Adrian: Baldur's Gate

Adrian closed the book, wordlessly. The siblings sat together for a few moments, in silence.

"It's horrible," Imoen whispered.

He stroked her hair, absently. "Horrible, and horribly stupid. Our brother is an empty vessel, nothing more. A vessel Bhaal has filled."

"So what do we do?"

Adrian was almost amused. Almost. "Do? Why, sister, we send him to our father. It's all we can do."

"You told me you promised that woman Tamoko--"

"I promised her I would *try*," said Adrian. "And I will. And Sarevok will laugh at me, and then we will try to kill eachother."

Imoen sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Adrian held her for a moment, then looked at the other information with the book. "We'll have to take down these assasins, and sneak into the Gate."

Imoen nodded.

Adrian stood. "Xzar!" He called. "Jessa! To me! We have plans to make!"

Adrian's party--now consisting of Imoen, Edwin, Xzar, Jessa, Kagain, Rakal, Besheridan, Kirya, Tiax, and Viconia--used the entrance of the Blushing Mermaid to get back into the Undercellar. Adrian stroked the Cloak of Balduran; he was still wearing it from the last time he had been here.

The husband-and-wife assasin team were up ahead in the central lounge area, giggling and chuckling to themselves over the assinations of Grand Dukes Belt and Liia Jannath that they were planning. But they heard the clank of armor, and turned to look at Adrian's troupe. The woman hissed, and the man cursed. The woman suddenly sprouted mirror images of herself, and the man blurred into indistinction and charged the party at unnatural speed.

The combined power of the four mages hurled a tremendous hoard of magic missiles at the woman, and her mirrior images and protections went down, and badly wounded her. But by then she had gotten a spell of her own off, an acid arrow that ate away at Adrian's chest armor, making a sizzling sound. His storm armor protected him, but still the stench of it wrinkled his nostrils and filled his lungs with choking vapor. Too late, he realized she'd modified the spell, and bent over choking and coughing, out of the fight.

Another wave of magic missled finished her off, but her husband was right in Kagian's face. He was not half the warrior Kagain was, but he was blurred and hasted, and was landing three blows to every one of Kagain's. But Jessa and Besheridan crowded in, and the weight of numbers began to tell in their favor.

Viconia was frantically healing Adrian, who was having a hellish time trying to breathe, as the man was finally hacked down by Jessa.

Tiax added his own healing spells to Viconia's, and finally Adrian was able to breathe again. He sat up, wheezing and coughing.

Adrian was not amused. They had spent far more healing spells on this battle than they should have. Fortunately they had time enough to rest before the Ducal Ceremony. Adrian just hoped that no dopplegangers or other enemies came to check of the underground brothel before then.

"Jessa," he wheezed. "Besheridan. Go to your respective factions and get them ready to move for the Ceremony. The rest of us will camp here."

They nodded and withdrew.

"These assasins obviously had invitations to the Ceremony," said Kirya. "But they're not going to let *you* in, Adrian."

"Agreed," said the Bhaalspawn. "But I'm also sure there was a contingency plan. There must be a way into the Ducal Palace from the sewers. Viconia, Kagain, I need you to find it."

The Dwarf and the Drow nodded, and slipped away into the darkness.