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Eldrith
Jasper looked around at the ghosts wandering the hall around them. They weren't dangerous, he didn't think, and they were paying them no attention. None but the only ghost who resembled a rotten corpse up ahead.
"Your footsteps echo on the flagstone," the ghost said. "Your breath stirs the dust. Who are you who walk these halls in the flesh?"
"You first," Jasper said.
"In life, I was Keledon, first captain of the Company of the Westering Sun," the ghost introduced itself. "In death, I am no one. The dead hold no titles."
"My name is Jasper," Jasper introduced himself. "What is this place?" He looked around at the church-like chamber.
"You stand in the Hall of Remembrance," Keledon explained. "I am one of its many prisoners, all soldiers of the Westering Sun, all fallen in battle, all slain by treachery. Our spiritd are shackled to the walls and shadows of this Tower. We are doomed to stand, to remember, and to wait for Eldrith's release...and our own."
"Who is Eldrith?" Edgin asked.
"Who is Eldrith?" Keledon repeated, surprised. "Much time has passed, I see, for her many names to have been ground beneath time's heel. Have you not heard of Eldrith the Betrayer? The Traitress of Swords? Eldrith of the Westering Suns? That she has been forgotten is...irony of a sort."
"The Company of the Westering Sun has been gone for longer than we've been alive," Jasper said. "Except for Xenk." He jabbed his thumb at the Paladin in question.
"I see," Keledon nodded. "Time is difficult to judge here. Eldrith was one of the greatest generals of the Sword Coast, commander of the Company of the Westering Sun, sworn sword and defender of Baldur's Gate. She served with honor and distinction in the first and last seasons of the Sundering War, the Crescent Port siege, and finally, the campaign against the Black Horde. In all these battles, she was victorious. Where she led, we followed. Glory drew us, loyalty kept us, and we were proud to serve beneath her banner. Our lives were hers, and our deaths were hers."
"What led to your deaths?" Adrianna asked.
"And hers," Vahn added.
"Pride," Keledon said gravely. "I do not know when pride burrowed into her heart, but it poisoned her, and it was a poison I did not see until it was too late. Eldrith had fought too many battles, achieved too many victories, and she had come to see the city of Baldur's Gate as her own."
"And she tried to make it hers in reality," Xenk surmised.
"She did," Keledon nodded. "On the day of the Great Betrayal, and the last day of the campaign against the Black Horde, I left my wife within the walls of Baldur's Gate, where she would be safe, and told her I would return. She was one of the most beautiful elven maids I have ever known. There are times when I feel as if I hear her singing for me, still, waiting for my return."
"She is," Kromlech grunted. "Her spirit resides in the Elfsong Tavern, singing in hopes of you coming back to the city."
"Then I fear her spirit shall never be laid to rest while I am trapped here," Keledon sighed. "My wife. To think that she suffers still...and for my sake."
"We got sidetracked," Doric said.
"Yeah, what happened on the day of the Great Betrayal?" Simon asked.
"With Eldrith," Aranea added.
Keledon nodded. "Our company took the field against the Horde and scattered them, even though the orcs and goblins outnumbered us five to one. Still, in the rout, almost half their forces survived and fled the field. Eldrith was determined to pursue them. The Dukes of Baldur's Gate refused."
"Why?" Holga asked.
"Too many good soldiers had been lost, the Dukes told us. They, and the people, wanted no more blood and death, and they felt the Horde would not return."
"But Eldrith disagreed," Mia guessed.
"Eldrith was furious," Keledon nodded. "Even though we had lost many men, she felt it was better we deal a deathblow to the Horde and ensure they never threatened Baldur's Gate again. And so, she defied the Dukes, and led us to our deaths.
"Already weakened, we chanced upon one of the straggling bands of the Horde and cornered them within the Dosias Cleft. It was tactical brilliance in trapping them within the canyon, but in doing so, we gave them no choice but to fight us. Backed into a corner, the Horde proved more vicious than we had anticipated. Eldrith, fearing losing the field, sent a messenger back to Baldur's Gate for reinforcements before the Horde broke free of her trap."
"And the reinforcements never came, because of Eldrith's defiance," Edgin guessed."
Keledon nodded. "The Horde overran us. Eldrith survived. I survived. Many of the Company of the Westering Sun did not. Now there are many graves within the Dosias Cleft, and much of the ground there is strewn with the bones of our soldiers mixed with the orcs and goblinoids.
"Eldrith became a thing, a creature consumed by fury. Wounded, she returned to Baldur's Gate to demand an audience with the Dukes. Instead, she was met at the gates and told that for her disobedience upon the battlefield, the walls of Baldur's Gate would be forever closed to her and the Westering Sun."
"I bet that went over well," Doric said sarcastically.
"It did not," Keledon shook his head. "Eldrith...she gathered us, all of us who remained, all of us who had sworn to serve her, and she ordered our broken company to attack the walls of her city. She swore she would take it from the Dukes, make it hers, and put the Dukes to the sword. It would be justice, she said. Justice. It was suicide. We were slain almost to the man, and we were driven from the city, hounded by the remaining troops of Baldur's Gate. We knew no rest, no peace, and they pursued us for leagues upon leagues, all the way to the Marsh of Chelimber. They feared Eldrith's wrath so greatly that they were determined that she should not escape alive. I died here in the Marsh of Chelimber, and so did all that remained of the Company of the Westering Sun. Eldrith was the last to die, brought low by crossbowmen and archers, men who feared to come within reach of her sword."
"If she died with the rest of you, how does she yet live?" Xenk asked.
"Even against death, Eldrith's fury prevailed," Keledon explained. "Now she lives again, a creature of terrible power and terrible anger. In her eyes she sees nothing but Baldur's Gate in flames."
"She's a Revenant," Jasper reasoned.
"That complicates things a bit," Edgin said.
"Can't we just kill her?" Holga asked.
"Revenants will just rise again," Simon said.
"Unless their anger is broken first," Adrianna said.
"Be careful when you face her," Keledon warned. "Eldrith was one of the greatest swordsmen Baldur's Gate has ever known, and hers is a murderous will. Be careful not to come within striking distance of her blade, or the battle will be over for you."
"No, that's exactly what we need to do," Edgin said. "Or, at least, Xenk does."
"Why me?" Xenk asked.
"You're the best fighter we have!" Edgin said. "Think about it! Eldrith was a great warrior, and a great commander! She was betrayed by Baldur's Gate, at least in her eyes, and killed by archers. That's gotta be more infuriating than the betrayal itself! He pride would have wanted to die because someone bested her with a blade, not because she got filled with arrows before she could get close enough to put up a fight!"
"So if we beat her in a contest of swords, it may weaken her attachment to life," Xenk nodded. "But this tower will be giving her power. It is possible that I will not be able to defeat her, or that this tower will not allow her to fall."
"That is true," Keledon nodded. "She has given much of herself, of her soul, to command this tower. Perhaps there is some way that link could be turned against her."
"The swords," Mia said, holding up her Onyx Sword, as they'd decided to call them. "It's forged with the tower's own power, so it's got to be able to hurt her."
"But Xenk can't use it," Edgin said.
"But Xenk also doesn't have to fight Eldrith alone," Jasper said. "She'd probably accept a death by several opponents as well as a death by only one of them, as long as there are no archers. We just need to be careful."
The others nodded, and Keledon wished them luck before they all headed to the stairs up the tower. The uppermost floor of the tower was a large, octagonal chamber, open on the sides except for support pillars and a railing, with one final black gate opposite them. And standing in the center of it was Eldrith.
She looked human, still, with silver plate armor over chainmail fitted to her body, including her legs, a round buckler shield on her left forearm, a silver helmet with a gold ridge running front to back over the top of it and silver wings decorating the sides, and a greatsword in her right hand with the guard's arms curling in toward the blade and the blade as black as the Onyx Swords Mia and Vahn held.
Eldrith watched them for a moment before driving her sword into the ground, then removed her helmet, setting it atop the sword's pommel. "So, the dogs of Baldur's Gate once again hound me. And all the way to my sanctuary this time, though it lies a horizon's distance from their walls. Can it be they fear me that much? They have that much wisdom, at least."
"No one alive has ever heard of you before," Mia said. "You've been dead so long you've passed from history."
"We came here to stop the nameless evil behind the attacks in Baldur's Gate and the Sunset Mountains," Xenk said. "We did not know of your existence until we spoke to Keledon below."
"We've come a long way for this," Holga said. "Try to at least make this interesting."
"Holga!" Edgin snapped, then sighed. "She didn't mean any insults."
Eldritch watched them for a moment before lifting her helmet. "What you say is true. You have come a long way. To die."
As she pulled her sword from the ground, everyone, including Edgin, sensed the change. They were done speaking, and as they watched, shadows began to curl off of her body. She stood tall, proud, before them, eyes watching them calculatingly, and Jasper narrowed his eyes as he and Xenk stepped forward, both readying their swords, Xenk opting for his Holy Avenger while Jasper stuck with his Ironwood Sword. Eldrith's eyes narrowed as they stepped forward, but as she hurled her sword at them as a spinning, deadly disk, Jasper shifted into a Tabaxi, racing to the side as Xenk deflected the sword into the air. It spun through the air back to Eldrith, and she turned, deflecting Jasper's blade repeatedly. After another moment, she twisted, deflecting Jasper's blade with her shield as her sword deflected Xenk's blade.
She spun, forcing both to leap away to avoid her own blade, only for Vahn and Mia to charge, Mia also a Tabaxi. As Eldrith slashed at Mia, Mia leapt over her, Vahn slashing instead as soon as Eldrith's blade had passed. She blocked his blade with her shield, turning to block Mia's blade, only to find Mia had been replaced by Xenk, who was moving to stab her. She deflected it, but as she did, Jasper swept in from her front, striking out at her face. She shouted in annoyance, jerking her head to the side before slashing at Jasper. He diverted his thrust down to deflect her sword over himself, then leapt backward. Just as he did, Mia drove her sword into Eldrith's back, the blade emerging from her chest with a metallic shriek.
Eldrith shrieked in pain and rage, spinning and slashing in a circle, forcing Mia to leave the sword, but as Eldrith's back was toward Jasper, he ripped the sword from her back, then immediately dove away from her. As they all watched, bolts of lightning flashed down from several seals on the ceiling on the chamber, striking Eldrith.
"We got her!" Doric grinned, only for it to falter a moment later as Eldrith's body began to expand, along with her armor and sword
"Shit," Jasper growled, passing Mia's sword back to her.
Finally, Eldrith stopped growing at double their height, then shouted in rage, charging forward, slashing at Jasper. He leapt over her sword and Xenk moved to deflect it, only for the brute force of the blow to send him staggering backward. Jasper and Mia both lunged, slashing at Eldrith, only for her to deflect Mia's blade and allow Jasper's to shriek across the side of her armor, failing to cut through her now thicker armor. She turned, her sword sweeping around at him, only for Shadow to erupt from below Jasper as a great, horned, clawed monstrosity, his horns deflecting the blade before his claws tore through the front of Eldrith's armor. She shouted in surprise, then in effort, her shield deflecting strike after strike from Shadow's claws as her sword lashed out again and again, passing harmlessly through Shadow's ethereal body.
Xenk and Vahn charged while Shadow was keeping her distracted, but Eldrith suddenly switched tactics, ducking under Shadow's claws as she turned, her enormous sword sweeping around at them. Both jumped, over the sword, only for her to turn again, kicking Vahn away. Xenk landed lightly, however, and struck at her. Her sword moved to block his, only for the collision to bear no force. The connection of his normal sword's shining blade and her side, however, did, and the sword carved through her side, the wound shining with Radiant energy for a moment as Eldrith staggered away. Mia and Vahn met her, both slashing her across the chest, and Eldrith staggered between them before catching herself on her sword.
Again, electricity began to strike her from the ceiling, her body swelling once again until it rivaled the enormous automatons with the tridents they had been fighting for size. And this time, there were other changes. The wings on her helmet had grown into horns, and the guard of her sword had grown spikes, as had the blade, just shy of its end. Jasper swore as Xenk lunged, only for Eldrith to turn with a speed that a being of her size had no right to. Her enormous blade exploded into his Holy Avenger, smashing its blunt side into his armor, which fractured, and sent him spinning out into the open air outside the tower. Doric shot after him as a falcon, and Shadow roared, his monstrous form expanding as well, only for Eldrith to strike her sword against her shield. Sparks flew, striking Shadow as though he were solid, and for an instant, he was. Just long enough for her sword to tear across his chest. Shadow let out an ear-splitting shriek and retreated into Jasper's shadow. However, just as he did, Adrianna and Simon's arms snapped up. A hail of massive icy spears formed above her and fell, only to her shield to block the hail of projectiles. Everyone else charged, but as they reached Eldrith, Edgin's blade snapped off against her shin's armor, Holga and Kromlech's axes embedded themselves in the other leg's armor without breaking through, and as Vahn slashed at her unarmored achilles tendon, she yanked her foot into the air, then slammed it back down where Edgin had been, missing him only because Aranea had tackled him out of the way.
Mia and Jasper both jumped, catching the tops of her calves, then slashed the backs of her knees. Eldrith screamed, her knees crashing to the ground, only for her to raise her own sword. A dozen massive, shadowy replicas fell from above, stabbing down into the ground at the others, missing most of them by inches. Then, Xenk fell from above, slashing her down the back with his Holy Avenger, also failing to break through her armor. However, the strike still made Eldrith turn and attempt to strike him with her fist, throwing her off balance so that when Doric and Jasper both exploded into her chest a moment later, Doric as an Owlbear and Jasper as a Girallon, it sent her crashing to the ground.
Eldrith shrieked in frustration, slashing at them, only for both to slip under it as serpents before Jasper shot forward, returning to his Tabaxi form as he slashed upward at her chin. She tilted her head back, but at the last second, just as his sword was aimed at her, he fired off a Sunbeam. Eldrith screamed as the flesh of her face burned and blistered, as her eyes began to smoke, and as her helmet bounced away from her, crashing across the floor as though kicked. Then, Mia and Vahn shot forward, Mia leaping for her throat as Vahn lunged for her armpit. However, in her blindness, Eldrith flailed.
A blind slap batted Mia across the room and into the railing where she slumped, unconscious, to the ground. Her elbow crashed down ahead of Vahn, forcing him to stop, as Eldrith rolled herself to the side, kicking out and sending Holga, Kromlech, and Simon bouncing away. A sweep of her other arm slammed into Adrianna and Aranea with the force of a falling tree, shattering bones and sending them crashing into Xenk, all three crashing to the ground. Jasper roared in rage, arm snapping up, only for Eldrith to swipe at him. Her reach was too short, but her fingers smashed in arm, breaking it in several places. And then, with a shriek, Doric's Owlbear form soared over Eldrith, only to transform back long enough to hurl Mia's Onyx Sword into the right side of Eldrith's chest. Eldrith screamed, then again as Shadow emerged from Jasper's shadow again, this time as an Ephemeral Hangman, and lashed out, several tentacles wrapping around the sword before yanking, tearing it across Eldrith's chest, sending blood spraying into the air.
Just as he released the blade, electricity began to strike Eldrith again, and she began to stagger to her feet. However, as she did, her body began to shrink rapidly. Finally, as she was back to her normal size, she managed to get to her feet, only to crash back to her knees, shoulders slumping forward. Blood coursed down her body, dripping from the end of the Onyx Sword's hilt and pooling below her.
"It's over," Jasper said as Xenk set his hand on Jasper's arm, light shining from under his hand as Jasper's arm healed. "You've lost, Eldrith."
"You are more powerful than I thought," Eldrith rasped. "This victory is yours. I ask your forgiveness. I let anger cloud my judgment, control my decisions. Let Baldur's Gate have its peace. I will not rise again to challenge it. I..." she stopped to cough up blood just as the others finished gathering around them, Xenk healing Mia still. "This Tower will not hold. You must leave this place. Leave me to die. This tower...will...be my tomb."
Then, slowly, her body began to dissolve into tiny specks of light, which scattered into oblivion.
Instantly, the Tower began to shake, the tremors violent enough to throw everyone from their feet.
"Come on!" Doric shouted, sprinting to the side of the tower and leaping off, transforming into a giant eagle as soon as she was in the air.
Simon, Edgin, Kira, and Holga leapt out instantly, landing on her back, and Jasper followed a moment later, also transforming into a giant eagle. Mia, Xenk, and Aranea leapt out, but as Adrianna, Kromlech, and Vahn moved to follow, the ground began to crack and crumble. All three retreated as the edges of the floor gave way, massive flames raging around the remaining sections of the tower as the cracks all across the tower began to glow cherry red. Lightning began to flash, striking the tower, and Adrianna looked around, seeing that they could reach the gate, if they hurried.
"Go!" she shouted. "We'll see you back in Baldur's Gate! Find me there!"
"We will!" Mia called back.
Adrianna turned to the gate, seeing Vahn and Kromlech just disappearing through it. She sprinted forward, diving through after them a split second before the entire top layer of the tower collapsed. Jasper and Doric swerved away from it, narrowly escaping the tower's complete destruction a moment later. One second it was just beginning to crumble, the light fading inside, the next the entirety of its structure had been replaced by an explosion, scattering flames and debris for miles. Once they were sure they were clear of the destruction, and also outside of the Marsh of Chelimber, Jasper and Doric circled to the ground, landing lightly and letting everyone climb off before returning to their normal forms.
"Damnit," Jasper panted. "Why does the Marsh have to be so far from Baldur's Gate? We've been flying forever."
"I think we're...maybe a quarter of the way back," Doric said. "Those mountains are the Serpent Hills, I think," she pointed away from the mountains, "and the forest over there should be the Forest of Wyrms."
"Good place for bait gathering?" Edgin asked.
"Wyrms as in dragons," Jasper specified tiredly. "How long is it by land?"
"With or without horses?" Simon asked.
Jasper groaned. "Nevermind."
They all found a comfortable place to lay down and passed out within seconds, Shadow standing guard for them.
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