Adrian: Baldur's Gate

They had tromped through the wilderness for several days, and Adrian was pleased to see the group finally gelling as a unit. Even Edwin's arrogance and Xzar's insanity had been muted.

They had reached the area where Brage had last been reputed to be, when they had stumbled across some sort of tomb robbing gang.

"No, we're an archeological expedition!" The old leader had expostulated, and Adrian had nodded and pretended to believe him, especially when he offered them a commission to guard the camp.

But when his number one lieutenant had offered him even more gold to kill the old man and his followers and leave him to have the idol of the ancient Storm God Kozah from the dig, he had been even more willing. Edwin praised, once again, his "rare display of intelligence." Viconia had grinned at him openly.

Killing the workers had proven almost too easy; the tombs had driven them mad, and they had attacked the party. Something about Adrian's blood...he didn't know what it meant, but he didn't like it much. He cursed himself for not interrogating Jaheira further on that point.

In any event, after killing them all and earning praise from their boss, they had killed him, stolen the idol, and bolted outside with it. Before they could reach the waiting lieutenant, though, they faced a new threat. The guardian of the Idol, the Doomsayer.

It had come with a voice like a gust of wind, it's body blurred, a flaming sword jutting from it's armored body. Viconia had tried a new chant, dispelling magic, negating the blur--but not the flaming sword.

Kagain had taken it on directly, Adrian shooting it with his crossbow, the mages zapping it. Viconia and Montaron moved in to help, but the Doomsayer turned on Montaron and nearly killed him. But finally, the Doomsayer fell.

Adrian studied its armor with interest. It was clearly magical and unusual. Plate mail of a deep gray, with an emerald of the Storm God Kozah embedded in it's chest. Something about the dark armor seemed to call to him. It would be his own signature armor, as the murderer of Gorion had worn the bulky golden plate. Giving his current armor to Viconia, he slipped into the dark armor, and instantly felt stronger. No wonder the Doomsayer had been so hard to defeat; this enchanted armor was a marvel!

He held his head high, and everyone in the party looked at him with respect and fear. "Let's move."

"Greetings, playthings. Thou hast found me, when I alone could not."

Brage stood amongst a caravan he had slain, magical blade in his hands still dripping blood.

Adrian restrained himself; the Helmite priest had wanted him alive.

The riddle the madman asked was almost too easy. As one, Adrian, Viconia, and Xzar had answered, "Death."

With a mumbling, weeping Brage in tow, they made their way back towards Nashkel.