as personal failings. Two faces he could not bring himself to look upon- Minsc dropped to his knees, trembling as tears began pouring from his eyes.

"A-Aerie? Dynaheir? It… it cannot be…!"

"Rise, our protector." Dynaheir intoned with a smile, reaching out with a hand, taking Minsc's in her own. He flinched, unwilling to look at the two witches, unable to face his guilt and shame- Aerie took his other hand, finally drawing his gaze to meet the Avariel's comforting smile.

"Look at us, Minsc… our deaths were *not* your fault." Aerie brushed a hand across Minsc's cheek, her large blue eyes filled with compassion. "You protected us as best you could in life… we have come to do the same for you now."

Dynaheir nodded and clasped both of her hands around Minsc's, drawing it to herself. "Stand, ranger of Rashemen. Stand and fight. If not for yourself, then for us, as you once did."

Minsc did not speak. He simply looked into their eyes… with a grin blossoming across his face, he rose to his feet. His back was tall and a familiar grin spread across his face- with a battle cry that echoed through the entire Throne, he raised the Silver Sword to guard, Boo perched on his shoulder pauldron, his two witches standing at his side.

"You think this enough to help you?" Irenicus laughed, already moving his hands, channeling dark magics through them as the rest of the Five regained their footing, thrown back by the outpouring of magic from Greywulf- the only one unaffected had been the Imoen-Slayer; she roared and loped ahead, covering all the distance between the group of villains and Greywulf's party in seconds- as the Slayer launched itself in the air, moving to come down upon Anomen's head, the squire raised his shield desperately, hoping to block the four armed assault- two claws rang upon his protection, but the other two… the other two bounced off a ghostly blade, slowly becoming solid, held by a warrior Anomen had looked up to his entire life. "We do think it enough, Irenicus. In fact, we think it enough to end you once and for all."

Keldorn looked down at Anomen with a grim smile, the squire blinking once and then nodding in understanding- both men shoved upwards with their shield and sword together, throwing off the Slayer's attack and shoving the demon backwards for a brief moment. "Sir Keldorn… I… it is a privilege to see you once more! I trust you will do us the favor of joining the battle?"

"No need to ask, Anomen." The paladin fixed his stance to square off against the Slayer, Anomen at his side with mace at the ready. "I made a promise to that monster Irenicus, back at the Tree of Life. He would never harm another soul ever again- my oath to Torm. I intend to keep that oath."

Irenicus' lip curled upwards at the sight of the paladin- he flexed his left hand- perhaps it was the unpleasant memory of Keldorn severing that hand when they had dueled in Suldenesselar for the first time- regardless, he screamed and unleashed the magics he'd been building. A Comet spell ignited high above the party, the massive meteor hurtling downwards at breakneck speed. It was a spell unlike any Greywulf had ever seen before- the sorcerer grimaced as he raised his hands, already trying to summon a shield to deflect the intense energy coming downward upon them. Crouched before them, Abazigal roared in defiance and opened his jaws, sending gouts of electricity hurtling at them as well; Aerie and Dynaheir stepped in front of it, their hands weaving bonds of protection to protect the group from electricity. Yaga-Shura bounded forward with mad laughter, met by Sarevok, the mighty Deathbringer bringing the downward slash of the war hammer to a grinding halt with the upward stroke of the Sword of Chaos.

The battle was about to begin in earnest- the others were doing their part to give him time to stop this destructive power barreling down upon them. The Five were keeping them encircled, too close to the impact radius to run from it. It would have to be stopped- Greywulf felt blood begin to trickle from his nose as he exerted all the willpower he had left in his body- just needed an extra push-

The blue haze that was being cracked under the Meteor's impact suddenly shone bright, renewed by magics as powerful as his own- those deep tones, chanting and reinforcing the spell of protection echoed from beside him. Greywulf smiled, fighting back the tears at getting to hear him, see him one more time. The real him, not some wraith, dragged from memory. Beside Greywulf stood Gorion, his long gray beard whipping in the wind of the oncoming Comet, still trying to push through that protective barrier. Gorion and Greywulf refused to stop chanting, holding the meteor back, unwilling to let it come an inch closer, yet unable to deny it completely.

A third voice joined theirs, as Nalia De'Arnise shone into view, bringing a rain of lightning from the sky, piercing the meteor and splitting the comet into chunks with each thunderbolt. Gorion and Greywulf looked to one another- simultaneously releasing their shields, Gorion launched a gout of fire from his hands, Greywulf a Cone of Cold that wrapped itself around the spell of Gorion's, a double helix of fire and ice whirling upwards and puncturing the meteor in its center- the massive comet exploded into rubble, raining down upon the combatants, sending men and women alike ducking for cover.

"You won't end us that easily, Irenicus." Greywulf panted, leaning on his staff, Gorion and Nalia standing beside him. "You wanted a fight? Bring it on."

"I did everything I could to protect my children in life… in death I could only watch as they overcame everything that was thrown at them." Gorion declared, raising a hand to send a surge of icy hail down upon Abazigal, forcing the beast back before it could unleash further lightning upon the party. "They have surpassed me in every way- but I have enough strength in me to deal with the likes of you!"

"None of this will save you here." growled Irenicus, stalking back a moment, glancing at the others; they all drew to him, even the Slayer, held back by Amelyssan's will as they prepared to strike as one. "I have demi-gods, dragons, immortals in my service! What do you have?"

An arrow flew from out of nowhere, striking Irenicus in the arm- the sorcerer swore and immediately stumbled back, yanking the missile out- from the shadows, slowly coming into view, Yoshimo grinned, drawing another arrow as he flicked his long black hair behind his shoulder. "People who owe you much, wizard. People who have not forgotten the wrongs you visited upon us. And have not forgotten the debt they owe to these men and women."

Vines erupted from the ground and pulled at the Slayer as it charged again, yanking it back as it attempted to free itself- Cernd walked out of the ether, his face as calm and collected as the moment he had passed. "People who understand when the balance is at risk… and who will give everything to set it right once more."

Before the Slayer could fully break free from the tearing bonds, an armored figure flashed into view behind the Slayer, swinging a blade downward and cutting into the back of the creature's legs- for the moment, it fell to the ground, unable to stand with severed tendons. Reynald de Chatillon emerged from the ether, circling around the beast, the Slayer howling as it attempted to rise- the muscle and flesh would reform, but there was an opening to possibly end the Slayer- Reynald did not strike, instead stepping back to join the party, united as one. "We are those who hope, who look for second chances, for atonement in death as well as life, madman. We are those who will never stop trying to save the lost."

Irenicus was seething, looking upon the mass of enemies he now faced- "Enough of this! All you do here is delay the inevitable. Throw the lives of your old companions away if you wish, god-child. Your sister is ours now- you will join her in service, or you will die!"

"He's wrong, you know." Gorion uttered, glancing at Greywulf, the group lined up to face the others. It was a final moment of calm before hell broke loose- once battle erupted now, there would be no more banter, no more moments to talk or threaten. No more words exchanged between foes until one side was completely, utterly gone. "Imoen is still in there… we just have to find her."

"There's darkness in everyone- she just needs to find the way back." Nalia nodded firmly. "You helped me do that… you can help her too."

"Thanks… all of you. I mean it." Greywulf allowed himself a final smile, looking upon friends past and present. Surely they only had seconds now, if that. This brief standoff, sizing one another up- it couldn't last. Put aside the friendships regained, if only momentarily. Put aside the love for each one of them he felt. Time to be the general, just once more- no. Not here, not like this. He didn't need it. They didn't need it. Time to simply let them do what they had done so well for so long. "All right… who wants who?"

"I've got the big one." Sarevok's face was a feral grin, the bloodlust thick in his eyes as he stared at Yaga-Shura in anticipation.

"You have provided such ferocity for my stories so far, my dear hunting hawk- I shall be honored to aid you in combat once more." Haer'Dalis barked a laugh, stepping over to Sarevok, lowering into a quicker stance.

"We have the dragon." Minsc flexed his neck, the sound of joints popping filling the air as he looked to both of the women flanking him. "Boo would not see us miss the opportunity to slay one more of these beasts!"

"By thine side then… shall we, my dear?" Dynaheir looked to Aerie, who nodded firmly. Both women raised their hands, already glowing with protective and destructive power.

"I owe Irenicus a great debt for what he made me do… it is a debt I wish to repay." Yoshimo met Greywulf's eyes briefly- "If you are willing…?"

"Only if you understand that I'm getting a piece too." Greywulf nodded with a smirk. "Anyone else want in on him?"

Keldorn flexed one hand, gripping the Hallowed Redeemer tightly. "By my oath, I would not have it any other way."

"I will c-contain Imoen. See if I can b-bring her back to h-her senses. We will not give u-up on her, not now." Khalid spoke firmly, watching as the Slayer regained its footing, regenerating injuries as quickly as ever. "Perhaps the voice of those she knows best may prove e-effective?"

Beside him, Jaheira flinched, as though unable to handle hearing Khalid's voice- still, she looked to the Slayer, then to Khalid. His face- as handsome as ever, his voice, still stuttering and unsure in the afterlife. Of course it was. She loved this man so much… just as she loved Greywulf. How could she live like this-? It only took a moment before she realized that she realized Greywulf had called her name- she spun to look at him, met his eyes. He nodded, understanding in his face- this was bigger than her, Khalid and Greywulf. Bigger than what this would or wouldn't mean for their relationship… in other words, it simply didn't matter right now. Jaheira inhaled sharply, then strode to Khalid's side. "I am with you."

Khalid's entire frame was seemingly strengthened by Jaheira's presence- and strangely enough, she felt the same way standing beside him. "And I with you, my love."

"And I as well, if you will not mind an old man's intrusion." Gorion said with a smile, gently elbowing Khalid and Jaheira both. "I have not come from the grave six years past to watch Imoen falter now. She is my daughter… and I will save her or die trying."

"The drow woman- a cleric, no?" Anomen slammed the icy head of his enchanted mace against his family shield, a clear challenge. "Let us see whether her dark powers can match the strength of Helm!"

"I will stand beside you, brother." Cernd walked to Anomen's side, the druid folding his arms as he affixed Sendai with a glare. "Between the powers of heaven and earth, what evil may stand against us?"

"The monk is fast… but with your spells and my sword, I have no doubt we can bring him down." Reynald pointed his sword at Balthazar, glancing at Nalia. "What say you, my lady? One last dance in death?"

"After saving me from myself in Watcher's Keep? I would follow you into Hell itself, my knight." Nalia bowed her head with a smile. "Let him try and stop us."

"The rivvil is mine as well." Viconia hissed, her icy glare fixed on Balthazar.

"You make it sound personal…" Reynald noted, glancing at Viconia.

The drow glared back, her tone brooking no discussion. "He *broke* my jaw."

"Ah…. Personal it is, then."

"Leaves me with her then. Good enough." Solaufein grunted as he looked at Illasera, raising the hilt of his two handed blade up to his face, giving the weapon plenty of room to strike from any direction.

"She's… pretty fast. You need some help with her?" Greywulf arched one eyebrow, glancing at the drow soldier.

"If I need help, I'll ask for it." Solaufein intoned.

"You know, I've don't think I've ever heard you ask for help…?" Anomen noted, almost as an aside.

"Exactly." The outer edge of Solaufein's mouth curled upwards with the boast- foolhardy or meant to inspire, it mattered little. Lines had been drawn, targets chosen, and both sides knew exactly what they were dealing with. Both sides seemed to inhale sharply, aware of what was about to occur… all they needed was the spark to light the fires of war-

"GO FOR THE EYES BOO, GO FOR THE EYES! RAAAGHHHH!"

X

Greywulf's ears echoed with the sound of a dozen more battle cries as the ground thundered and the earth shook- two sides running into one another in the most important battle any of them had ever fought. Greywulf ran past a charging upswing from Yaga-Shura's hammer, ducked underneath a sweeping claw from Abazigal as the great dragon soared through the air, only to come up with fire in his hands as he clutched at Irenicus' face- the dark sorcerer met his emblazoned fists with a battery of Melf's Meteors, spinning around him and deflecting his charge as each one soared at him.

The wizard grinned savagely and turned to counter Yoshimo- two arrows bounced off the Improved Mantle that Irenicus had summoned. A Bigby's Crushing hand began to materialize around the bounty hunter but Keldorn was there, stabbing down into the ethereal hand and breaking the magic before it could come to fruition. Greywulf tried to follow-up his strike on Irenicus, to press the battle early and end it quickly- the Shattered One let prisms of energy fly from his hands, encasing the pursuing half-elf in their destructive rays. As the light vanished, Greywulf found himself on one knee, smoking with the impact. He'd very nearly felt his skin turn to stone inside that spell- between this, the Comet spell and the Bhaal powers granted him by Amelyssan, it was entirely possible that Irenicus was even more powerful than when they'd faced him in Hell. In other words, a real challenge. Good.

Minsc watched in anticipation as Abazigal soared through the skies of this demonic realm, swooping back and forth as though testing the waters before making an actual strike. He had dived at them twice now- each time Minsc had leapt out of the way, even as Aerie and Dynaheir continued to flood his body with spell after spell. He'd forgotten what it was like… energized not only through magical protections, but to have that fighting spirit, that drive once more. His every thought was focused on protecting them, his lifelines. He'd been lost without them- and as Abazigal came to swoop down once more, he knew instinctively that the beast was aiming for all three. The two girls were behind him; if he dodged aside, the creature would possibly hit them. They'd dodged before, and could do so again, but both women were in the middle of further spellcraft- they'd either need to dodge aside or abandon their castings unless he did something about it.

Minsc hefted the Silver Sword and ran at the oncoming dragon, aiming for the outstretched claws; a swing bisected the air before him and would have bowled him over completely with the impact of the claw- as it was, Minsc found himself unscathed as the severed talon fell to the ground with a squelch, Abazigal howling as he took off back into the air, his lightning impotent with the protections granted by the two witches behind him. Minsc heard both of their spells ignite and he grinned, watching as a Finger of Death from Aerie soared through the air to impact the dragon, sending his flight pattern into a corkscrew; Abazigal managed to pull out of the dive at the last moment- just before a burst of flame arrows from Dynaheir thudded into the beast's scales, knocking it off balance enough to hit the ground. He would be back in the air again in moments- at least, if he had the chance. Minsc's hastened form could have been a blur on the ground, covering the distance between him and the dragon in moments. He held back- doing so would leave his witches behind, vulnerable. That was not a choice he would ever make, not again. The three moved together, as one, facing Abazigal as the wounded beast rose into the air once more, jaws snapping in fury- any sane man would've looked upon that sight in terror. Minsc could only smile. With his witches at his side, nothing would touch him… or them, this day.

The air sung as the blade Solaufein carried arced in back and forth, each attack landing miles behind where Illasera had been just moments ago. The tattooed woman was taunting him- he'd seen it enough from Phaere to understand when he was being mocked. His attacks were fast for a normal man; for one as unnaturally quick as she, he may as well have been a tortoise. She laughed wickedly as he spun in place and charged her again- doing a backflip and then springing off her hands, both feet rocked against Solaufein's chin. He stumbled backward, already spinning to counter her assured follow-up- the blade he carried jutted out right where Illasera would have been running into, had she lunged straight for him- an attack she'd been meaning to do, but her reflexes were more than up to the challenge. She paused, the sword tip inches from her stomach- as Solaufein thrust his sword back further, she launched herself backward, landing in a crouch as she drew her bow from her back, nocking an arrow that glowed with fire at its tip. "You're good…" Illasera purred. "Just not good enough. Do you think you're fast enough to dodge four arrows every six seconds?"

Solaufein rose to his feet, slipping one hand in his pocket. "Try me."

True to her word, the space in front of him was filled with arrows in moments- he had never seen someone shoot so quickly. And had he been dodging them on his own, it would've been a fool's errand. He was no fool- a dimension door slipped open behind him and he stepped through, immediately transported behind her as he slipped out, swinging the blade he carried savagely towards her neck- she ducked underneath it and kicked out with her legs, knocking him to the ground. A quick pounce would've had her land on top of him, slamming the bow into his neck and collapsing his windpipe- another dimension door opened underneath him and sent him plummeting out a new portal opposite the crouched woman. Illasera eyed him carefully, understanding his game now. Solaufein felt the stone in his pocket warm, unused to creating dimension doors so quickly. Would the artifact he'd carried since leaving the Underdark be up to matching this woman's speed? As Illasera drew another three arrows to her bow in the blink of an eye, he pushed all worries from his mind. He'd be finding out sooner rather than later, it seemed.

The sound of wood snapping echoed through the arena as Balthazar's fists and feet landed upon Reynald's armor, denting and bending it with each impact. The monk's attacks were far faster than anything Reynald could defend. The monk had made a beeline straight for the warrior, unwilling to let him mount a defense of any kind- only his armor had saved him thus far, and it was being torn to shreds in mere moments. Viconia's first spell had been some kind of protection for herself- a foolish mistake, letting Reynald go unaided, and he was paying for it. The second of Viconia's spells ignited, turning Reynald's skin to bark, deadening some of the blows that Balthazar landed- the monk immediately turned and launched a flying kick at the drow in response.

It was fast enough that he may have hit, had Nalia's magic not taken effect moments prior; an acid arrow hurtled through the air at Balthazar, the monk twisting his body in midair to avoid it by a hair's breadth. The corkscrew maneuver was enough to throw him off balance for the attack on Viconia, though- the drow grabbed Balthazar's foot in midair and tossed him back, sending the monk sliding across the ground, beside Sarevok as he dueled Yaga-Shura. Balthazar kicked out the back of Sarevok's knees, then leapt to his feet, sprinting at Nalia and Viconia, weaving back and forth between both to keep them on guard- whichever one went for a spell first would be the target. As Viconia threw herself in front of Nalia and she began casting, he leapt at Viconia, intending to push off her and flip over the top, giving him an avenue to Nalia, just as he had done when fighting these men and women the first time. His eyes opened in shock as Viconia grabbed him by the leg and swung him back to the ground. Not a spell of protection after all- a Strength spell, giving her the power of a dozen men. But to catch him in mid-air, how was she fast enough to- ?

"We fought before, yath'sargrah. I do not forget many things." Viconia hissed, hefting her mace and swinging it down to strike Balthazar- even as he rolled to avoid the deadly blow. "Not your tactics, not my defeat at your hands. It will *not* happen again, I promise you that."

Balthazar scrambled to his feet, already circling to keep all three of his opponents in his line of sight at the same time- he cursed as he felt Nalia's next spell go into effect, the Slowing magic swirling through Balthazar's movements and making him simply… normal. Reynald smiled underneath wood-hardened skin, and charged the monk a second time.

Their moves were like water, both of them- as though they'd never missed a beat. So many years spent alongside one another, fighting in tandem, as a team. To come back to it was as natural as anything else in the world- Jaheira and Khalid, husband and wife. A murdered man and his widow reunited… if only for a few moments. The Slayer howled a challenge and scrambled toward Jaheira, the druid carrying the Impaler at guard and spinning the heavy brass shaft as fast as she dared to deflect the incoming attack, then flipping the other end up to defend against the second of the Slayer's four arms. The spear tip extended and impaled the beast's claw, living up to its enchantment- another perfect opportunity to counter… Khalid was on the beast's back, using his shield to hold on as he grasped both sides, pulling the creature away from Jaheira as best he could. Neither had really attempted to attack the Slayer- only defending themselves, only pushing it away from the others as best they could. "This… this isn't y-you, Imoen!" Khalid grunted, trying to shout past the screeches of the demonic beast. "Fight it! I know you're in t-there!"

The only response was a wild swing of the back from the Slayer, its two arms not currently engaged with Jaheira writhing like a spider's legs to ensnare Khalid and pull him off. Moments before they would have had a firm grasp, he let go and dropped to the ground, tucking his shield back onto his arm as Jaheira rushed past him, swinging the shaft of the Impaler with all her might like a club- the brass weapon cracked against the expected follow-up strikes from the Slayer, deflecting their seeking path as they came after Khalid. Jaheira glanced down at her husband, the half-elf climbing to his feet in moments. They shared a single glance, the druidess speaking only two words. "Distract her."

That was all that was needed. She backed away and began her incantations as Khalid moved to the fore, shield high and sword back, pushing for more time as the Slayer hurled itself against Khalid yet again. He felt his whole body shudder as the demon's bulk landed against his protection- he wasn't going to fool himself into thinking he could press the creature back through brute strength. They'd been doing nothing but hit and runs ever since the fight began, and even their 'hits' were more about giving themselves breathing space than really trying to hurt her. The Slayer fed on murder, on conflict. Trying to kill it would do nothing more than bring her rage down on them even further- getting through to Imoen… that was the key. Gorion… he had merely stood behind them for the fight, asking for time. Time to prepare- and if that's what he needed, that's what they'd give. Both of them had trusted Gorion in life… in death, it would be no different.

As claws reached around Khalid's back and raked heavy gouges into his armor, peeling away metal and the flesh beneath, Khalid felt his arms tremble, his strength weaken- seconds later, Jaheira's spell ignited, and casings of iron erupted out of the ground to cover Jaheira in their metallic shells. She immediately shoved Khalid aside and pushed herself into the Slayer's path, forcing the Slayer to look directly into her metallic features. "Look at me, child. Look at me! You *know* this face. You *know* my voice! We did not give up on your brother, and we shall not give up on you, do you understand?!"

She received nothing but a shriek in response, as the Slayer's jaws attempted to come down on top of Jaheira's head, only to be repelled by the power of her Ironskin spell. The protection wouldn't last forever- nor was she expecting it to. Khalid pulled himself up and sprinted toward the pair of them, watching as protection after protection collapsed- as Jaheira's last ironskin fell away under the creature's furious assault, Khalid swung his shield into the side of the creature, knocking it off balance enough for Jaheira to slip from its grasp, rolling to the ground. Khalid pulled Jaheira to her feet as the Slayer turned its head back to them after the sudden impact, jaws drooling with black saliva and muscles rippling with rage- Khalid and Jaheira shared another look, and again, one glance was enough as they went into motion as Gorion stood behind them, still whispering, still muttering his incantations…

The sound of divine energy thudding and pulsing through the arena was nothing out of the ordinary, considering the whirlpool of Bhaal's taint that encircled the base of this plane of existence. The powers at work here, however, were of different gods. The wrath of Helm and the power of Lolth were erupting, clashing against one another as Sendai and Anomen wrought the powers of their deities, channeling divine magics both light and dark. An Unholy Blight reigned down upon Anomen and Cernd- the squire tried to ignore the fire lurching through his veins, watching with satisfaction as Cernd withstood the evil spell, letting the powers of his own magic move to counter- swarms of insects erupted from his hands and made a beeline for Sendai- she spat and recoiled from the swarming pests, swinging once with her mace to swat a handful from the air before spinning and taking her path past Greywulf as he raised his hands to protect against a flurry of skull traps from Irenicus- as she leapt past him, the insect buzzing drew Greywulf's attention and he spun in time to see the creatures blurring past him- he spat a curse and unleashed a Burning Hands to destroy the swarm- even as Keldorn leapt in front of him to drive Irenicus back and keep him from pressing the advantage.

Cernd watched as Sendai sprinted towards him, her mace raised high- the drow cleric twisted her onyx ring as she moved, letting herself disappear into a dimension door, leaping out of one that appeared behind him, the mace slamming into Cernd's side and drawing fire as three ribs shattered under the impact. The druid rolled to the ground, unable to defend himself from the follow-up strike- Anomen lurched into view, his shield batting aside her next downward strike and punching forward with his own mace, the icy head drawing flecks of frost across her dented breastplate. He pressed forward again, pushing and pushing with his mace, letting her bat it aside as he kept his shield at guard, then lurching forward but immediately holding back, moving to cast a Bolt of Glory. She snarled a curse, realizing he was too far back for her to interrupt- she went for her ring again, disappearing as the divine bolt passed through where she had been moments ago. Anomen spun, looking for her, determined not to be taken by surprise- the woman erupted into view aside Cernd's form, already moving to crush Cernd completely, just as Balthazar had done to him. The mace hurtled downward… and yet, this time, an iron grip came up to clutch the mace handle, stopping it short. Sendai glared at Cernd in disbelief- only realizing after she saw the hair erupting from his skin, the eyes turning red and his teeth growing long and jagged- it was too late. The beast within Cernd had been given control, and as he made the full transformation, his wounds beginning to regenerate with the power of the wolfwere, Anomen took his place aside the transformed beast. The wolf howled and loped towards Sendai in a furious rage, even as Anomen began casting once more.

The entire Throne of Bhaal shook with the impact of Yaga-Shura's war hammer upon the ground, leaving cracked glass wherever it struck in the fire giant's mad attempts to strike the two gnats that buzzed around his ankles. Sarevok, so full of rage and wrath, ready to strike at the slightest hint of weakness- Haer'Dalis was a hummingbird flitting back and forth out of range, ever the nuisance, keeping him from focusing solely on the Deathbringer. Sarevok lunged forward, then backed up immediately, already aware of just how fast Yaga-Shura was. The war hammer swept right from where it had recently planted on the ground, moving in an arc that threatened Solaufein as he dove aside from his duel with Illasera. The war hammer continued in its arc, only for Haer'Dalis to leap onto it, his arm nearly yanked out of its socket as he continued with Yaga-Shura's swing- the bard let go as he continued to hurtle through the air, finally flying across the arena and landing feet first into Irenicus, knocking the wizard to the ground as Haer'Dalis tossed Yoshimo and Greywulf a quick nod and a wink before sprinting back to the fire giant. Sarevok planted and diverted a downward thrust, the fire giant pushing with all his might against Sarevok's defense. Yaga-Shura was no fool- Sarevok had guessed that because of all his years of invulnerability, he would have forgotten how to defend himself, been easy prey in a fight where his skin didn't mend in seconds. It was a rare miscalculation on the part of the warrior- Yaga-Shura was faster than any fire giant he'd met before, able to use his size to press the advantage yet never letting the smaller, faster opponents he faced get in close to deliver a killing blow. Sarevok felt sweat roll from his brow as his vision went red, consumed with the battle fury and visage of Yaga-Shura's crimson features- and then, there was the blue flicker of Haer'Dalis coming back for more, his feet pattering as he sprinted for Yaga-Shura's back.

The fire giant either heard Haer'Dalis approach or saw the glance in Sarevok's eyes- he released his lock and kicked out with a foot, bowling Sarevok over before sweeping the hammer low, trying to send the bard flying. Haer'Dalis saw it coming already- he dropped to his knees and slid under the attack, coming up in a roll and a leap that took him straight into one of the tree-trunk sized legs of the giant- both Chaos and Entropy planted themselves into the giant's thigh, sending gouts of hot blood streaming out as Haer'Dalis used his feet to push himself off the big man before he could be grabbed. The giant roared in fury- Haer'Dalis swallowed, trying to get his wind back. This was the performance of a lifetime, engaged in combat against the greatest Bhaalspawn of Faerun- every motion, every movement he made had to be flawless, perfect. Failure now would lead to a fate far worse than bad reviews- not that he'd ever given his patrons cause for such a thing.

"You look as though you want to tell me something, Yoshimo." Irenicus taunted, clenching his fist as two skeletons erupted from the ground and lurched towards the thief, forcing him to refocus his targets and leaving Keldorn and Greywulf to face the mad wizard.

"You were a blight on my life from the day I met you, monster." Yoshimo spat coldly, slinging his bow around his back as he drew both katanas and parried a skeleton's blow, coming off it to cut the other one down in moments. "I endured the agony of a traitor in the Abyss for what seemed like an eternity because of you- only the compassion of Greywulf saved me from that fate. But that pain, that torment- it was your doing! I will have my revenge!"

"My doing? You fool yourself, Yoshimo." Irenicus sneered, slinging an elbow out to catch Greywulf in the chin as he loosed a blast of lightning that drove Keldorn back, his armor smoking with the impact. "You made the choice to serve me, remember? You may have been a puppet, but you tied the strings willingly. In the end, you defied my geas, did you not? Tell me… how did that feel? Did it hurt?"

Yoshimo spun around and buried both of his blades into the other skeleton before it could move against him- as he turned to face Irenicus again, it was just in time for a fireball to ignite in his face, sending him flying, burns covering the thief's face and fire still licking at his leathers as he shuddered for a moment, before lying still. "Something similar to that, I imagine." Irenicus mused cruelly before turning to look at Greywulf, rising from the strike Irenicus had landed upon him. Irenicus crossed the distance in moments, clutching the half-elf's head in both hands as Greywulf struggled to free himself. "And you, god-child… time to end this." Lightning burst from Irenicus' hands, crackling alongside the screams of the Bhaalspawn.

Keldorn shook the weariness from his bones as he struggled back to his feet- he had faced Irenicus the first time with Carsomyr, the Holy Avenger at his side. It had shielded him from the majority of Irenicus' spells… the Hallowed Redeemer was a powerful blade, but it did not offer the same kind of protection. He was feeling the brunt of each spell, this time- as he looked up with wide eyes, seeing Greywulf's torment at the hands of the mad wizard, he put all thoughts of his own pain or safety from his head. He was a paladin… more than that, he was the right hand of Torm. He'd given his life once to stop this madman, and he'd do it again if need be.

The Hallowed Redeemer came across in an arc to take off Irenicus' head- a spell sequencer ignited and Stoneskins came out of the ether to protect him. Keldorn pulled back to prevent the sword from rebounding too far, but it was too late. Irenicus lashed out with an iron-tipped boot to Keldorn's stomach, knocking the paladin back a few feet as Greywulf slumped to the ground, his body smoking with power. "Didn't I kill you once already, back in hell? A shame you didn't learn your lesson the first time."

"You did…" Keldorn grunted, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, as he stood up tall, looking down on the wizard with all the regality he could muster. "For all the good it did you. For every good man you kill, another will rise to take his place. So long as the righteous walk this earth and have the will to keep fighting, men like you will never prevail."

"Minsc, it comes again! Beware!" Dynaheir's warning was unneeded; the sight of the massive blue dragon swooping down from the sky would have been hard to miss by anyone, let alone the ranger engaged in combat with it for the past several minutes. Abazigal came screaming from the heavens, full of rage and power as he came just short- halting himself with his massive wings, the dragon proceeded to buffet the three of them with wind from his wing beats. Minsc had seen this from Firkraag in the past and was prepared to counter, running into the wind with the power of Haste letting him stay aloft- Aerie and Dynaheir could not help but be pushed back by the intense gale force. As Abazigal stopped, sinking to the ground, Minsc darted forward, waiting for the attack to come- there. The tail swept from his left, ready to break every bone in his body if it impacted; it was the same attack Solaufein had nearly been killed by when fighting the red wyrm in the Windspear Hills. Minsc turned and swung the Silver sword from the ground upwards- he still found himself knocked off course, tumbling across the Throne platform, but once more, he did not go quietly. The latter half of Abazigal's tail writhed on the ground and blood poured from the stump left on the wounded blue dragon- it howled in rage and pain, stopping just briefly to cauterize the gushing wound with a burst of lightning- as soon as it was finished, it turned to gaze at Minsc with pure reptilian fury. The ranger scrambled to his feet, bracing himself- it swept its wings once, twice, trying to take flight again- magic tendrils erupted from Dynaheir and Aerie both, the two women doing their utmost to keep the beast grounded. Summoned Earth Elementals leapt onto the dragon's right wing, pressing it down and slamming against it with all their weight- on its left wing, a Bigby's Crushing fist smashed the wing flat, Abazigal scrambling to push off and free himself.

"Minsc, now!" Aerie cried out, mentally commanding the elementals that scrambled and fought atop the beast. Minsc nodded and darted towards Abazigal, leaping to bury the Silver Sword in the creature's brain as he had done previously- with a howl of rage, Abazigal burst free from his chains and caught Minsc atop his head, craning his neck to slam Minsc backwards before flapping his wings to take off again. The dragon rose into the air as Aerie and Dynaheir watched, Minsc latched onto one of the spines on the creature's back, refusing to let go as Abazigal rose higher and higher.

"Zealots like you were the type who hunted me when I first reached the surface." Viconia snarled as she swung her mace at Balthazar's head, the monk dodging aside. He was still fast… faster than all of them… but he could be struck. The bruises and cuts upon his body now were proof of that. "Every one of them tried to use me, tried to take advantage of me for nothing more than my race. You remind me of them, rivvil."

Balthazar shunted aside a mace strike and landed a blow to the side of Viconia's face, knocking her to one knee- a rising knee from Balthazar sent her to her back, but any further follow-ups were interrupted by a burst of magic missiles that exploded against Balthazar's chest, tearing apart his karate gi and leaving exposed, burned flesh beneath. He grunted and glared at Nalia, standing to his feet and dropping to a dodging posture. "You disgust me, monk. The people of Amkethran depended on you for survival. For protection. Your madness brought that city to destruction." Nalia shook her head, already casting another spell as Reynald stood beside her, ready to deflect a charge from the monk. "I watched my city, my people burn because I gave in to madness! The De'Arnise lands are a waste because I failed them! I own that responsibility- it will haunt me through eternity! But you? You've lost any sense of morality you once had, haven't you?"

Three acid arrows erupted into view and hurtled at Balthazar- he leapt aside, spinning in midair to avoid one, dropping his head to avoid a second- were he still moving at top speed, he may have avoided the third. As it was, the magical arrow buried itself in his shoulder, acid pulsing from the tip and eating away at flesh and muscle and bone. He pulled it out and watched it disintegrate before shaking his head in disbelief- the monk stopped moving for a moment, dead eyes meeting Nalia's. "I… I lost any sense of morality from the day I decided to follow Amelyssan. She brought me to this ruin. She commands my every step, here. It is her will that I kill you, not my own. I would repent of it all, were I able to do so. Since I cannot…"

Balthazar screamed and launched himself through the air again- this time straight at Nalia- Reynald moved to deflect, running his sword through the path Balthazar would travel. It should have been the end- and yet, the reflexes of the monk, slowed though they were, proved up to the task one more time. Balthazar's coiled leg sprung out to deflect Reynald's sword, while his extended leg kept moving, hitting Nalia on the chin and bowling her over. Balthazar landed and struck Reynald once, twice, three times in the gut- the sound of his barkskin protection cracking was audible- as was the sound of bone crunching underneath. Reynald staggered back, trying to get his bearings- he fell to one knee as Balthazar's left leg clipped behind his and swept backwards; a fist came in a downward curling punch to send him flat to his back.

Balthazar turned to face Nalia, climbing to her feet; he picked her up by the neck and held her off the ground, choking the air from her throat. "I wish things could have been different." he stated calmly. "I had thought you might be the one to free me from this torment. It seems I shall have to look for another."

A flicker of movement and Balthazar spun to see Viconia swinging her mace angrily at the monk's head- he was fast enough to raise his other hand to grab the shaft… but the strength she'd summoned was too much for him to press against. The sheer force of the blow sent him flying to the ground, landing on his back with a thud. He held the mace with one hand, trying to keep Viconia from crushing his skull with it- Nalia in the other, still choking the life out of her as she pulled at his hand, trying to free herself as they lay on the ground together. The enhanced strength of the drow was too much- she would have the mace ground into his face in no time. Balthazar yanked Nalia atop him, trying to use her as a human shield before Viconia's wrath- the drow swore, reversing motion and pulling the mace up and out of Balthazar's hands. He took the opportunity to release Nalia's neck and run one hand behind her head and the other around her neck, trapping her atop him as Viconia stared down at the two, mace held high. "Step away. Drop your weapon, or I break her neck." Balthazar commanded his voice still even and low.

"Hmph." Viconia smirked, winding her arm up. "You don't know me very well…"

Balthazar's eyes widened and he thrust his arms out to put Nalia as far above him as possible- as soon as his shoulder straightened, a blade sung through the air and bisected his arm from his shoulder, eliciting a howl from the frenzied monk, looking at the stump where his arm had been in shock. Lying next to him was Reynald, on his stomach, his sword in one hand and clattered to the ground where he had swung it to free Nalia- with only one hand holding her, Nalia rolled off of Balthazar with ease, forcing the monk to look up at Viconia, a wicked grin crossing her ebony features as she swung her mace down with all the power that her enhanced strength could lend. "You wanted freedom? I give you oblivion, vith'rell."

Reynald staggered to his feet, clutching his stomach, but still cognizant enough to pull Nalia up as well. The noblewoman glanced down at the caved-in skull of their opponent, then up at Viconia, who took a brief moment to spit on the corpse. She exhaled sharply, then noted, "For a moment there… well… I thought you were going to-"

"I would've." Viconia laughed, hefting her weapon as she turned from Nalia and Reynald, sprinting towards another battle. "You're already dead, aren't you? Better you than me, ligrr- now if you're done talking, there are others that need killing."

The battle between Solaufein and Illasera was a blur of motion, an eruption of magic without end. Explosions of portals opening and closing filled the air as Solaufein appeared and reappeared in the blink of an eye, his weapon coming down, slicing left, right, upwards, each time countered and shunted aside by the scimitar of Illasera the Quick. She stood in one place, spinning and whirling like a dervish, so unbelievably quick that the moment Solaufein came into existence she was already in place, blocking and seeking an opportunity to strike. Her weapon had cut through air so many times, right where the drow had been just a half-second prior- their duel seemed to have no end. He faded into and out of existence, never in the same place, always within reach of his two-handed sword, always cutting, striking, never giving her more than a moment to retaliate.

"I can keep this up all day!" Illasera laughed, leaping into the air to avoid a low sweep of the sword as Solaufein vanished and reappeared again and again, each time dodging her thrusts and swings as he tried to touch her, still unsuccessfully. "Your tricks are impressive, but nothing more. Parlor tricks, a mask for the skills you lack! You will slip, you will falter… and eventually, you will fall!"

Solaufein leapt out of a portal in the sky, his blade moving down to impale Illasera on it- she spun out of the way and kept her momentum going, dragging her scimitar across Solaufein's face and drawing fire and blood from his temple down to his chin. He grimaced in pain, trying to blink blood out of his eye as he tumbled away, vanishing through a dimension door once again. Illasera stepped up, then spun around, kicking the oncoming form of Reynald away as he drew close. She waved a finger, tsking playfully. "Wait your turn! This fool is almost finished…"

Solaufein erupted into existence again, this time right in front of her with a downswing- Illasera raised her blade to deflect the greatsword- but it wasn't there. He held a simple dagger, and without the size of the blade to meet her scimitar, it stayed in motion, burying itself directly in her shoulder. She screamed a curse at him, and countered immediately- the scimitar came around and lodged in his side- Solaufein stiffened as the blade entered him, the edge cutting his wound open further as she yanked the sword out and he staggered to the ground. She fell atop him, holding the scimitar to his throat as he feebly grasped at her, trying to push her off. "I told you…" Illasera inhaled with a grin borne of bloodlust and madness- a quick look behind her verified that Reynald was still climbing to his feet, nowhere near close enough to save the drow warrior. "You just weren't good enough. I can dodge *anything*."

Solaufein's weak shoves at Illasera's wounded shoulder immediately turned more deliberate- Solaufein opened his palm to reveal the pulsing teleportation stone he'd been using for so long. Its normal cool blue color was now a fiery red and the heat coming from it was intense, burning Solaufein's hand as he held it- without hesitation, he shoved it into the wound in Illasera's shoulder, snarling as she leapt off him, shrieking in pain. "Dodge this."

Illasera howled as she clutched and clawed at her wound, trying to dig the magic stone out- the artifact burned and warped as the magic inside strained to get free, the wards containing it shattered from overuse. Illasera's eyes went wide as she felt her shoulder burn from the inside out, the magic nearly at the breaking point- as the stone exploded, it took her entire arm with it. Illasera screamed in shock and horror at the sudden loss of her arm and shoulder- the scream was cut off as Reynald's sword buried itself in her back, coming out her stomach. She looked down at the bloodied steel- she coughed once, a mist of red erupting from her mouth, then collapsed, falling off of Reynald's sword as he trudged over to Solaufein, trying to pull him up. The drow nearly collapsed at the strain to his side- he shook his head, waving Reynald off. "I'm… I'm no good like this. Help the others… I think I have… maybe a few potions left in my pack."

"Solaufein, I-"

"Move!" Solaufein barked, glaring heavily at the man he'd met so long ago at the Sea's Bounty in Athkatla. "Now!"

Reynald hesitated, just a moment… finally he nodded, hefting his sword and looking to the other battles. "You're a good man, Solaufein. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"So were you, Reynald." Solaufein murmured as he let himself fall to the cold, crystalline floor of the Throne. The sounds of the battle raging around him began fading away- in moments, there would be nothing left but darkness… there were no potions left in his rucksack. They'd all been used days ago. He could feel the pool of blood spreading under him from the wound in his side- Solaufein forced himself to turn over, fixing his hazy vision on the remaining combatants. He'd not gone this far, battled this long to miss the ending, whatever it may have been…

"Eyes open, jaluk!" a cool infusion of magic jolted him awake as he felt his side closing, warmth returning to his bones. Viconia knelt over the top of him, smirking as she ran one finger over the cut running alongside his face with her free hand, the other a cool blue as she let healing magic bring him back from the brink. "I saw what you did to the Bhaalspawn. I am impressed- not an easy thing to do. Do not leave me the only dark elf amongst them all, hmm? Stand, sargtlin! Stand and fight if you have the will!"

Solaufein staggered to his feet, leaning on Viconia's shoulder. He looked down to her with a grimace- "Will… has never been the problem… now… who meets our blade next?"

The form of Abazigal spun and hurtled through the air, Minsc holding onto the back of the dragon with all of his might as Aerie and Dynaheir watched, unsure whether using their magic to try and bring the beast down would do more harm than good to their ranger. Abazigal roared in defiance as Minsc finally pulled himself upward, slamming the Silver Sword into Abazigal's flesh and leaving it there. The dragon howled with the new wound, his voice echoing through the planes with rage. "I WILL KILL YOU, MORTAL! YOU DARE-?!"

"Minsc… dares much!" the ranger bellowed in reply, using both hands to pull himself upward and onward, climbing from the dragon's back toward the upper shoulders of the beast, using the spines running along the back to keep from going flying into the sky.

"YOUR CORPSE WILL TURN TO ASH! THE BODIES OF YOUR WOMEN WILL BE TORN TO SHREDS IN MY CLAWS!" Abazigal screamed, flying straight up in a spin, before plummeting straight down.

Minsc tightened his grip, feeling the snap of the sudden change of direction nearly break his grip- not this time. Never again- he pulled himself further and further downward, finally reaching the beast's neck- he wrapped his legs around the dragon's neck and pulled both axes from their sheathes, slashing with all his might. "Never! I will not… fail… again!"

The blows sent Abazigal into a dive, hitting the plane of the Throne with a skid, flattening the Slayer as it hit the ground, then neatly sliding between Irenicus and Keldorn as the paladin began to lunge at the wizard- he recoiled at the sudden intrusion, only for Irenicus to press the assault, driving the paladin back as Irenicus' hands burned with black fire, reaching for the paladin to drain the life right out of him.

As Abazigal slid to a stop, he immediately rolled, trying to get Minsc off- the ranger leapt from the neck of the beast, but the dragon's good claw shot out, snagging him in midair. Abazigal laughed, coughing up blood as he squeezed, listening to the crunch of armor as Minsc's body compressed under the intense pressure of the maddened beast. The dragon opened its jaws, ready to bite down and end Minsc- a beam of fire erupted from Dynaheir's hands and slid straight into Abazigal's jaws as the beast recoiled in pain, even as Aerie strode toward the great beast without fear, her robes whipping in the wind as blades of pure energy leapt from her hands, each one cutting deep wounds and gouges into the dragon's hide. Minsc climbed to his feet as Abazigal reared up, taking the wounds on his stomach- the ranger knew what was coming next. It began- the creature falling forward, intending to crush his opponents with his own bulk. Dynaheir was far enough out of the way, but Aerie… no.

Minsc rushed toward Aerie, throwing her out of the way as the Avariel screamed in fear, reaching out to her protector- Minsc glanced upwards, looking to see Abazigal's body held up by twin pillars of ice, grown from the ground beside Minsc that Nalia was creating with her magic, sustaining them as best she could with help from Dynaheir. Minsc scrambled out of the way, letting the two abandon their endeavors so the beast could fall to the ground with a thud. It crawled forward, electricity still sparking at its jaws as it tried to curse them again, unable to form words… Dynaheir lifted a hand and the Silver Sword embedded in the back of the beast began to shake, finally erupting out of the dragon's hide and hurtling back to the Wychlaran witch's hand. She handed it to Minsc with a smile and a nod- the big ranger's memory flashed to so long ago when Dynaheir had given him his blade before they set out for Rashemen. It was a symbol of trust. Of dependence. Of faith. All of these and more. Minsc had taken refuge in that when traveling with Dynaheir, and then in Aerie. Their loss had robbed him of everything good… to have them back, for even this one last battle… it was enough. Minsc turned and swung, the Silver Sword cutting neatly into Abazigal's brain once more. Except this time- Minsc walked forward and stepped atop the dragon's snout, pushing the sword into his head all the way to the hilt. No way were they falling for that trick again.

The Slayer tried to push itself back to his feet after being struck by the falling form of Abazigal; even as it found its footing once more, it found Khalid and Jaheira standing before it, still unmoving, still not attacking. It roared a challenge and lunged at them both- the two split and dodged left and right, leaving the Slayer to choose between which of them to follow.

Without warning, both Khalid and Jaheira vanished, as did everything else in the Throne of Bhaal. All the fighting, all the conflict- gone. The Slayer turned, spinning around, trying to make sense of it; out of the void, Gorion appeared. Still clad in those same dark green robes, his beard down to his chest- every bit the same man in her dreams and memories. "Hello, child."

The Slayer screamed a challenge and swung an arm, intending to cut Gorion in two- the image vanished, and he reappeared to the Slayer's left. "Imoen… it is time to come home. You are not trapped inside that thing forever- I know you have the will to fight it. Come back to us."

A gout of fire erupted from the Slayer's jaws, incinerating the image- Gorion vanished and reappeared again, this time behind the Slayer. "You had the strength to come all this way… I know you have the strength to put the Slayer away. Bottle it up, my child- bury it deep down. Find peace, one more time. Just once more- where is the child I raised? Where is my little girl?"

"SHE IS DEAD!"the Slayer screamed, a strangled, warped cry. "I KILLED HER, JUST AS I'LL KILL YOU, OLD MAN!"

"I don't believe that." Gorion shook his head, splitting into multiple images, encircling the avatar completely. "You couldn't control her from the start, so you hid yourself. Disguised yourself as a mockery of her, a warped image you thought she'd find easier to accept. Until she banished it from her mind forever."

"SHE CAN'T GET RID OF ME SO EASILY!" The Slayer hissed, sweeping his spined tail out to destroy several more images of the old mage. "I AM WITHIN! I AM WHAT LIES BENEATH, WHAT HIDES INSIDE ALL OF THE GODSPAWN!"

"You are only what Imoen allows you to be." Gorion challenged, the multiple copies of the mage vanishing one at a time, until only one remained, standing before the Slayer defiantly. "Imoen, I know you can hear me. This beast is beholden to your will. You control it, not the other way around. Make your choice, my daughter. Choose whether I live or die. Control your taint, as you have always done."

The Slayer lowered its stance and howled a challenge, rearing back to impale Gorion on its claws… without warning, a bright flash of light blinded everyone in the area, the world fading back to the battlefield it truly was. Khalid lowered his arm, blinking sight back to his eyes- kneeling there with one hand in Gorion's, Imoen looked up at the old wizard with unabashed joy and relief in her face. "I made it…. gods, I made it…"

She leapt at Gorion, embracing him tightly her foster father returned the gesture, holding her tightly as Jaheira and Khalid moved to her, resting their hands on her shoulder. "Oh, my daughter… welcome back."

"I never stopped fighting… not after I saw you and the others…" Imoen blinked tears from her eyes, then sucked in a breath, squeezing her fists tightly. "We'll talk later, I promise! You can't leave until we talk about everything! You don't know how much I missed all of you… but for now…"

"I understand, and I agree." Gorion nodded, turning back to the remainder of the group. "Let's end this."

Sendai tumbled to the ground as Cernd's wolf form tackled her down, hot breath and spit flying from the wolfwere's jaws as it pinned her, trying to end the fight fully- Anomen had moved to Solaufein's side, unable to help as Cernd grappled with the drow. He did what he could to help the still wounded man while Viconia had gone onward to the fight with Yaga-Shura. Despite all of Sendai's power, the druid would simply not give her the room or space to use it. His jaws came snapping at her once, twice- she finally freed her hand and twisted the ring she wore again, slipping out of the wolfwere's jaws and reappearing several dozen feet away, behind the creature. Cernd whipped around and bounded at her, but too late- a Globe of Blades sang as the magical razors spun and circled her, slicing into Cernd's fur as he recoiled, trying to find a way through the magical armor. Sendai hissed in triumph, taking the opportunity to cast her own spellcraft- she threw a Firestorm spell down, raining globes of burning lava all around them. Cernd dodged this way and that, trying to avoid the flaming missiles- one landed square on his back, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air as the wolfwere tried to climb back to its feet and limp away. Sendai leapt at Cernd, her Globe of Blades set to chop him into pieces the moment she got within range- elven cries interrupted, summoning a Breaching spell to drop her blades seconds before they would have reached Cernd. Sendai looked up in shock- standing not twenty feet away was Aerie and Dynaheir. Dynaheir lowered her hands, nodding to Aerie- the cleric floated in the air as she channeled her most powerful healing spells- a Greater Restoration flooded Cernd's body as Sendai recoiled- not fast enough. The wolfwere lunged out with its jaws and with a spurt of blood, Cernd reverted to his human form. He looked down upon the form of Sendai, her throat ripped out- "Even in death, the savage beast finds a way to freedom."

"It's part of you, no matter what." Aerie smiled weakly, drained by the Restoration magics. "Come on… it's almost over…"

The coppery scent of blood was everywhere- boiling ichor, steaming blood, all from the wounded fire giant before them. He was a massive foe, unwilling to fall despite the countless wounds Sarevok and Haer'Dalis had laid upon him. His hammer had caught Sarevok once, twice if you counted the glancing blow that left his side aching whenever he inhaled. But the number of stab wounds and gouges they'd carved into Yaga-Shura's flesh had to be piling up. He was growing more savage with each new wound they inflicted- still, any of these wild attacks would be enough to end them, should they connect well enough.

"Come now, my hunting hawk. Is the dance done yet?" Haer'Dalis called, his own face splashed with blood when finding a vein in the giant's leg.

"Patience, bard." Sarevok growled, still circling Yaga-Shura as the giant spun, taking a step towards Haer'Dalis as though to smash him, then whirling back around to slam his hammer upon Sarevok. The Deathbringer sidestepped the attack, but stumbled upon the impact. Too close. They just weren't hitting him hard enough- and the follow-up this time could be brutal. Sarevok was already off balance, and Yaga-Shura was pressing the attack. Foolhardy in that it left Haer'Dalis open to strike, but Sarevok was the bigger threat and Yaga-Shura knew it..

The Deathbringer backpedaled, trying to stay out of range of the massive war hammer, but he stumbled and fell, already moving to try and avoid the oncoming downswing- it ricocheted off a magic shield. Approaching the fight, Khalid and Jaheira sprinted past Sarevok's downed form and leapt at Yaga-Shura's legs, each one hewing further into the flesh of the giant. Behind them, Gorion released the magical protection that had saved Sarevok's life. The warrior pushed himself upward, taking a moment to grin wickedly at Gorion. "Not bad, old man. It must burn your spirit to save my life…"

"No more so than it must burn you to see Greywulf accomplish everything that you've failed to do." Gorion stated calmly, letting electricity spark at his finger and jolt outward to strike Yaga-Shura's head. "Well? Do you intend to finish this battle yourself or do you only prey on old men in the rain?"

Sarevok paused for a moment- he barked a laugh, then sprinted towards the fire giant. Yaga-Shura swung wildly left, narrowly missing Jaheira who spun and drove the Impaler deep into his calf- Khalid was behind his other leg, driving the sword he carried deep into the back of Yaga-Shura's knee, trying to drive him to the ground. Sarevok shouted a command to Haer'Dalis, who was in front of the fire giant, trying to keep his attention with minor spells- the bard turned, saw Sarevok point to the fire giant's chest. He grinned and nodded- spinning and lowering his stance, he tucked both hands together and caught Sarevok's foot as the man jumped, springing him upward as far as he could muster. Sarevok hurtled through the air, driving the Sword of Chaos forward with him- a massive gout of blood poured over Sarevok as he found himself hanging on the fire giant's chest, the Sword of Chaos embedded deep inside. Yaga-Shura collapsed to his knees, finally falling to his back as Sarevok stood up, yanking the blade out and wiping the blood from his face. He glanced backwards, taking stock of the situation- one left. Irenicus… Sarevok grinned darkly.

Keldorn felt the power of the death magics Irenicus commanded sucking the life from him as he pushed back against the wizard, straddling him, pressing his hand further and further towards Keldorn's face. "Embrace it, paladin. Death is my gift to you…"

"I… say… keep it!" Keldorn growled, spinning his body violently to throw Irenicus off- the spell dissipated, but even the incidental contact he'd had with Irenicus had drained him of vitality. It was all he could do to keep his sword tip from scraping the ground-

"Take a rest, Keldorn. We've got this." The paladin exhaled and stepped back for a moment as Imoen stepped up with Khalid and Jaheira flanking her on either side. The young thief-mage glared daggers at Irenicus, disdain and hatred thick in her normally cheery voice. "You're looking mighty lonely there. Luckily you've got us back to keep you company."

"You used assassins and traps to best us the first time we met." Dynaheir declared, her dark eyes fixed on Irenicus as she and Minsc approached him from the other side. "How wilt thou do in a fair fight, I wonder?"

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say… not well." Greywulf staggered forward with them, worn as hell and looking just as bad… but still on his feet.

Irenicus spun, looking at all of the opponents that were surrounding him- the Five, dead. Imoen, restored to her previous form. He screamed in fury, fire erupting all around him, driving his attackers back- his cry cut off as an arrow suddenly lodged in his throat. The sorcerer gurgled once, clutching at the missile- he somehow yanked it out, staring dumbly at the source- Yoshimo lowered his bow, glaring with satisfaction at the dying sorcerer. Irenicus coughed, blood spilling from his wound and his mouth to cover his chest- he staggered towards Yoshimo, hands outstretched as though trying to drag his former servant down with him- Irenicus' head suddenly flew from his body, severed cleanly by the Blade of Chaos clutched in Sarevok's hands. "Hnh. Just as I thought… worthless."

Greywulf watched as the head of his old foe came rolling to a stop- it finally hit him what they'd managed to do. They'd bested Irenicus. Destroyed the Five. Even Imoen, transformed into the Slayer, she'd been brought back, as good as ever. Everything Amelyssan could throw at them was defeated- she was the only thing left in this place. The only obstacle between him and the Throne of Bhaal.

Greywulf turned and pointed toward the woman, still floating alone in the center of the Throne, the essence of Bhaal swirling around her like a tornado of souls and divinity. They didn't need a command, they knew what was at stake. Every one of them was on it… but damn it all, it needed saying anyway.

"BRING. HER. DOWN!"

A Prismatic Spray from Imoen. Magic Missiles from Haer'Dalis. Arrows from Yoshimo. Lightning Bolts from Nalia. A Spell Thrust from Dynaheir. A Bolt of Glory from Aerie. A Pillar of Flame from Anomen. Summoned Elementals of Air and Fire from Jaheira and Cernd, rising through the air to strike the demi-goddess. A Horrid Wilting from Gorion.

Greywulf watched the destruction rain down upon Amelyssan- he channeled every ounce of magic he could find within. The spell he wanted to shape demanded nothing less- the form of a dragon's head, his mind's memory of Firkraag given form appeared over top of the sorcerer. Flame licked the nostrils of the beast, and with a mighty bellow, Dragon's Breath engulfed Amelyssan as well.

The maelstrom of destruction whirled, obscuring everything within the rising whirlpool of the taint- rising? Yes… yes, it was rising, draining the pool that had once engulfed everything below their feet. That pool was shrinking, much of it had already been absorbed, contained by the one they had just tried to kill- the smoke began to clear, to fade… Amelyssan the Blackhearted remained, arms folded as a wicked smile blossomed across her face. Her eyes flashed open and she spoke in a voice that made the Throne of Bhaal itself shake. "Too late, mortals. Too late…"

Amelyssan raised one hand and flicked a finger forward- with that simple motion, every one of them all tumbled backwards, thrown by the power of a god. "I am Bhaal reborn! The new Mistress of Murder… bow before your goddess!"

Greywulf tried to rise to his feet- a force compelled him and he dropped to his knees, unable to move. All around him, every one of his companions… Minsc fell, then Jaheira. Then Imoen. One by one, they all knelt.

"That's better." Amelyssan purred. She towered over them, her brass, spiked armor gleaming with divine power. The spear she wielded shone bright green at the tip, still radiant with the energies of Bhaal. "You thought you could just come here and… do what? Steal this from me? You thought to challenge a goddess? What fools!"

"You… are not… a goddess… yet." Keldorn managed, straining to get the words out. Amelyssan lowered her head to stare directly into Keldorn's defiant eyes,

"What am I then, oh lapdog of Torm? Oh yes, I know who you are. The right hand of the god of Justice- how peeved he will be once I dispose of you. I suppose I could return you to your master before wiping away the others-no sense in making enemies among the gods just yet." Amelyssan considered, before laughing and leaning in to the reborn paladin. "Or perhaps I'll simply murder your soul and mount it in my throne room! Impudent fools! Admit it! I have won! You, all of you… are nothing!"

"No…" Greywulf whispered, trying to raise his head, glaring heavily at the new goddess of Murder. "I'm not… nothing. Imoen… isn't. None of us are. You… haven't gotten all of the essence yet. And this is the Throne… we have power here too. The power of the essence… power enough… to fight you!"

Amelyssan narrowed her eyes- she floated back from the group, then lifted one hand- Greywulf clenched his teeth as he felt his body rise into the air, floating to Amelyssan. She descended, resting upon the ground with a look of bored expectation while lowering Greywulf at the same time, right next to the whirlwind of energy springing from beneath the Throne. She slammed the shaft of her spear into the ground, releasing the bonds she'd placed upon his body. Greywulf looked up at her, meeting her cold, merciless gaze as she pointed to the energy of Bhaal, whipping through the air before him. "Very well then. Show me your 'power'."

Even as she spoke, she lowered her spear, placing it at Greywulf's stomach- he looked up at her, seeing a mad grin spread across her face. He did not speak- there was only one chance at this. One chance to save everyone. It was a long shot, but if he could just beat the odds one more time- this was the craziest of plans he'd ever come up with, but it could work. It had to work. He thrust his hands out, feeling the energy of Bhaal begin to course through him-

The flow of power stopped. Abruptly, painfully. Greywulf stiffened, feeling a fire in his stomach. He looked up at Amelyssan, seeing her gauntleted hand gripping the spear that was lodged in his stomach, coming out his back, bits of his spine and torn pieces of his internal organs stuck on the tip. She smiled cruelly and yanked it out, watching as the half-elf sorcerer dropped to his knees, shock in his eyes as blood poured from the gaping hole in his torso. Greywulf dropped to the floor completely, not even hearing the screams of his companions as everything around him faded.

Everything… lost…

The world faded to grey…

Nothing left…

Just...

Bhaal.

Bhaal's essence. The *only* thing left.

Greywulf's eyes fluttered open, looking to the vortex of souls and divinity before him. The wellspring where it gushed upward into the Throne Room itself was… it was right there. So close. Exactly… how… he'd planned it. He'd be dead by now if not for the small tidbit of power he'd pulled from the wellspring… it was enough to sustain him, to give him life when he should be nothing but a corpse. Just for a few moments. Just a few…

He had known she'd never give him the opportunity to actually make use of the Throne's power… but to let him get close, then snatch victory away at the last minute? That was just her style. That was exactly what she'd done by using Irenicus and the others. She could've fought them this whole time, ended them in physical combat without the use of such proxies. But all of this theater… even her performance as Melissan trying to fool everyone when force might've sufficed much sooner… he knew- or at the very least, he'd gambled- that she wouldn't be able to resist the opportunity to let him think he might have a chance. All he'd needed was to get close… and just… just to live a moment longer…

Amelyssan was behind him now, gloating to his companions, telling them how she'd won. Describing the hopelessness of their situation. Greywulf moved his arms one at a time, dragging his dying body inch by inch toward the wellspring of the taint- and with a final pull, he tumbled headfirst within. Down, down down. Into a floating void where nothing but murder resided, nothing but the essence of his father… and as it rushed within, Greywulf felt what he'd been missing, what he'd been denying this whole time. Was this it? Was this how Amelyssan felt? The rush of godhood- like the world and everything inside of it was open to him, open to his mind… so easy to lose himself in the ecstasy of it all- no… no. There was one more stage to the plan. Couldn't lose… couldn't lose focus just yet. One last thing he needed to do…

Up above, on the Throne itself, Amelyssan sighed, licking Greywulf's blood from the tip of her spear. "A pity, almost. For it to end so easily… I almost wish it had been more of a challenge. Still, I'll not delay my ascension further. Come now, Imoen… you are the only Bhaalspawn left. With your death, the last of the taint will be pulled into the wellspring below, free for me to absorb at my leisure."

Imoen's eyes, red with tears and rage trembled as she felt her body straighten, standing before Amelyssan and simply waiting for the killing below. "I don't care what it takes, you bitch. I swear I'll kill you..."

Amelyssan merely laughed, raising her spear- the Throne of Bhaal trembled, its foundations rumbling beneath their feet. The goddess of Murder stumbled for a brief second, spinning and looking to see what had happened- it occurred again, the entirety of the Throne quaking for several seconds.

Amelyssan raised her spear to guard, glaring around the room- what was going on? What could be- she glanced down to where Greywulf's corpse should have been- a smear of blood led over to the whirlpool of souls. Of course- she centered her consciousness below, searching, searching… there it was. Greywulf, the little maggot, still alive. Sustained by the power of his father, imbuing himself with Bhaal energy, contained in the bowels of the Throne. Amelyssan laughed… a loud, booming cackle. She spun and stared down at those companions who remained. "Do you see? Your pathetic leader thinks he can escape my sight? He thinks he can steal the powers of Bhaal that remain to become my equal! Very clever… and ultimately, doomed. I have absorbed all of the strongest of the Children's essence- only the dregs remain! I need only draw him from the currents of power below and you- all of you- will meet your final end!"

The entire Throne shook once more- this time cracks appeared beneath their feet. Amelyssan stumbled for a moment, then laughed, rising into the air and floating above the Throne's floor. "What do you seek, god-child? The destruction of this place? As if that will destroy me? Hahaha! I am more than this place. I can sustain the entirety of this realm, with or without the 'Throne of Bhaal!' This world is nothing!"

The voice of Greywulf echoed all around- deep, booming… god-like. "Not quite, Amelyssan. Sarevok once told me how the Throne works… it's more than just a realm that our father ruled. It's the seat of power where the taint of Bhaal returned to. It's the focal point that gathered all of the god-essence into so it could be diverted for one purpose- Bhaal's return. Without the Throne, the essence of Bhaal is unstable. Uncontrollable. This place is the crux of all plans to ever see Bhaal reborn- as himself or otherwise."

"And… and if the Throne is destroyed…" Sarevok muttered, realization finally hitting him.

"Then the essence is freed. Get it?" Greywulf's voice sneered, even as the foundations of the Throne shook once more.

"I… no! NO! You will not steal my moment of triumph from me!" Amelyssan shrieked, diving into the essence of Bhaal below, searching for Greywulf- he floated in the very middle of it all, arms splayed out as dark green energy spread from his fingertips, tearing into the walls of the plane below the Throne. Amelyssan soared towards him with a maddened scream, thrusting her spear out to impale him on it again.

With a mighty crack, the foundations of the Throne tore themselves to pieces, ripped apart by the power Greywulf was shunting into it- every piece of the essence he had absorbed flowed outward and into tearing the Throne's foundations apart. Just as the power of Bhaal constructed the Throne… the power of Bhaal could unmake it. It was all so strong, and yet so delicate; a crucible for the godhood of Murder, untouchable by anything other than that which had created it in the first place. Amelyssan screamed as the entire structure began collapsing on itself, the essence leaking out into the void as it fled her, him… all of them. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Greywulf did not answer- he looked up as the floor underneath the feet of his companions collapsed as well, dumping every one of them into the void that spread amidst the plane of Murder.