Adrian: Baldur's Gate

Adrian did not answer his brother at first. He simply stared back into those golden-hued eyes, waiting as his army filed in behind him.

The two Bhaalspawn, the two warlords, stared at one another. Sarevok, in the golden, spiky armor designed to invoke the visage and form of the father. The Bhaalsymbol now openly displayed on the chest. The Sword of Chaos held firmly in his hands. Adrian, marking himself as his own man, though clearly still dark, in the dark gray storm armor with it's fist-sized chest emerald. The violet cloak of Balduran draping his shoulders. The golden, winged helmet on his head.

Finally, Adrian responded.

"You are pathetic, Sarevok."

Sarevok jerked. "What do you say?"

"You are pathetic. You have thrown your life away in memoriam of a failed god, who allowed a subcompetent like Cyric to slay him. A fool killed by another fool; that is the heritage you serve. Instead of using the power to serve your own goals, forge your own path, you have become an echo of a weak ghost. That is the difference between us. I use the power of the father to serve *me*. Not the reverse."

He paused.

"Now you shall die. Or I will. But regardless, you have already lost this day. You have lost to Bhaal, become his mindless servant. You will never become him; you are so much less."

Sarevok blinked. Then he smiled. A hard, furious smile. "Normally, brother, with any spawn of power, such as ourselves, the essence dissipates upon death. But the Sword of Chaos, amongst other things, ensures the bodies of fallen spawn stay intact. I shall have your corpse reanimated, and made my personal servant. Tazok! Angelo! We finish this, NOW!"

With a shattering roar, both armies charged. The two sides came together in a titanic clash of forces. The warriors, priests, assasins, clerics, undead, and mages of Adrian's side; the vast army of clerics and undead on Sarevok's side. But as Adrian had anticipated, Sarevok committed all these priests to direct confrontation; none of them hung back to cast from a distance.

But on Adrian's side, Imoen, Edwin, Xzar, Wheber, Kirya, Tiax, and Viconia held back. Summoning more monsters and undead, and casting spells of power into the ranks of the enemy.

Sarevok had the superior numbers, but Adrian's side used tactics and cunning. Alredy, this early in the battle, this was beginning to tell to their advantage.

But neither Adrian or Sarevok could see this; they did not have the dissasociated, remote perspective to be able to analyze the tides of combat. To them it was, as for the rest of their respective forces, a confusion of noise; the cry and clash of battle, the chanting of spells. It was a thunderous cacophony that drowned out all other sound.

But then, for the brothers, even that noise began to fade. Imoen, standing at the entrance to the temple casting spells, sensed it too, though not as keenly. The din of battle became blurred, slowed, and then nonexistent for the spawn. Powerful spawn of this rank entered another time and place when confronting eachother. In a very real sense, they had entered their father's realm.

Sarevok came on through the combat, swinging the Sword of Chaos. Not really to hit anything particularly, just to clear the way so he could reach Adrian.

Adrian dropped to one knee and unshipped his crossbow, enchantd wood and metal with it's poison bolts. He loaded, and fired. The bolt bounced off Sarevok's armor. Adrian fired again. This one missed entirely, finding a Cultist of the Ressurection instead. Adrian fired once more, and this time his aim was true. The bolt found it's way into Sarevok's arm at one of the plate joints. Sarevok winced, and felt the poison begin to eat into his veins.

Then Sarevok closed with Adrian. Adrian dropped the crossbow and drew his glowing green sword.

Sarevok swung, and Adrian parried. The impact of the blades, gold and green, coming together made a loud ringing noise throughout the chamber.

For a moment, all the others, even the undead, paused, as the sons of Bhaal began their own personal combat.