Adrian: Baldur's Gate

Viconia and Kagain found the access hatch less than twenty minutes later. Of course, the Dukes knew about this "back door" into their stronghold, and had set up a magical defense aura over it. Viconia dispelled it relatively easily. But it was also trapped. So Kagain went back and got Imoen and Tiax, to disarm it. It needed the combined skill of the two thieves to prevent the fireball trap from going off, as Kagain opened the hatch. There was another defensive aura on the other side of the hatch, which Viconia again dispelled.

Then they closed the hatch and returned to the party, to rest and heal.

The sun was rising on the new day when the party crept into the Palace basement. Adrian led his troupe up into the main throne room, where business was conducted, and up a stairwell behind it. Then the wizards of the party rendered everyone invisible, and they did the hardest thing; they waited.

The sun rose high in the sky. The first few nobles tromped in, included the two Grand Dukes, Belt and Liia. Sarevok also came in. He was wearing his armor, but Adrian noted there was a glamour over the chest area, to make the Bhaal symbol appear instead like crossed swords.

"A most intimidating suit of armor," said Grand Duchess Liia. "Wherever did you find it, Sarevok?"

"It was specially made for a Blackguard, or so my mage Winski tells me," Sarevok lied smoothly. "I found it in the ruins beneath the city."

"The fabled Undercity," marveled Liia. "You've been there?"

Sarevok smiled thinly. "A few times."

Sarevok scanned the room with his golden eyes, and pauzed over the stairwell. His eyes narrowed, but he could not penetrate the invisiblity spells. Shrugging, he stalked over to the four thrones with the easy lope of a wolf stalking his prey. He turned his back on the thrones and turned to face the assembling nobles.

Adrian could've shot a crossbow bolt into Sarevok's neck, which was exposed between his helm and the suit of armor. But his promise to Tamoko stopped him. Well, that and the fact that the enitre room would attack him.

More nobles slouched in, and Adrian heard Tiax sniffing. Dopplegangers, no doubt.

At last, a low gong tolled the hour. Belt cleared his throat.

"As all of you know, this is a time of crisis. Iron is scarce and rotting. Two of our Grand Dukes are dead. Bandits plague the coast. Amn threatens war."

"Yet," said Liia, "Into this dark hour comes our hope. The Iron Throne has volunteered to us what iron they have stored, which is considerable. And of course, Sarevok is up for election as a Grand Duke, as are Magus Wheber and Councillor Browne."

Wheber Ott, the Zhentarim leader in the city, smiled thinly in the crowd. Adrian had not known the Black Network leader had wormed his way into the elction, but neither had it surprised him. Browne, an honest man representing the lower classes, frowned, knowing the election had been rigged agianst him.

"We have recieved the votes from the landowners and tallied them," said Belt. "The results were nearly unanimous."

Adrian rolled his invisible eyes, and Sarevok shifted on his feet slightly. Both were impatient for the nobles to finish their speechmaking, though for different reasons.

Of course, Sarevok knew there would be more delays, as his Doppleganger Nobles erupted into protests about the Zhentarim and the Shadow Thieves, and the assasination of Duke Silvershield, and the illness of Duke Eltan.

"I even hear there are pirates loose in our city!" one of the "nobles" shouted. "What is being done about this?"

Adrian frowned. So Sarevok knew Zavrian was in town. That was not good.

"All your concerns will be address in time, you need not worry," soothed Belt. "In the meantime, let us announce the results of the election."

"Fourteen votes for Councillor Browne," said Liia. "Twenty-nine votes for Magus Wheber. And the winner, with eighty-seven votes....Sarevok of the Iron Throne!"

There was polite applause. Browne sighed; Wheber shrugged.

Sarevok stepped forward and bowed awkwardly in his armor. "I take this responsiblity gravely and seriously, flattered by the respect you great nobles have given me," he said, smiling insincerely. "I will first adress the concerns adressed earlier. Yes, it is true that the Amnians, Zhentarim, Shadow Thieves, and pirates all assail us. Yet we are prepared. The criminal Adrian must be found and executed, first of all."

There were murmurs of approval from the crowd.

"Then, we must gather what forces we have, and conscript others from amongst the peasantry. I have it on good authority that the Amnian Garrison of Nashkel is even now a staging point for their armies. We shall strike first, and drive them through the Cloudpeak mountains before us!"

"Wait one moment--" Belt began, but was drowned out by the roar of approval from teh crowd.

"If it is war the Amnians want, then war they shall have!" Thundered Sarevok. "After the winter passes, we shall invade Amn itself, taking their rich vales as our own. By the summer of next year, we should be in Athkatla itself--wait, who dares to interrupt?!?"

At that signal, the dopplegangers revealed their true forms, and attacked the nobles surronding them. Councilor Browne went down almost immediately.

But Adrian's side had made their plans too.

A massive force, consisting mainly of those Fist loyal to Jessa and Zavrian's pirates charged into the room, engaging the Dopplegangers. Adrian's party ended their invisiblity. The mages summoned monsters, and the rest of them charged.

Wheber had rolled to the Dukes almost at once, and was sheperding them back towards the thrones, away from the Dopplegangers. Sarevok, knowing he could not act, fumed, gritting his teeth and waiting. He saw Adrian's party storming down the steps, and his eyes widened, but he could do nothing.

Adrian's forces crashed into the dopplegangers, who quickly found themselves overwhelemed. There were merely six of them, against the massive forces arrayed aginst them. Wheber kept backing the Dukes away from the foe.

Adrian stalked over to Sarevok, sword hanging loosely in his hand.

"Nice day, isn't it, brother?" he asked, conversationally.

Sarevok stared at him, fists clenched at his sides, fuming in rage as the assasin dopplegangers were cut down.

"So!" he finally boomed, smiling triumphantly at Adrian. "You and your dopplegangers have come to kill the Dukes! I knew you were an Amnian agent! Duke Belt, let me kill him!"

"Before you try, brother," said Adrian dryly, "Perhaps the Dukes should take a look at this tome, your diary I believe."

Belt hesitated. Liia had collapsed into one of the Thrones, her own presumably, ashen faced.

"Let's hear him out," said Wheber.

"Bah!" snorted Sarevok.

"Wait, Duke Sarevok," said Belt. "I would see that tome."

Sarevok snarled and raised his sword. Adrian parried his first strike...and then, suddenly, Sarevok was gone.

"Not again," he hissed in frustration.

But it did not matter; Belt was already reading the diary with wide eyes.

Sarevok stared at Winski.

"We must flee," panted the old mage. "I barely got you out in time. We will retreat to the temple, gather our things, and call upon this ally of yours from the Cult of Ressurection. She will aid us."

"I warned you not to do that again," said Sarevok, calmly.

"You know I had to. Now come, there is no time to waste."

"You're right. I should have done this a long time ago."

Sarevok ran Winski through with the Sword of Chaos.

Winski's eyes bluged, and as Sarevok withdrew his blade, he slumped to the floor.

Sarevok ran off into the darkness. The old fool had been half right. Now was the time for a retrat to the temple, but not to flee. No, instead he would lure Adrian there, to his death.