TOPIC: Tyranny of Dragons: Continues Rot 3 2020

Really enjoyed reading your latest instalment Tony, a right riveting read. Using the point of view of the wizard was a nice touch.

Will be interesting to see how close to the truth mine and Baney's musings actually are! Talking of the Bane musings... I'm wondering how he will deal with Queeg... I left that open for him to sort out, and guess what - nothing... the suspense is killing me!

So this is what they were reduced to, skulking round a dilapidated castle, the battle victorious for one side but who? The victors they had been, seen, conquered and buggered off.

“This Flint feels like looting and pilfering off the dead, and I’m not too happy about it” complained Elias.

“Oh Eye that’s exactly what it is, I agree it is nee pleasant brother, but we gotta do it” replied Flint, and they continued searching the deserted castle.

Oz was musing over his new found enlightenment. Even though it transpired his breath weapon was next to useless. He stopped and thought about it, when Oz compared it some more there was no comparison it wasn’t as good as useless. Throwing a rubber chicken would probably do as much harm and Oz decided when he arrived back into civilisation he would get one. The immunity to acid he had been promised although better than nothing still came as a surprise, when the acid seared his skin, it wasn’t total immunity only a resistance. After all that though Oz was still feeling good about being a Dragonborn.

Oz’s neuroses had moved onto his faith. Not that he doubted his god, not one bit, just his chosen path. Oz liked books and reading them, he even had some ocular wear that made the words easier to read. Oz knew it still wasn’t too late to become a Barbarian, just an educated one as he wouldn’t want to give up knowledge and reading. The Dwelf had shown him another option too, a half elf, raised purely as a dwarf, Oz could be the first Dragarf (Dragonborn / dwarf). Barbarian’s got things done, point them at the fight and let them go. No issue with spells, praying for them and then deciding when best to cast them, which in Oz’s case was difficult as there may always be a larger tragedy just round the corner so best to wait. Oz had watched Jebado and Issy casting with wanton abandon. Often they had cast all their spells and Oz still hadn’t used any, because once they are gone, you can’t use them again till approved by his deity, no best to keep them until a real emergency. Oz felt for sure life as a Barabarian sure would be easier.

Oz considered the empty castle, not a lot going on but should he see something then he would try his new vocation.

Issy was still narked over the live or let die situation back in the swamp. How could the rest of them be so colossally stupid? Surely manacling somebody to a tree even if you give them food and water for several weeks will tantamount to torture once all the supplies have gone. This small point seemed to be overlooked, as if the attitude is can’t kill them in front of me, but once I am gone and they are forgotten about well, enjoy a slow tortuous agonising death. It was that ruddy dwarf Flint and his my way or the high way attitude. He would not be happy till one of them escapes and kills us all, and at that point how much time would be left for “I told you so”. Certainly not long enough for her to play the song she had written about it. Later against Issy’s better judgement, they would let her mortal enemy go and this would really rankle her cankles.

Jebado was in his element. This was BRILLIANT, a whole castle to explore and better still one that had very recently lost a battle. There were all kinds of curiosity’s and inventions to discover. He had come across a thing shaped like a thingy in a bedchamber, when Issy stomped over to him and said “Jebado, there are some things your enquiring mind should not think about!” and before he could protest she snatched off him and thrust it back into the drawer. He stood there perplexed at what had just transpired when Maria said “Excuse me” and pushed him out the way, she opened the drawer and deftly took the thing and hid it up her sleeve. Still there were plenty of other things to marvel at such as the bare walls where fine tapestry would have once hung, Jebado wondered about their splendour. The things people missed as well, gem’s, gold they even found a magic dagger, whoever checked that room out originally would feel sick if they knew. Admittedly they were having to really search hard so it was taking a really long time but still you couldn’t argue with the results.


Flint was feeling bored, bored, bored, bored, bored. He hadn’t had a fight in so long he was getting irritated. In the last sixteen weeks he’d kicked crap out of; one of the two winged beasts with the heads of stags, a group of Bullywugs, some politically correct Lizard Folk, and a shambling mound. This was not adventure as far as Flint recalled. No the dwarven heroes were constantly in battle, they would put their axe down from one fight, only to instantly pick it up again to kill something else. Bruenor Battlehammer (You will have to read his chronicles if you don’t know), never had lulls like this. What was he supposed to say to the other members of The Order of the Gauntlet, he’ll be a laughing stock. Then to add insult to injury, he’d even missed the battle at the castle, no “Thriller in Manilla” for him. Reduced to picking over the bodies of the dead, perhaps he died and this was hell, yes that was it. He was dead so the next thing he fought he would fight like someone who had nothing to lose.

Elias studied the room carefully. Elias was unsure about why the castle had been invaded. The bodies strewn around the place suggested a great amount of fighting had occurred. The rooms all partially ransacked as if they lacked time and then, then for no apparent reason they felt the need to enable every trap again, it was most strange. Picking over corpses was not Elias’s thing at all and he was not enjoying it, he had principles not as many as Flint, but still he had some. Elias was also struggling with the difference between a quick death and torture. Flint seemed to be all for a bit of torture which was strange, even Maria had changed her tune. Elias cast his mind back to the early days, about six months ago……..

“Maria turns her attention to the sleeping Kobolds, killing them where they slept, mercilessly.
“Rats you have a problem with, but sleeping Kobolds?” Says Issy
“Too right” Maria replied.

…….. Strange how people change, like Oz a perfectly good Cleric who appears to have forgotten how to use magic.

Maria was worried. Not about the deserted castle, nor surprisingly the threat from the Black Dragon, but Dave. Since Dave had lost the game of chess with Queeg, she had not seen or heard from either of them. Dave had probably been “expunged“ and she felt a large hole in her life, she didn’t like this Queeg and she certainly didn’t want him as a spirit guide. Dave had been…….. fun.

“What are you doing Dave?” Asked Nar Ator

“Just trying to get this grub out of the bark of the tree, tricky little critters” replied Dave concentrating on the tree.

“No I meant with your” and if you could see Nar Ator you know he was doing the finger quotes “Band Of Dave. They’re falling apart, slowly, none of them knows what they are doing, and Maria is worried she has someone called Queeg as her spirit guide.”

“How am I supposed to know what they are supposed to do! That bloody DM God turned the world upside down. I am sure that the plan when they got here was to set the different factions off against one another, but it appears that has already happened and we missed it, so I am just as much in the dark as they are.”

“Okay Dave let’s start at the beginning”

“Right you are Nar Ator. You said I have to guide everybody”

“I did”

“So how am I supposed to guide all of them, if A) The world is different from the limited information I receive, and How can I guide them all when I struggle with just one.”

“Efficient time management Dave. Have you considered a Gantt or Pert chart?”

“Even though I don’t know what they are, I can tell you are taking the pith out of me”

“No I just meant. Look forget that, let’s start with Maria. What is this Queeg thing about”

“She was grumbling about me being a bad spirit guide and not offering any real help. You told me I could change my appearance and voice to suit the situation and who I was advising”

“Ah yes I did”

“So I thought you know show her what one was like, you know, all efficient and no fun. So I became a Blackbird called Queeg”

“I see. And are you done with this sharade yet?”

“Nope gonna drag this out a little longer”

Back at the castle

“THIS IS BORING” shouted Flint “I AM DEAD AND IN HELL”. Based on this new information it was decided to hurry the search up a bit.

“PSSST” Maria turned round “No PSSST, up here” Maria looked up and there was Queeg.

“Dave’s gone then” she said in a statement question.

“Dave will no longer bother you, as I already informed you I am your upgrade.”

“Not much of an improvement I must say, I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for two days now”

“I’m a busy Blackbird can’t expect me to hang around all day in case you, on a whim, want to discuss your feelings”

“Oh very nice insult me, how is this helping”

“Look search the central tower, then the one in the south west corner okay”

“Why”

“If I answer that I may as well do it myself and what would be the point of you”

“Dave would.” Queeg flapped his wings in her face

“We are not here to lament the loss of your former spirit guide, now get on with it. Oh yeah please convince Flint he is not dead, as that could have serious ramifications” and with that Queeg took off and left a little bit of bird poop on Maria’s back.

Maria called a group meeting.

“So we all agree”

“Sounds like a plan”

“I’m not dead then, this is actually my life”

“’Fraid so Flint”

The group entered the lower level and searched, Oz heard a noise from a chamber off the room. He and Elias went in to investigate. Movement attracted Elias’s attention someone was hiding under the bed, he motioned to Oz.

Oz moved cautiously over to the bed and was about to grab it when a hand flew out and shocked him. Teeth chattering and wishing he had resistance to electricity Oz did what any Barbarian would do and leapt onto the bed and start thrusting his weapon through, whilst trying to get into a rage.

“Here’s Ozzy…….. Come out come out” there was a satisfactory “Ouch” and Jay the nice man from the caravan, who turned out to be a red wizard of Thay came out.

Once more after much discussion it was decided to let him go, he could not believe his luck and nor could Maria, Issy and Queeg.

“What you let him go for” asked Queeg

“Flint didn’t want to kill him after he’d given his word and opened the box with his spell book in it for Jebado”

“I see, and if Flint told you to jump into a pool of festering effluence you would do that, would you?”

“No but…..”

Oz could see the attraction of this Barbarian thing, this could work out. He really enjoyed that bit on the bed and felt like he had lost it for a short while anyway.

The Band of Queeg, moved onto the next tower once they had established nothing else of interest other than six gargoyles and a telescope were not worthy of investigation. Against Flint’s protestations. “Can we not fight the Gargoyles. I don’t care if we don’t use the telescope, just….No I did have my own way with the prisoners, not like that Maria, so….. I suppose…… but…” and they left it at that.

Entering the final tower the Band of Queeg discovered a pool of festering effluence. Maria looked round and there was the Blackbird called Queeg nodding sagely. If she didn’t know better she would say he set this up. She much preferred Dave.

“How are we going to get across this?” Asked Jebado. Issy whose cankles were rankled by letting the wizard go said.

“Get out of the way” and pushed them aside and leapt for the steps. She was going to make it when suddenly a long thin tentacle broke the water grabbing her tightly and pulled her under. Maria reacted quickly as she was about to leap into the water Flint said.

“You’d better jump in there after her Maria” and that is as far as everybody concerned what she did.

“The bust ard she thought. Dave was not so literal with the truth, this Queeg was an annoying know it all” Dave on the other hand couldn’t believe his luck, a pool of festering effluence and when he saw Maria’s mind flick to jump in, took control of Flint and said that, perfect comic timing.

Elias followed her in, the battle was short and swift and a third of the Band of Queeg emerged on the other side at the bottom of the steps feeling rather unwell.

“Er you don’t look so good Elias” said Flint

“I don’t feel too good Flint” replied Elias. Flint made to come over “Stay there brother, no need for both of us to be ill. We’ll check this out and if we need you we’ll shout” and was violently ill on the steps. Elias used his own brand of magic and cleaned himself and the others up, they looked and smelt better but didn’t feel any better.

“I don’t mean to grumble Jebado but this just isn’t working out for me. I mean we didn’t fight the gargoyles, I didn’t hit the red wizard, the creature in the pool I fired a couple of crossbow bolts at it but really we have not fought anything worth of note or song. I feel I’m letting the Order down, the Dawrves back under the mountain and myself down.”

“Listen Flint, stick with it. These are cultists right, at some point there will be a whole load of them to fight. Then if they do manage to bring Tiamat back then the battle that will follow it will make a song of legend for eternity.”

“But Bruenor Battlehammer….”

“I’m sure he had quiet days, can’t be fighting sixteen hours a day everyday can you”

“Suppose not. Do you hear something?”

“No, no I can’t”

Issy, Elias, Maria and Oz were screaming their heads off running down the stairs escaping the Spectres. Only to discover they can pass through the floor, they were now stuck between a floor and a staircase.

Dave/Queeg on the other hand thought this was going swimmingly well. He poked Maria’s mind “Don’t make a Spectre acle of yourself and fight them”

CAW CAW CAW CAW

“Thanks Queeg” said Maria under her breath. She cast Flame Sword and swung at the closest Spectre to her, it exploded satisfactorily dying for the second time. The Spectres fought back this time missing Maria and Elias but caught Issy who cast a retributive strike against it. Elias attacked one of the ones fighting Maria and killed it. The tide of the battle swung into the Band of Queeg’s favour, although Elias, Issy, and Maria did not come out of it unscathed in fact they were wounded badly. On the plus side though they had found the tome the dragon wanted.

Outside a Spectre floated towards Jebado and Flint

“See Flint, I told you it was a waiting game” said Jebdo hitting the spectre with an acid arrow. Flint seized his opportunity and fired his crossbow at it whilst shouting.

“Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough” and to be fair to the spectre it did think it was hard enough but could not withstand the onslaught of attacks Flint hit it with. Flint was like a dwarf possessed, moving like a blur taking all his anger out on this the first creature he had attacked in while.

Back in the tower

“Who needs healing” asked Maria whilst staring at Oz. Oz found something more interesting to look at than his comrades.

“I’m a Barbarian” he said quietly

“YOU ARE NOT A BARBARIAN, YOU ARE A CLERIC. YOU COULD HAVE TRIED TO TURN THEM OZ!!” Shouted Maria

“I am so a barbarian” whispered Oz to himself but everybody heard it and he walked down the stairs and jumped over the pool of effluence.

“What is it with all of you, huh” asked Maria

“What do you mean all of us?” replied Issy

“Look, we have a half elf who thinks he is a dwarf”

“I am a dwarf, just a tall one” said Elias. Maria looked at him

“As I was saying, the other dwarf who is getting steadily more depressed because he thinks he should be killing things like Bruenor Battlehammer, but then when we get the chance to kill them he won’t because of some hidden code.”

“That’s not fair Flint…”

“Oh stop sticking up for your brother from another mother. Then there’s the two lovey dovey gnomes that really grate on your unmentionables. Oz who seems to have more neuroses than one brain should be able to handle. It’s only you and me Issy who seem to be normal” Issy raised an eyebrow at that but Maria didn’t notice. Elias approached Maria in a typical clumsy male fashion when faced with a distraught possibly psychotic female and put his arm round her.

“Cheer up little camper, are you sure there is not something else bothering you? Maybe some monthly thing?” he asked. Maria turned her head slowly and looked into his hard cold blue eyes. The experience was a lot more disconcerting for Elias. Maria’s head seemed to pivot on an unseen axle, her eyes met his and behind those eyes he saw flames, explosions with mushroom clouds, the fall of civilisations. It frightened him more than any foe they’d met before including the black dragon, and he’d had to turn his underwear inside out after that meeting.

“What did you say?” asked Maria with spittle flying through her gritted teeth.

“Cheer……. Up………Little……….Camper” said Elias tentatively, Issy touched him on the shoulder

“I think you’d better go” said Issy. Elias relieved at this news did what any sensible person would and beat a hasty retreat. He jumped off the bottom step over the pool of effluence when Issy’s unseen servant grabbed his ankle making him fall into the effluent pool once more.

“Better” said Issy grinning at Maria

“Better” said Maria.

“He does have a point though. You do seem rather angry about something.” Asked Issy

“You’re not asking me about monthly happenings”

“God’s no. I mean it is plain to see something is getting you down, is it anything I can help with?”

“Thanks Issy but no, it’s this stupid Spirit Guide Queeg”

“I thought it was Dave?” and Maria told Maria all about Queeg and Dave.

Dave and Nar Ator were listening in.

“I think this has gone on too long now Dave”

“It was just getting interesting you mean”

“You’ve proved your point. Now get it sorted”

“But I’m enjoying being Queeg, he’s a git”

“Is this what you want to hear for eternity?”

“What, I can’t hear anything”

“DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE”

“Okay, Okay” said Dave “Just a couple more days”

“DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE”

“Fine. Have it your way, just shut up. How I am going to become un-expunged?” Dave wondered out loud. Nar Ator and Dave put their heads together and came up with a cunning plan.

*****************************************
Meanwhile Issy and Maria had come up with a cunning plan to get rid of Queeg.
******************************************

“So let’s go over the plan one more time” said Nar Ator.

“I appear as the Blackbird Queeg”

“Wasn’t the most imaginative of disguises was it really Dave”

“What! I look nothing like a Blackbird”

“No, no of course you don’t. Not if you exclude wings, feathers, claws, beaks, and colour, you look nothing alike. Back to the plan”

Dave looked disgruntled at the aspersion he looked like a Blackbird.

“Look like a Blackbird indeed. So I appear as Queeg and I am my normal obnoxious self, because I’m Queeg”

“Of course, I know you are just playing your role”

“And then when she says something about Dave, I say as Dave. Maria’s will gives me form. I challenge you to a contest of worms, we both disappear and I return a couple of hours later victorious and I get the welcome I deserve on my return.”

*******************************************
“You ready Maria?”

“Sure am Issy, let’s get on with it” replied Maria “QUEEG!, QUEEG! I NEED YOUR GUIDANCE. YOU WERE RIGHT I NEED TO CHANGE MY ATTITUDE”

Queeg / Dave flew into the room

“You do need to change your attitude, stop doing what people tell you.”

“I know Queeg” said Maria sat crossed legged on the floor not looking at him, playing with her hair absentmindedly.

“Glad you see it my way. Glad all this talk of Dave is over” said Dave/ Queeg prompting a response.

“He’s gone” said Maria matter of factly

“Who’s gone” asked Queeg, trying to coax the word Dave out of her.

“My former spirit guide. I now have you Queeg and your sagely wisdom” Said Maria. This was not going to the plan she was supposed to say Dave’s name.

“Former Spirit guide that’s a bit formal. He had a name you know”

“Now ISSY” Issy had been hidden by a minor illusion. In an instant she pounced from her position with a bag and caught Dave/ Queeg in it she pulled the bag up and drew the cord to close the top.

“I” and Maria smacked the bag with a wooden bat. SMACK

“Don’t” THWACK

“LIKE” WHAMO

“YOU” PUMMEL

Hi Narrator here, I didn’t know you could enunciate punctuation, but here Maria has proved you can.

“.” WALLOP

“I” WHAP

“WANT” FAPO

“DAVE” SHPANK

“BACK” KABLAM

Before Maria could enunciate anymore punctuation. Dave reached out for the closest open mind, and found Elias. Dave had watched him use his magic for all manner of things including setting combustible things on fire. In a brief moment Elias had used the words of power and the bag Dave was trapped in set on fire.

The bag was on fire but at least Maria had stopped beating him with a stick. Issy let go of the bag and it fell to the floor, Dave reached out to Issy’s mind and used her minor illusion to create a bright light and finally put his feet on the floor as Dave.

“Dave, your back” said Maria picking him up. His head really hurt.

“Hi Maria, thanks for not giving up on me” said Dave groggily

“You sound awful Dave”

“You know coming back from the dead can do that to a guy, give me a couple of hours I’ll be as good as new” Dave replied

“I won’t have to take the upgrade to Queeg again, will I Dave?” asked Maria.

“No, they’ve upgraded me instead.”

“See you soon then” and Maria and Issy left the tower. Maria felt the best she had done in a while now. She had Dave back, sure he had been annoying but at least he was friendly and nice.


“What happened to the plan?” Asked Nar Ator

“You try being stuffed in a bag, and beaten with stick”

“Nice escape though, you really are getting use to your powers now. How did you know Elias could set the bag alight?”

“I’ve been watching him and his powers grow. In fact I’ve been watching them all, they are coming along nicely just need coherence again”

“Just make sure that you do that Dave, this world needs them”

The Band of Dave (rounds of applause) continued down into the lower levels of the castle.

The followed the steps and it came down into a mud filled room with a pool of water off to their left beyond that where the path bent round more steps going further down. To their right were more steps going down. Flint stopped Elias entering the room.

“Hold a moment brother let’s see if we can discern the foot prints.” Maria and Flint studied the tracks. It appeared BullyWug tracks went down the right steps and bipedal human footprints went off to the right. They decided the cultists were the most pressing concern and followed those round the pool.

As they were halfway round, light glinted off the entrance to a tunnel opposite through the pool of water.

“Let’s check it out Bro” said Elias

“It looks like a trap” replied Flint

“C’mon” so they went slowly down the tunnel. It was littered with precious and semi-precious gemstones. Halfway down the tunnel Flint said.

“It feels like a trap”

Elais replied “C’mon where is your sense of adventure” and he moved further forward. At the entrance to the room Flint stopped Elias again.

“You know this is a trap”

“Yup”

“And you still want to go in there? “Asked Flint one last time.

“You have been going on about Bruenor Battlehammer, for days now. Now you finally have some adventure you don’t want to take it”

“You calling me a coward?”

“Well I ain’t calling you for dinner” Flint pushed Elias into the room, there were thousands of gems in here.

“Well look at that no trap.”

“This feels wrong Elias” and a huge mass, an Ooze attacked Flint striking him and acid started to eat away at his armour. Elias reacted quickly slashing at it with his sword. Elias struck the creature but its corrosive nature stated to eat away at his sword. The creature attacked Flint again trying to eat the metal in his armour. Flint struck out at the creature striking it, then moving quickly struck again and again. The creature fell against the torrent of blows done by Flint. Anf Both Elias and Flint looked at the withered form of Flints longsword it was now almost useless.

“Thanks for that Bro” said Flint smiling “Just what the shaman ordered. Feelin pretty good now, Bruenor Battlehammer would be proud” and pulled his brother into a one armed hug.

“You’re not mad about your sword?”

“Nope these things happen, it’s only a sword” They returned to the others laden with gems and a good tale to tell. Issy made notes and Flint was happy again, maybe the day he heard his song was a day closer now. Issy also gave Flint her Longsword.
They carried on down the steps into a large chamber where a crane to lower the treasure horde had been erected. The Band of Dave marvelled at the amount of treasure needed to go to such effort. The sound of battle joined reached their ears from further down the tunnel.

They followed the noise and the tunnel narrowed and the damp had coalesced into a mist partially obscuring their vision. The tunnel opened out into a large chamber and before them cultists were fighting Bullywugs. Forty people fighting and in the middle was an elf with a fine looking ring on his finger fighting a Bullywug with a crocodile head on his head, obviously some kind of shaman. Arcane energy crackled of them as the battle continued. The Elf lashed out cutting the shaman who staggered back, he let fly with a spell and his staff struck killing the elf outright. It was at this moment in time Jebado let loose Fireball killing all but six and the shaman. Maria let fly with an arrow but that missed Flint moved up and joined the fight with the cultists Jebado had spoken about only hours before. The Shaman knowing he was out gunned and possibly out of spells disappeared. Issy went over to the Elf and collected the ring.
On the floor next to the elf was a fine looking longsword which Flint picked up. Jebado cast detect magic to see if he could find the shaman but only the ring and the sword glowed.

“Her let me look at that sword for you Flint” offered Jebado.

“Nah, it’s okay, we know is magical I’ll work it out” replied Flint a little out of character.

They carried on down the tunnel till they reached a room with a magical carckles going off over symmetrical lines carved into the floor. They used the word they learnt from upstairs to activate it and appeared outside in daylight a crisp cold day
.
“Dave that was much better” said Maria happy again and seeing unity in the team rather than the discordance that had set in under Queeg’s time as spirit guide. It was strange really that Queeg was really efficient but could not bring it out in them. Dave was the exact opposite but it all worked better as if order needs chaos.

“It was a pleasure Maria” Dave replied.

Astrological data
Movement of the planets and stars
Angular momentum of the primary foci
Seraphim considered the data. His colleagues had been quiet for some time, as intent on their tasks as he. There was something strange about the calculations. They seemed to point to an anomaly. An event of some sort. He’d been studying the dimensions, but perhaps the focus should be temporal? Quickly rationalising the temporal data, and laying it alongside his angular momentum calculations… there it was again!

Excitement bloomed as the researcher studied more variables, aligning each quickly with his temporal hypothesis. It fitted! The event occurred, and indeed had occurred several times. Each time there were signs. The wakening’s, the interlocking spatial fields, and the opportunities to breach temporal and spatial reality, it was all there for the taking, and then…

CRUNCH. Some fractured his chain of thought, the calculations seeing to slip from his grasp.

How dare they disturb the research. Did these pitiful creatures not understand the importance of alignment? Seraphim’s rage at the disturbance nearly overtook him. He was about to shout at the intruders and wave his fist, when he smelled the scent of warmth…

Cloying, irritating warmth that push thoughts of calculated vectors and astronomical alignment far from his thoughts as it overwhelmed him. Seraphim barely noticed when his body didn’t rise at his behest, his only thought was to smother the smell. There were 4 separate sources, all emitting varying degrees of sweet sickly warmth. Moving quickly to the first, a beam of light seemed to set him aflame. The powerful blast seemed to somehow shred his intellect and evaporate his incorporeal body, his rage intensified. Striking quickly at the source, he felt something shrink at his touch. Its sickening sweetness fading slightly as Seraphim worked to smother it, but the EXTACY! The sweetness was like ambrosia on the tongue of a parched man!

His fellow researchers were likewise intent on removing the cloying stench. It seemed to have some effect, as the brightness moved rapidly away, but he could still smell it. They were downstairs in the living space. Living space. That seemed to trigger a memory of men grouped in discussions, eating and drinking whilst debating things (funny how they didn’t use that anymore). Thinking of the living space, Seraphim found himself looking at it, but once again, the cloying sickly sweet smell that he both hated and craved as there. The four sources of smell had a distict flavour associated with them, the tang was different, something in his mind supplied the answer… fear.

His fellows moved quickly to the sources, but seemed to encounter resistance. Seraphim heard the soul scream of Adjaxus, and another from Belial, somehow they simply weren’t there anymore. A part of Seraphim’s mind regretted loosing Adjaxus – the man was a brilliant mathematician, and a lively debater, the other part of Seraphim’s mind paid attention to the glowing bar of fire that seemed to prevent him getting to the sweetness. Instructively recognising it as dangerous Seraphim descended once more, into the bottom of the tower only to meet pain at the hands of some of magically generated acid. The PAIN!

The screams of the other researchers were howling in his ears as the acid seemed to eat away at Seraphim and the shackles seemed to fall away… the pain ceased, and horror at what he had become was replaced by a profound piece, followed by a sense of irritation… who would complete the research now.

“So you see Dave, even the monsters have a point of view!”

“That see-through upright seemed to have a one track mind. Did he really think he was still alive?”

“Apparently. You have to remember Dave, that all the creatures in existence have purpose, thoughts, ideas, or beliefs and many of them simply act out their own whims.” Nar-Ator was pleased with how this was going. His nudges to get Dave to appreciate the agendas of other creatures would hopefully support his development as a guide for the group.

“So let me get this straight, I have to consider everyone’s agenda in this matter?” Dave sounded incredulous.

“Yes that’s right, it allows you to provide more rounded advice and guidance.”

Dave went quiet. Contemplating. In the background the Band of Dave, having discussed at length the various failings of being attacked by undead, and whose fault it was, and whether the book should be handed to the dragon. Ultimately they decided on the direct approach, get the ring then decide. Dave brightened, this was more like it! Bugger the consideration of agendas and get to it!

What the hell difference did it make which sex decided on what they were going to do!
This newfound sense of direction didn’t last long. Just as Elias was crossing the foul water at the bottom of the tower, it was evident that a defined course of action did not equate to a good outcome unless you paid attention. Elias managed to fall (once again) straight into the effluent. Fate it seems, was nothing if not ironic. On emerging from the foul noxious effluent, Elias cleaned himself off for a second time, and it was then, that Dave noticed his hair…

“What’s that with this hair?”
“It appears the young half elf has bleached his hair, either that or the blood of the Otyugh and his magic have combined in a most unusual way…” Nar-Ator was trying hard not to laugh.
“Its bloody weird, that’s what it is. It looks like a flaming rainbow.” Dave was incredulous.
“Well maybe he wanted it like that?” Nar-Ator tried to sound confident.

The rest of the band of Dave of course, had no idea about Elias’s hair, darkvision after all had its drawbacks. Dave could only imagine the shock when things lit up!

The band marched down the stairs into the caves below the Castle Uthtower, and then stopped. More discussion arose the group spotted a large amount of water. More discussion. And finally they chose to ignore the water, until the Dwelf saw the sparklies at roughly the same time as Dave did. Sparklies… things were looking up! More discussion and the Band decided it needed to ignore the sparklies and move on – they had an agenda.

Dave was furious. Bloody agendas should only occur when serious matters were up for discussion. In a fit of pique, Dave tweaked the Dwelf’s irritation at being told he couldn’t explore, and simultaneously hyped the Dwarf Half-rights adrenal gland, just as the argument about going into the water for the caves reached its conclusion.

The Dwarf, Dave noted, was downright surly about being accused of having a holier than thou attitude, and making poor decisions. He decided that an abrupt about face was needed to prove he wasn’t in charge. His confused Dwelf brother, was pointing out that he should go first, presumably so that he could not spot the traps that lay in wait, but the Dwarf ploughed on right through the water, loudly mentioning it was a bad idea but he was doing it anyway. Apparently, Dave reflected, this was a good way of demonstrating that you are a team player, and therefore not in charge. As a technique the bird considered it bang alongside abject stupidity. That said these were sparklies!

The pair entered the cave and there were sparklies galore! There was also a very unpleasant acid sludge thing that tried to eat the pair of them. The Dwarf was struck a couple of times, and then proceeded to go mad hacking at the sludge until it dissipated. Afterwards he complained loudly about the event and the damage done to his favourite sword. They did have a lot of sparklies!

Continuing on, the group followed tracks that Maria insisted were made by cultists. The newly emboldened Band moved quickly through cave passages, and down a sharp escarpment,

The sounds of combat, from a distant cave caused the band to hasten forward. The scene that greeted them was priceless. The cultists and the Bullywugs were fighting each other. An elf sorcerer appeared to be fighting a Bullywug with a crocodile on its head. Dave wisely didn’t pursue that logic as he was too pleased with what happened next.

The Band unleashed a storm of precision attacks against the combatants. Jebido outdid himself with a fireball which vaporised all but a few of the combatants, leaving the remainder to be mopped up by Flint, Issy, Elias and Maria. The only sour note, was that the crocodile head seemed to magically move away. But all in all, it was a fine executed attack. Dave was pleased as punch.

Quickly stripping the elf of his ring, and a fine looking longsword (claimed by Flint), the Band sought out Crocodile head, and instead found the portal, they had been seeking. Dave was convinced this result would be noteworthy enough even for Nar-Ator. Even the evil DM ought to be happy for once!

***************

The flashing lightning within the circle provoked discussion, which eventually Maria tired of. She decided to step into it and shout the magical word of activation and see what happended. Lightning flashed and Maria found herself in a forest. It was dawn. The sound and smell of forest made her feel instantly at home. But of more importance was the tingle of energy from having stepped through the portal. She felt stronger, and more capable. The touch of the portals energies had expanded her awareness.

Shortly afterwards, the others arrived.

It was then, with them looking round that the first site, wasn’t the massive house in the distance, or the mountains, that sparked interest, instead it was Flint’s comment:

“Bloody hell brother, WHAT have you done to your hair? … and Why does it smell like…. Err…. Gummy bears?”

Dave looked at Nar-Ator, “I swear that wasn’t me!”
“I know Dave”, but I have a photo of it and its definitely going on facebook!”

Not knowing what to say, Dave noted with pride that his creation was starting to look much more formidable.

Not sure where you are heading with multicoloured gummy bear smelling hair. But that is one for you to sort out, now I've put queen to bed.