Brought together by the gods, five adventurers are chosen to undertake a secret mission. They deem this mission so important, that most of the adventurers are teleported from another quest. To be sure that they have chosen wisely, the gods require each to prove himself/herself. Only after they prove themselves will the final mission be revealed. The only clue they are given as to the final mission is: darkness will be pushed back from a major seat of power, one who has been missing will be found, and a source of good will be reclaimed.
Everyone then hears St. Cuthbert's disembodied voice, "Should you fail on your task, this is what will come of the world. Things that you see may not totally represent the future, but may represent what you must face, and the past as well."
As the party walks forward into the city to investigate, they see the destroyed buildings of businesses and homes. They can occasionally see various types of demons flying over head. Dried blood coves everything, but no bodies can be seen. The point isn't really driven home until they pass by the temple of Rao - or what is left of it. Debris surround a deep crater where it once stood.
Walking towards the center of town where the screams are coming from, they see a crowd milling around. It is only when Nial goes forward to investigate does the party realize that the crowd is made up of the undead citizens of the city. Luckily the undead and demons do not seem to care that warriors of good are freely walking the city streets. At that time they see a demon fly up from the center of town. In his arms is a middle-aged man. The demon flies higher and higher, and then holds the man out at arm length. He laughs wickedly as the man struggles and screams for help and mercy. The demon then lets him go - and the loud sickening thump of breaking bones can be heard. The demon laughs even more. The undead crowd parts and the party can see another demon standing over the body. This demon is very grotesque and large. Cyvara recognizes it from her studies of demon lore - it is the demon Orcus. Orcus seems to be casting a spell. The body of the man seems to now be moving. The corpse stands up and an unholy light can be seen in its eyes.
Going past the center of town, they find more demons flying around rounding up people. Some they outright slaughter and drag their bodies back towards the center of town, but others they capture for torture later on. As they exit the city through the far gate, they come upon a river of blood where no body of water flowed before.
The sights, sounds, and smells of all the death and decay finally overcomes everyone. As the dizziness comes, everyone's vision starts to blur.
*********
The party's location shifts to yet another sight. They are standing on a grassy plain. The sky is
still the blood red, and the grass is dead. Giant plumes of fire start bursting forth out of the
ground as the land conforms more to its new abyssal nature. Off in the distance, they can see
what appears to be a castle encased in a glowing blue crystal. The castle appears to be under
siege. Legion after legion of demon tries to break through the crystal to get inside, but they are
not able to penetrate the crystal.
With his elven vision, Damien is able to make out figures in the castle, but they appear to be encased in crystal as well. Nothing inside the castle is moving. Although the demons haven't yet breached the walls, there is nothing driving them back. As one of the walls becomes scorched from the intense head of a balor's attack, everyone realizes that it is only a matter of time before the castle falls.
*************
Their position shifts yet again to what seems to be another location of this hellish
wasteland. This time the party is standing on a hill. Down below a figure bathed in light rides
forth on a stallion and attacks the hoards of demons. The hoards fall beneath his blade. Just as
he finishes dispatching the final demon inky blackness forms beneath the warrior. This
blackness reaches forth, engulfs him, and is drawn back into the ground.
Then the ground beneath the party begins to violently shake and everyone is thrown off their feet. The largest demon yet seen bursts forth from the ground. It has two heads and both leer at the party. One head says to the other, "It appears that all good hasn't been wiped off this world after all - yet. Here are the last six." The other head says, "More to torture and then suck the marrow out of their bones." Everyone gets a psionic image of the demon sucking the marrow out of their still living bodies. Both heads laugh wickedly as fire leaps out of the ground around the demon prince (Demogorgon) and a score of balor appear out of the flames. The demon prince commands the balor to imprison the party, and as the balors reach for the prone party members. The heat coming from their bodies as they approach burns everyone so badly that blisters immediately form, and smoke starts coming off everyone's clothes. As each is grasped by a balor, the skin starts to boil and clothes burst into flame. Everyone screams out in pain and horror.
*************
With a start, everyone wakes up to loud, terrified screaming. It takes a few seconds for them to
realize that the screams are coming from themselves.
The party finds itself in a secluded grove. A fire burns in the center of the camp, and everyone's horses are tied to the trees. Food and water are sitting neatly by the fire. Other than scaring all wildlife in the immediate area, everything seems to be calm and peaceful. The sky is turning blue as the sun begins to rise. The notes that St. Cuthbert gave out are grasped in everyone's hand - the only indication that it wasn't all a dream.
Sorry for the lack of updates. Here is what is going on at the moment in the story...
The party is currently trying to stop an evil necromancer that is threatening to destroy the Free City of Greyhawk. They are not too far from one of the possible that he has been using (in a cemetery).
The party has just seen the largest army (thousands upon thousands of them) they have ever seen - and all the soldiers are undead.
To view what has previously happened in the story, click here
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Recent happenings: 03/15/01
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times since 12/29/98.
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These pages were last modified 03/15/01
Of course I didn't do any of the graphics on this page myself. You can find these and other excellent graphics at: Elfwood, index of booklet/pictures, and The Howling Caves of Pandemonium. Also, many of the pictures on the character pages were by Clyde Caldwell.
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