The Courtyard, Level One, Dežbār Keep
May 29th, 761, 7:09 AM; Day 73 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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Tarlyn wrote:Seeing as some of the expedition was breathing on the book, Ishaq moved forward and joined them. Leaning down he breathed on it as well. He then stood back and waited.
KaitouKage wrote:"Maybe we ought to all breathe on it, traitors or not," Kuzan suggested, "Just in case...You never know what counts for these things." He breathed on the book, just in case it'd work.
Rock wrote:In another moment of mad inspiration, Lia leans over and blows her own breath upon the book -- after all, a breath did pass between Ishmael and herself. Perhaps it will qualify ...?
Lostboy wrote:Khalil shrugs and blows a quick breath over the book, on one hand hoping it works to get them the hell out of here, but on the other hand not overly keen on being branded a twice betrayer. Still fiery death at the hands of infernal creatures was an exceelent motivator.
Nathan of the FoS wrote:"Er, just a moment...that looks good, Otto, I'll be right back." Dashing over, Charles puffs on the book and hurries back to the impromptu explosives demonstration being held at the gate.
DocBeard wrote:Tomas doesn't even know what number they're on...but he breaths on the book anyway. Like the man says, you never know.
YalenusVeler wrote:"This is insane" Andre says as he takes a breath on the book. "How do we know it's not something more metaphoric...damn diabolic metaphorical nonsense..."
All as a group, those of the Menetnashte Expedition indulged in an exercise in blowing hot air, a gaggle of bodies trying to huff and puff on a single leather tome that would be ridiculous were it not so deathly serious.
Only Otto, up trying to explode the door, and Guy and Jervis holding the camels were excused, along with Professor Pelletier who was currently sufficiently drugged up on morphine to be past caring even if he
did burn to death.
But somehow, all that breathing worked. You didn't know whose... but someone's breath took on a force of its own, a sound of rushing air, of wind and storms and hurricanes joined the grinding earth and beating waves. A faint white light joined the blue and green of the previous two elements, and now only a single element, the Heart-Fire, was missing.
This would have brought you more joy had it not proved, rather conclusively, that one among you was a 'Twice-traitor'. That is, a double agent.
The Dungeons, Sub-Level Two, Dežbār Keep
May 29th, 761, 7:09 AM; Day 73 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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Pure-white, the Hellfire grew slowly at first, covering first one inch, then another of the cold stones of the torture chamber. But every inch came faster and faster, as the creation of Marchosias grew.
Soon, it was a crackling network of luminous flames, spreading out across the dungeons. The little flames were never very high, certainly no more than a foot, but they covered everything, and burned everything. The ancient instruments of Dezbar Keep's torture chamber were reduced to ashes, and as the Hellfire passed over the stones, what it left behind was not firm granite but a softer, crumbly black stone good for nothing. Metal corroded into blackened slivers, and of bones, nothing remained.
In a way, the greatest danger of Hellfire was that it would undermine the castle, until Dezbar Keep slid off its mountainside, into the God-Storm of Pharazia. Of course, whether being flayed alive by a divine sandstorm was worse than being burned by infernal fire was perhaps a matter of opinion.
But the small, white fire kept moving across the dungeons, up the stairwell and across the water, burning the beautiful blue water but not going below it. Soon, it would reach the surface, and soon, it would sweep across Dezbar.
And once it did that, it would be far too late to run.
The Courtyard, Level One, Dežbār Keep
May 29th, 761, 7:09 AM; Day 73 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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The sweet scent of success was not a long lasting one, however. For no sooner than the third element was added to the Sefer Raziel HaMalakh than there was an explosion from behind the Expedition. The heated stones had started to become soft, and as soon as they did, the red hot stones were forced outward by that which was within. It was probably a miracle that none of the magma hit anyone, but it was too heavy to fly far.
Out of the breech stepped first one, then another of what you had no name for. That they were the spawn of Marchosias, however, there was no doubt. Each one was a human shape, no larger than you, and some in fact were even smaller than Samael, though that gave you scant comfort.
That was because each of the darkened silhouettes was shrouded in pure black flames, nearly invisible on their charred and cracked skin. Theres was the hottest fire of all, low but strong.
In a candle-light, there are many flames. The greatest are the orange and red and yellow flames of the candle. These are the largest, but also the coolest. Beneath them are flames of bright blue, smaller, but ever so much hotter. And in the very center of the fire, there is a tiny core of black flames.
It was wreathed in these black flames that the burned men approached you with outstretched, burning hands.
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Edmund began to yell orders as soon as he saw them move, unlimbering his greatsword and moving forward. "Jervis, Guy, Michel, hold them off! Sarari, Dieter, pick them off before they get too close. Don't let them near the camels!"
Samael rose swiftly from his place near the book, snarling in Balok. Unlimbering his guns, he cast a quick glance at the rest of you, then at the
Sefer Raziel HaMalakh.
"Think faster."
[There are a full dozen of the Firelings or Burning Men attacking you. The NPCs will try to hold them off and provide a screen for you, but they need some support.
I won't bother with maps for this one, so it'll be a bit more freeform in terms of ranges and movement.
Four more rounds till the fuses go off and the portcullis comes down.
The Courtyard, Level One, Dežbār Keep
May 29th, 761, 7:09 AM; Day 73 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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I fear, my friends, that you will not get out of this so easily.[/i] Marchosias said to himself as he watched the Expedition solve piece after piece of that accursed riddle. Within his circle, the only thing untouched by the Hellfire, the fiend was becoming concerned. They were getting perilously close.
Very well then, a little distraction is in order.
Concentrating past his exhaustion, the Red King reached out with his mind for the adventurers, watching them not with eyes and ears, but seeing their minds instead. Marchosias decided upon the berserker for his first victim. He had done so well against the Guardian, he would do well when he rended his companions limb from limb.
Marchosias saw Ishaq's mind as an aurora of lights. Some sharp and clear, some soft and diffuse. They were the warriors just anger, his fear and loyalty and suspicion.... it would take very little to move his suspicion and distrust against mages higher, to unlock his anger into a true berserk rage. Once that happened, things would proceed.....admirably.
The Lord of Passion moved his mind to do just that, when a piece of the crumbly, blackened stone hit him in the chest. With a startled cry, Marchosias slipped out of the mental state to look at the torture chamber of Dezbar, scooping up the Hellfire in one mental hand.
It was Ishmael. The dead warrior stood unflinching as the white flames slowly but surely turned his legs into an even greater ruin. No mortal man could survive the torture chamber and its conflagaration of Hellfire.... but Ishmael was already dead, and bound to the Keep no less than Marchosias.
You'll still be destroyed, you know. Marchosias noted softly.
Just because it will take longer doesn't mean that the Hellfire won't destroy you in the end. And no more coming back. You'll never see Farideh again. Not even after death, because the Hellfire will destroy your soul.
And all for nothing. I'll win. And you'll be nothing, not even a memory. You've lost, Ishmael abd-Rabbo.
The slowly burning corpse did something it had not done for two hundred years. He smiled.
"Not....yet...."
And sprung.
Player General Hitpoint Report
Ishaq: -16 HP
Khalil:
Kuzan: Mass Aid (+6 Temp HP)
Charles:
Lia: Extended Mage Armor (+4 AC), -8 HP
Tomas: Magic Weapon (+1 AB, +1 Dmg), Endure Elements, -12 HP.
Andre: -10 HP,
Otto: Barkskin (+2 AC)
