Adrian: Baldur's Gate

Facing the two mages, Adrian thought--really thought--he was dead.

Suddenly, Viconia was at his shoulder, chanting, hurling that clerical negation of magic at them.

Instantly, Edwin stumbled as he was restored to normality. Unfortunately Shadrach was too.

The glowing purple aura of defense around Davaeorn was dispelled. He cursed, and teleported away again.

Recovering, Shadrach raised his blade...but Safana leapt from the shadows and stabbed him in the back.

There was a bellowing warcry, and Korgan leapt past Adrian to dcapitate the already wounded Shadrach.

"I..." Edwin began shakily.

"I know, shut up already," said Adrian. "Get up Xzar! Magic missiles, the both of you, now!"

They complied, Xzar still sitting down while he threw them, to save time. The hurled around a corner in a glowing red swarm. There was a cry of pain, then Davaeorn was in front of them again, shaking and bleeding, his robes askew.

Coran shot him point-blank, the arrow thunking home into his shoulder. Adrian minor-drained him. But still he stood.

Faldorn whacked him. Xzar gave him a jet of ice. Yeslick pounded at his kneecaps.

Stumbling backwards, Davaeorn produced a wand of his own, summoning a pack of Gnolls, before teleporting away again.

Kagain, Adrian, Yeslick and Coran had cut them down in seconds, but this gave Davaeorn the time he needed to cast again. A globe of energy slammed Faldorn into the wall, and down she slid, stunned.

Viconia called forth skeletons of her own, and they went in pursuit of Davaeorn. Coran went to follow, but Yeslick stopped him. "Nay," he said, "Wait here."

"Make him come to us," Adrian agreed.

Davaeorn teleported in again, and Edwin hurled an acid arrow into his face. Poisoned, Davaeorn could no longer cast.

Faldorn got up slowly from the floor, and as Davaeorn pulled out another wand, knocked it away.

Feebly, Davaeorn tried to punch, but Xzar, giggling, grabbed his hand and flung him into the wall.

Davaeorn fell, gasping, into a sitting position.

"Yeslick, Faldorn," Adrian said. "I think this kill is yours."

The Dwarf and the Druid closed in, and pummeled Davaeorn into oblivion.

"What a lovely robe," said Edwin, taking it off the corpse. "Archmagi, I'm sure. Pity about the blood though."

"I might make a claim," said Xzar.

"You might, but I was faster." There was an unpleasant glint in Edwin's eye now.

"Well, at least let me take a blood sample from the robes," Xzar pleaded, and Edwin nodded reluctantly.

As Adrian rounded a corner, he saw another mage. He raised his blade.

"P-please don't kill me," the youth whined. "I was only his apprentice. I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Adrian expected the Yeslick to agree, but instead he said: "If you were his pupil, you will continue spreading his evil in his wake."

"Besides which," said Adrian. "I think we already have a fair idea of the Throne's plot." He reached out with a glowing hand, and froze the young mage, mouth open in pleading.

Viconia finished him.

After Viconia and Faldorn healed them, they explored the lair, which Adrian had to admit was rather impressive. Edwin and Xzar were chuckling over new spell scrolls, and after dealing with the jelly guardians, Adrian and Kagain got some more gold, as well as more Throne internal correspondence. Not that there had been any doubt, but the Gate was their next target.

Baldur's Gate. Where Xzar had promised his masters would answer Adrian's questions. Though he had a feeling he wouldn't like the answers very much.

"Rest here tonight," he said. "We'll go up in the morning."

"The way we came?" Wondered Coran.

"Nay," said Yeslick, pointing to a pulley-and-board contraption in the corner. "Lift from the old days. Reiltar and Davaeorn had it rebuilt."

"Good," said Safana, smiling.

Another dream.

The world was one vast ocean of blood, everwhere Adrian could see. He was swimming in it, in his armor, but strangely did not drown. Perhaps the magical storm armor was holding him up.

As far as Adrian could the blood had no direction or purpose, a raging sea. It pushed against him, but he pushed back. He would control what was his, and that was all he could ask.