The Ingaran Adventures
Episode
32
“The Assault on Dalby's Mansion”
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Alexander: The Gauntlet of Athena
Zografos: An Ingaran
painter going under the name of Domnhall
Flower:
An Elven girl caring for a human child named Hannah.
Issic: Half Human, Half Gold Dragon Warrior
India: A gypsy Bard/Shadow Dancer
Phaidon: A local Tamer of the Beasts
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The Time: Summer, Nemed 24
The Place:
Alisander – A very large city, the largest in all of Inzeladun,
Alisander has a population of 120,000 persons. Although Lamapacher does not
have a capital, this city is the definite hub of Lamapacher's commerce and power.
Situated on the shores of the Alisander River, this town has a history that
dates back to the Fourth Age. Founded by King Alisander, a hero of the Fourth
Age, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Alisander. Alisander existed as
a separate nation until it was conquered by Lord Komaaks and absorbed into his
fledging nation Lamapacher. The city is currently ruled by Baron Nadam, Champion
of Vale. The city is well known for its cheese. It also exports manufactured
goods, weapons, armor, ancient artifacts looted from the massive dungeons and
tunnels that crisscross beneath the city to untold depths. The city-state extends
out 50 miles from the city center in all directions, making Alisander one of
the largest states in Lamapacher. Like much of Lamapacher, slavery is illegal,
and many escaped slaves from Drychtnoth and Ingara make their way here.
As Phaidon and Zografos converged on
India, who lay crumpled on the floor, the footsteps on the stair began again.
A familiar shape loomed in the tower doorway. It was a patch-work elf of huge
size and grotesque strength. He had close-cropped sandy hair which bristled
belligerently above a row-boned, weather-beaten face with had what beauty it
should have had pounded out of it. He had thunderbolts for fists, a granite
jaw, a steel-hard body, the ferocity of a tiger, and one of the greatest fighting
hearts to ever beat in an iron-ribbed breast. Standing eight feet tall, Seth
was an abomination of nature, a wretch that was forgotten and uncared for, except
by Doctor Dalby.
"Go back, my friends," said
the voice from the shadows that appears. The voice that sounded like Seth's.
Zografos grabbed up his rope and headed for the door. Phaidon nocked an arrow.
Alexander stood up to the monster who
once was their friend. "Why Seth? What is coming?"
"I am."
Zografos tried to pick India up and help
her out the front door, but she screamed, kicked, and hit at Zografos. Seth
glared in their direction. A monster he might be, but a woman he did not like
to see getting hurt. Seth growled in the back of his throat, but returned to
his conversation with Alexander. "You must not interfere with what Richard
is doing. It is for the betterment of the world."
"You know I have to stop him,"
said Alexander, "and you if I have to."
Zografos put India down, thinking that
if India had enough in her to kick and scream she had enough in her to get out
of this damn place on her own. He pushed her toward the front door. "We
are getting out of here."
"I'm staying," said India.
Zografos shook his head at them all and backed up towards the door, watching
the Seth thing and anything that might come out of any of the other doors.
Flower tugged on Alexander's armored
arm, "Are we prepared to fight that THING again?" Seth growled at
Flower, for he hated to be referred to as a thing. Seth spoke up again,
"Leave, Alexander. Perhaps we can help you in some way against the real
evils of this city."
Alexander was beyond negotiating with
this abomination. He tossed his pilum toward Phaidon. "Phaidon, catch!
For when your arrows run out!" Alexander then cast weapon of deity
on his sword as Phaidon caught the pilum.
"So be it," said Seth, with
a note of sadness. He balled up his huge fists. His unnatural elven eyes gleamed
with tears. His ogre torso took in a huge breath. When he saw Alexander casting
the spell, all the humanity that Seth had remaining fled. All that remained
was a horrible mockery, and it lashed out at Alexander. Flower jumped for cover.
Seth, once a great fencer, now battled
like an iron man, walking into his foe and letting fly with both fists until
somebody dropped. Seth came in with his body crouched, ugly elven chin tucked
behind his misshapen shoulder, ham fists held high. Seth lashed out in his
maniacal fury and landed first, a terrific left hook which spattered Alexander
with blood from his own lips. Alexander staggered backwards and lifted his
enchanted blade.
Flower ran up in front of Alexander and
yelled, "You are elf! You CANNOT harm another elf! There is a bond! And
boundary you will not cross. That of LOVE!"
Seth's long, smooth muscles
rippled as he moved with the ease of a huge tiger as he slammed Flower with
a hard left hook to her chin, sending her sprawling into a wall. She dropped
to the floor, blood running from her nose and her smashed lips. With the little
girl out of his path, Seth swung his right flush to Alexander's jaw which, strangely
enough, did not seem to worry Alexander as had the first punch. Alexander shook
his head and plunged in with his sword again, but as he did so, Seth drew back
the deadly left and crashed it once more to his jaw. Alexander dropped like
a log, face first.
From the exit door, Zografos cast gloom,
and the room became very gloomy and dark. Phaidon fired his green arrows into
the hulking monster as Issic moved in for his attack, swinging mightily with
his powerful sword. Zografos threw his rope at Alexander, and it entangled around
his left boot. Zografos dragged Alexander away. Seeing his fallen foe being
dragged back, Seth incorrectly believed the Ingaran was moving of his own accord,
so the golem stomped on Alexander, holding him down.
While unconscious, Alexander had a vision.
He saw Mt. Olympus and floated toward it. Upon the mount, he stood at the base
of a white, columned building. Alexander walked inside. A statuesque woman
with pretty grey eyes, wearing a golden helmet, breastplate, and greaves stood
inside. She held a gold-tipped pilum in her hand. He felt the presence of her
before he actually saw her, and once he saw her, he felt overwhelmed. Alexander
bowed to her. He didn't even try to look at her; He just stayed on his knees
and looked at the ground.
"What have I done to deserve such
an honor, grand goddess?"
Athena answered, "I have visited
Ingara, and walked among the people. They should be ruled by an Ingaran, not
a foreigner who deigns to act like my half brother." She held out her
pilum to Alexander. He reached up for it but still did not even dare to look
at her feet. "I have created this for you. Use it to fight for the people."
Alexander said, "I am humbled by
your kindness and generosity which I am so unworthy of and swear I will lead
Ingara to freedom or spend my last breath trying to."
She smiled and said, "It is time
for you to return to your people."
Flower crawled back in range of Seth
and touched Alexander, pouring her life and energy into Alexander, along with
a really nasty smelling potion that will leave him stinking for days. Seth
nearly crushed Flower, but Phaidon shot more arrows into him. Seth roared at
Phaidon, then Issic bull rushed him, knocking Seth off and away from Alexander
and little Flower. Seth and Issic crashed into the stairwell.
Issic stood up. Seth lay there, unmoving,
against the stairs, unconscious. Issic lifted up his sharp sword, ready to
plow it into the thing.
Flower, her face covered with blood,
yelled a plea to Issic, "Mercy!" She continued working feverishly
to stop Alexander's blood flow, crying, crying for Alexander and Seth.
"No! Do it!" yelled Zografos.
Alexander awoke. He stood up and said,
"I will do as you command, grand goddess!" He threw the golden-tipped
pilum, which had appeared in his grasp from thin air, into Seth's unconscious
body. Issic rammed his sword down into Seth's heart, cracking through those
iron ribs. Seth's eyes opened in shock, then closed as his body expired.
Issic growled, "Someone drag his
ass out so he can be burned in the streets!" Issic pulled out Alexander's
new pilum and tossed it back to Alexander. Phaidon callously pulled his arrows
out of Seth's corpse.
Flower, in a more commanding voice than
any had ever heard from Flower, said calmly, "Halt."
Alexander ignored Flower, and cast gentle
repose on him before sending for guards. Flower walked over to Seth, took
out a bag of fairy-dust, which sparkled in ways that seem somewhat unfathomable
to the human brain, and sprinkled the dust on the Elven parts of Seth-Thing
as she sang lightly an elvish song. Her musical voice was entrancing. "Mothanthas
rell aalf rell / Mothanthas relltha rell / Mothanthas rell yewlnehth nehel quarlani
kesir sarash rell." As she sang, she marked each piece of the Seth-thing
in Elvish runes.
"We don't have time for this,"
said Issic.
Seth's eyes opened. He grabbed Flower.
She looked him in his eyes and said, "Nehel neh kerymetha Ama,"
charming him. He stood up, slowly, holding Flower to him, but not hurting her.
Flower was happy he understood Elvish.
"Nehel rafi enna neshanas revanthas
rell," said Flower.
"And I shall," said Seth slowly.
He glared at Alexander, holding Flower tightly to him.
"Nehel revanthas nae cor kesha,
faenyasurnar?" Flower asked, wondering if Seth still followed the doctor.
Seth walked backwards toward the tower stairs. Flower tried to talk him into
taking her outside instead of up the stairs. She promised that her friends
would not hurt him. She said, "Teshuel Ama noarun nothel aphsilathenial;
Naeplath. Revanthas rell Ama neh kerymetha, neshanas nehel." She
tried to talk him out of taking her to his master, telling him, "Nehel
no teshuel nae raenyasurnar; Kerymatha vaarn nae faenyasurnar en Ama sehan nae
faenyasurnar."
"I will take you to Dalby,"
said Seth-thing, despite Flower's words. Zografos quickly recoiled his rope
so that he could throw it again. The monster stepped up on the first step as
Flower squiggled in his arms to face him.
Alexander sent a missive to Issic, Zografos,
and Phaidon. <We need to get her away from him and dismember him.>
Zografos threw his rope, entangling his
legs. Seth fell, crashing again onto the stairs. Issic slammed his sword back
into Seth, narrowly missing Flower. "No!" shouted Seth, holding the
girl to him. Alexander rammed his new golden-tipped pilum into his ribs. Phaidon's
arrows slammed into the staircase, pinning Seth's arms at the elbows to those
steps. Zografos sank his rapier into the monster as it writhed, trying to free
himself and escape.
"Cut off his head, Issic!"
shouted Alexander.
"Someone get her out of there!"
yelled Phaidon as the monster roared out in out rage. Flower dropped to the
floor. Issic grabbed the child with one hand and swung his sword with the other.
In two mighty chops, Seth's head was separated from his body. Flower sprang
away as Phaidon yelled, "Flower, get over here behind me next to the boys!"
Flower sprang like a cat over Phaidon's head, and hid behind the archer.
"Cut off his arms, legs and head,"
said Alexander. Enraged, Issic commenced chopping the golem up into little
pieces. Alexander sent for guards to take the remains into the street and burn
them.
Zografos backed up to watch the side
halls and listened for other golemic surprises after he retrieved his rope.
Several guards ran in, but started vomiting when they saw the hacked bits of
Seth. They ran back out, crying that demon was destroying their commanders,
not realizing Issic was on their side.
"I suppose we are going to have
to do this one ourselves," muttered Alexander, tossing a bloody arm into
the road.
Phaidon said, "Keep the pieces separated,
we don't want that thing getting up again!"
"We need some acid," growled
Issic as several guards rushed up onto the porch area. "Captain Alexander?
Is all well?"
"Yes, the man you sent overreacted
when they saw Issic," said Alexander, pointing at the half dragon. A couple
more vomited when they saw the gold halfman continuing to hack and tear at the
remains of Seth. They hastily bowed and retreated. Phaidon separated a few
pieces with his boots so they couldn't "jump" back together.
"See to it that these parts are
removed and burned and keep them separated while it is done," commanded
Alexander to the few that had the intestinal fortitude to remain.
"Yes, sir," they said.
Issic continued hacking, shouting, "THAT
is for Flower! THAT is for me! THAT is for someone else you hurt!"
Alexander summoned the magic of Athena,
casting Divination to locate Dalby. To see if he was in the building.
Alexander noted that he was not in the building, but got the sense that he was
communicating with someone in the building, bidding them to destroy evidence.
He felt they were upstairs somewhere. He and India ran up the stairs. "Follow
me everyone!" shouted Alexander.
Zografos heard a sound at one of the
windows to the outside. He saw a man with a bloody, ragged bandage over his
mouth standing in the street, looking in. Zografos yelled to the others and
pointed at the man in the window. But when he looked again, no one was there.
Phaidon followed after Alexander and
India. The others followed behind. They came to a landing. "Someone is
destroying evidence up here," explained Alexander as he tried to get a
sense of where to go. Should they stay here, on the second floor, or go on
up to the third? "Phaidon and India, follow me," decided Alexander,
intent on going up. "The rest of you check this floor."
"What about Flower?" asked
Phaidon.
"DON"T SPLIT UP!" warned
Issic emphatically.
"I have to agree with my large friend,
here, Alexander," said Phaidon.
"We have to find this person quickly,"
said Alexander. "Flower can come with us."
"WHERE is this person?" demanded
Flower. "In Dalby's chamber?"
"Upstairs, somewhere," said
Alexander.
"All of us up to the third floor
then!" said Zografos.
"We have needed everyone's cooperation
on everything we have met so far," said Issic. "What makes this level
so different?"
Alexander checked if he could feel anyone
in the building mentally. He sensed several people were in the building. The
strongest sense of urgency he felt was on this, the second, floor.
"Lead on, Alexander, we will follow,"
said Flower. "If you would tell me 
where we are wanting to go, I might
be able to lead us there though."
Alexander ran, entering into one of the
overhead galleries over the picture room. They turned down a corridor on the
left (heading south) and they noticed several doors on either side of the hall.
A maid was in this hall, closing and locking the end doorway.
Alexander burst the first door he came
to, and the maid at the end of the hall screamed. Inside that first door, a
woman was hiding behind the heavy draperies of a bedroom.
"Tell me where Dalby's lab is now!"
demanded Alexander of the woman.
Flower chuckled, saying to herself, "If
he would have simply asked me that, we would be there by now. No one ever listens
to the children."
Outside the bedroom where Alexander was
yelling at the governess, Phaidon nocked an arrow and told the maid at the end
of the hall not to move.
The governess said to Alexander, "I
will take you there, but please do not harm the children." She got out
of the curtains and led them down the hall. She motioned for the maid to unlock
the door. The maid looked at Phaidon for permission.
"Go ahead," said Phaidon from
behind his bow. The maid unlocked the door, and the governess took them through
a couple of small twisting halls, and through an empty bedroom to another hallway.
"This is the nursery," said
the Governess. "Dalby's laboratory is at the end."
"Nursery?" said Phaidon.
"For the children."
Another nurse came out of the room designated
as the laboratory, several tomes in her arms. She stopped suddenly when she
saw all the armed people.
Alexander pushed past her into the `nursery`
as Zografos readied his rope. Issic grabbed the books out of her arms.
The nursery turned out to be a lab.
They saw jars and tables, and all sorts of body parts, as well as partially
assembled flesh golems. Charts lined the walls, and strange apparatus were everywhere.
A large flesh golem was in the room with a huge butcher knife. His skin was
green and misshapen. Two more nurses were quickly gathering up tomes and papers.
Alexander cast a searing light upon the golem, projecting a blast of
heated light from his open palm. The golem dropped his knife and knelt on the
floor, in pain. The nurses screamed and tried to exit out the back door, but
Zografos flung his rope into the room and it entangled them both. Phaidon sent
in his panthers to keep the nurses from struggling free.
The golem stood up, his arms held in
a position of surrender. Zografos walked up to the entangled nurses and took
up the papers the nurses were picking up. He kept an eye on the large golem.
The papers, written in a strange language and alphabet, were numerous.
Alexander stepped out of the lab and
said to the nurse in front of Issic, "Leave the house right now and take
any others with you as you go." He indicated the governess also. They
left and summoned others, calling down an adjoining hall. Alexander sent a
missive to the commander outside, <Arrest the women who leave this
building.>
One of the nurses said, "May we
take the children?"
"No!" said Alexander.
"We should see these 'children'
first," said Phaidon.
"They aren't children, Phaidon,"
said Alexander as the nurses left. Alexander approached the large golem that
had surrendered. "Now tell us what should we do with you golem?"
The golem said, "I am in your power.
I am Dr. Dalby's assistant."
"Tell us everything you know about
this place," said Alexander.
"Well, it was built in 987 by Lord
Opertius Laetius, an Ingaran opportunist," began the golem. Alexander
interrupted him. "Began with how many golems are left."
"Ah, golems. You mean people like
me. There are twelve still here. The rest have been evacuated, or killed by
you."
Issic growled, "Ask what is important.
Where is Dalby and what is so important about these papers?"
Alexander asked, "What is in these
papers?"
During the interrogation, Zografos was
quickly paging through the sheaves of paper he had. He saw a diagram of several
temples, and what looked like attack plans. He also saw a sketch of flower,
and plans showing the attack on the palace. Zografos made sure to look at the
shadows of the room and the ceiling. He thought the golem gave up a little
too easy. He checked the temple plans and found floor plans for the temple
of Ilsensine, temple of Olanigan, and temple of the Silver Tree. Then he looked
up again quickly. There were muddy footprints on the ceiling, footprints that
led to the edge of a wall. Zografos wondered what kind of golems Dalby was
making. He heard Alexander ask what was in the papers. "Attack plans
on the palace!" shouted Zografos as he looked through the notes held by
the nurses. The golem winced and said, "Nothing of importance to you.
Just Dr. Dalby and my notes."
"Are the notes on Seth and Piper
here?"
"No."
Phaidon whispered to Alexander, "How
were they evacuated?"
Alexander nodded and asked, "How
were the other golems evacuated?"
The golem said, "Dr. Dalby maintains
a Psi Gate in the temple next door."
Outside the laboratory, Issic shuffled
through the tomes he had captured. He found strange journals, and plans of
what looked like a major operation of an indeterminate nature happening in Visaria.
He also found notes that indicated that Dalby had learned that Absterator's
people could not see or sense Dalby's children. These notes further indicated
that Seth had infiltrated Absterator's lair, and knew all the secret traps and
doors. Seth had also learned to read Qualith and knew Absterator's plans, goals,
and objectives… and how to reach the elder brain that Absterator worked for.
Issic closed the journal and walked into the lab.
Current Adventures in Inzeladun | Alexander Animus Litus Maximus | India | Phaidon
The
Seth-thing, Medium Created Flesh Golem: CR
11 Medium humanoid (7'4" tall); HD 7d10 +35; hp 80; Initiative: +5
(Dex), Spd 30 ft ; AC: 25 (+5 Dex, +10 natural armor); Attacks: Slam
+17/+12 melee (2d8+8); Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5ft; Special Qualities:
Construct, Magic Immunity, Damage Reduction 15/+1, Fast Healing 1, Poison
Immunity, Hyper-Regeneration, Spider Climb, 4th level Ranger Abilities; AL CE;
SV: Fort +16, Ref +7, Will +0; Str 26, Dex 21, Con 21, Int 13, Wis 2, Cha 9
Skills: Hide +11, Listen +3, Move Silently +12, Wilderness Lore
+3, Search +8
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Cleave, Track
Justine
Meritz, Governess,
Female Human Expert 5: CR 4, medium humanoid (4'10" tall); HD 5d6+5;
hp 23; Initiative: +1 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (flatfooted 10, touch 11); Attack
+3 (1d3 unarmed strike); AL LN; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 12, Con
11, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 12.
Skills:
Profession (governess) +11, Spot +9, diplomacy +11, intimidation +8, sense
motive +11, listen +8, search +9, gather information +9
Feats: Skill
Focus (Profession), Skill Focus (sense motive), skill focus (diplomacy)
Bonne
Jouissance, Lady-in-Waiting (maid), Female Human Commoner 1:
CR -, medium humanoid (4'8" tall); HD 1d4; hp 2; Initiative: +0 (Dex); Spd
30 ft.; AC 10 (flatfooted 10, touch 10); Attack -1 (1d3-1 unarmed strike); AL N;
SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will -1; Str 8, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 8.
Skills:
Profession (maid) +5, Spot +5, Craft (embroidery) +5, Search +5
Feats: Skill
Focus (Profession), Skill Focus (Spot)
Nurse
1, Female Human Expert 1:
CR -, medium humanoid (5'4" tall); HD 1d6+4; hp 7; Initiative: +1 (Dex);
Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (flatfooted 10, touch 11); Attack +0 (1d3 unarmed strike); AL
LN; SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12.
Skills:
Profession (Nurse) +7, Spot +8, Heal +10, Knowledge (medical) +5, listen +7,
search +5, gather information +5, Bluff +5
Feats: Skill
Focus (Profession), Skill Focus (heal)
Nurse
2, Female Human Expert 1:
CR -, medium humanoid (5'2" tall); HD 1d6+2; hp 5; Initiative: +1 (Dex);
Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (flatfooted 10, touch 11); Attack +0 (1d3 unarmed strike); AL
LN; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 12.
Skills:
Profession (Nurse) +9, Spot +9, heal +9, Knowledge (medical) +7, listen +6,
search +7, gather information +5, Bluff +5, Knowledge (arcana) +7
Feats: Skill
Focus (Profession), Skill Focus (heal)
Nurse
3, Female Human Expert 1:
CR -, medium humanoid (5'8" tall); HD 1d6-1; hp 2; Initiative: +1 (Dex);
Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (flatfooted 10, touch 11); Attack +0 (1d3 unarmed strike); AL
LN; SV Fort -1, Ref +1, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 18.
Skills:
Profession (Nurse) +7, Spot +9, heal +8, Knowledge (medical) +5, listen +5,
search +5, gather information +8, Bluff +8
Feats: Skill
Focus (Profession), Skill Focus (heal)
Dr.
Dalby's Assistant, Constructed Expert 2: CR 9; large construct (9' tall); HD 9d10+45+2d6+10; hp
111; Initiative: +4 (Dex); Spd 40 ft; AC 23 (flatfooted 19, touch 13); Attack:
+10/+10 (2d8+5 slam); Special Qualities: Construct, magic immunity, damage
reduction 15/+1, Fast Healing 1, poison immunity; AL CE; SV: Fort +8, Ref +6,
Will -1; Str 21, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 17, Wis 2, Cha 6
Skills:
Heal +12
Feats:
Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Cleave, Skill Focus (Heal)