2.1 The Final Assault?

[St.Drewcifer]

So this would not be the final assault on Dra Goth but a cleverly worked ruse by him to get rid of another (evil) party who were trying to thwart his plans.

We cast a spell to speak with the dead leader of the party, though his soul did half rise from the cold ground it looked challenged to stay there with the frozen stone floor pulling at him trying to get him back into his grave, and he confirms what we have surmised and gives a clue that we should deal with the seven clerics before we tackle Dra Goth.

Wack, Ditch and Brin take the corpses out for a decent burial – I am sure we killed ten in total (including the two servants - BROCK) but only eight bodies were buried.

After dividing the spoils between the party, we exit the inn and leave a very large tip and a muttered aside to Brock that maybe they will have to get their Help Wanted sign put out.

The group makes haste to the East Reach as Dancing Bear scouts ahead in Owl form to reconnoiter the palace, she comes back and reports extreme lethargy amongst the guards and those gathered outside for the coming war.

We approach quickly but cautiously, sure enough the guards at the gate barely look up as we pass, gates are mostly open, Brin starts to scout ahead invisibly and soon turn back as some guards seem to have been turned into Zombies – sure hope we are not too late. We overcome these creatures and enter the palace, a shadowy form flits away from us, we go room to room throughout the Palace before coming to the main meeting room. We open the door and see dozens of shadowy figures facing us and Dra Goth in the form of Amon at the back on the dais with a prismatic sphere spell running. Caerlith can also sense other evil figures hidden around the room.

The next 60 seconds are chaotic and deadly, the shadowy figures do not appear to pose any threat but the hidden evil ones are the Clerics of the Moon, and though in appearance they are the clerics they are dark and shadow covered as if they have become part of the darkness. Thule is picked upon big time, being subject to two Blade Barriers, Lightning Bolts, Magic Missile attacks – he goes down, Crow leaps into the Blade Barrier to lend Thule some assistance. Dra Goth walks out of his Prismatic Sphere into a Globe of Invulnerability to cast his spell then back into his Sphere. Brock leaps over the shadowy figures to attack the Clerics. Several spells and attacks are wasted on the shadowy forms before realizing they pose no threat. The next round of attacks sees Brock hit the dirt being subject to a similar array of attacks as Thule was.

Thule has found himself in a glowing marble room with a blue pool at his feet, Cometheus appears before him and is shown the battle for Erath in the pool at his feet. Cometheus makes him an offer, that he will come help the party, as a mortal, the only way he is allowed to interfere. Cometheus reminds Thule of the powers Dra-goth has, the souls that he can unleash. Thule is assured that Cometheus can control the souls. He watches as Brock drops, and makes the decision to take Cometheus up on his offer for help.

The party retreat to the corridor, with Dancing Bear putting up a Wall of Fire to cover our retreat. Wow that went really badly. Suddenly Cometheus appears as a man amongst us, all shiny and white. He waves his hands and our wounds are healed and Brock and Thule are with us in full health. He gives a stirring speech about how Dra Goth must be stopped now and with him amongst us we enter back into the fray.

Cometheus shines like the sun and the shadowy forms disappear within his vicinity. He moves to one of the Evil Clerics and commands him to die – they fall down unconscious, a party member then slays the Cleric.

Crow is then targeted by the Clerics and it takes all of Matrix’ spells to keep him on his feet, plus a Heal from Caerlith.

Brin finds a window of opportunity when Dra Goth moves from his sphere to his globe to get an arrow loosed at him, hitting him several times, also Wack and Dancing Bear cast magical walls around his protective devices to limit his movement.

Two heavily armored figures wielding swords enter the combat seemingly on our side, several people notice the armor and swords look startlingly similar to that worn by the people we had recently killed in the inn. Dr Wack whistles innocently and continues weaving spells.

One last massive attack from Dra Goth takes the form of releasing all the souls he and solitaire had collected, Cometheus spreads his arms and catches the majority of them but several slip by and inhabit the bodies of the Clerics we have slain, once more they rise up to face us. Matrix uses his Holy Symbol to turn them away, causing several of the party to sob with all that magical treasure they are wearing to disappear through the doors.

Finally the last Cleric is dropped and we turn to face Dra Goth – he is held inside his sphere, unable to cast spells at us. We take advantage and cure ourselves and set about dispelling the layers of the sphere one by one. The warriors in the party together with Cometheus surround Dra Goth and wail on him, it is a short brutal affair with no chance of him using spells and him trying to return some damage with his flail.

When he falls to the ground a white light rises from his body and tries to enter the members of the party who seem to be protected from the amulet they were conveniently given some time before from Cometheus, finally the light enters into Cometheus body and his eyes turn a fiery red, Brin pulls back his bowstring and is about to shoot him when Cometheus turns Ethereal and faces the party.

Cometheus speaks:
You have all done far more than I expected from you. You are all great in your own fields and excel under the toughest of circumstances. I doubted you would find a way to defeat Dra-Goth, especially after he absorbed the power of Solitaire, the creature in the Dead Forest; his powers truly were far greater even then he knew. It was not until I watched you battling here that I realized I could come help you, and that you needed my help, for that I truly thank you it was like a dream for me. For it was also in that moment that I realized we could defeat Dra-Goth together if you all put your trust into me to help you and this world that I do love. And by coming here in physical form I was able to accomplish another goal as well, I was able to take something that was wasted on the mortal mind of Dra-Goth and will utilize it to its full potential. The creature Solitaire was an amazing phenomenon and the powers that he had and absorbed over his ageless life will not go to waste in me. Even the evils of Dra-Goth himself are within me, I feel him trying to get to the surface. Though he is a weak force inside me he will add to my decisions and ideas of what to do with my future and yours as well. Do not think that I will rest too long before you see me again. When you are rested and ready I will find you for you are such wonderful toys and I do like to play.

Cometheus disappears into the stones of the East Reach laughing as he parts. You know you will see him again, hopefully not too soon.

There is a thick heavy leather sack strapped to Dra-Goths neck. Inside it is one solitary black stone of immense weight darker than the blackest black you have ever seen. In fact this stone seems to emanate darkness. Once they are all placed into the chest and the lid is shut it is like a waterfall of darkness that came from the stones is turned off. All around the chest explodes a natural light. And as if a wave has pushed past you the light spreads from this point to every corner of the room, every corner of the East Reach and further and further out into the world. The horde riding upon the East Reach was caught in the light and as the wave pushed past them most were instantly killed others driven back into the shadows where they have hidden for years. The men both outside the walls and inside the walls, as well as the men in far away towns and lands drop where they are as if put under a spell. Deeply they each sleep for a good long time, deeply they dream and enjoy that that is true rest. As the party moves outside they see the moon has been set free and the sun shines again. Over the next few weeks a balance will again be found as the sun is seen for the first time in two months. Throughout the world a great celebration is had , but none bigger than that in the East Reach as this is where the heroes made this worlds last stand.

There is something though, something that was forgotten. It will be remembered soon and then its importance will become most evident.