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Kidnapped 11th February 1608 Surya once again cast the magic of Plane Shift and he left the cool,
eternal silver mists of the Astral Plane for home. But Stunned for a moment, Surya then collected his thoughts "What do you mean missing" he demanded "have my wife and son been taken" "Yes, M'lord," stammered the man. "Three days ago, vanished without trace, without taking anything." The blow was as heavy as any wound the Last Tellaran had ever taken, and for a moment he didn't know where he was going. Then he became aware that someone was standing in front of him… talking to him? With an effort he focussed. "We have collected all that's known," the man was repeating slowly and carefully, "come with me and I'll show you." Gradually the realization that this was General Harker dawned. With a snap, the King was back to reality, unpalatable as it was. Falling in beside Harker, he accompanied him to a chamber in one of the castle's towers. As they walked, Surya's squire, Narvas, appeared at a flat run, skidded to a halt, and fell in at Surya's heel with the air of a youth who was not planning to leave that post no matter what. Delgarde, Councillor for Information and master of the Tellaran Intelligence Service, was waiting in the commandeered guest room, with several scraps of paper spread around a table top. Nodding a bow to the King, he indicated each in turn; a name and account from each person who had seen the Queen and Prince on the fateful evening, the guards in the tower that night, and the handmaid who had gone to wake the Queen with hot water and found them gone. One piece of paper had no affidavit, the Queen's hapless personal maid, Venula had been found torn nearly limb from limb in the locked chamber from which she and the Prince had vanished. Surya sat at the table, and in silence he calmly studied the accounts of that fateful evening. The accounts, through very detailed, contained very little information as to the perpetrator of this crime. The only person that had actuality witnessed the abduction was not capable of giving Delgarde her account. Surya through knew he would be able to obtain that information, but only as a last resort. He then rose slowly from the table and looked at each of the men gathered in the room in turn. His calm demeanour had all but gone, rage now swelled up inside him. He them spoke, softly at first "So gentlemen, I leave you in charge for a week, with only 30,000 men and the resources of one of the most powerful nations in Alair at your disposal. In I might add one of the most secure fortresses in the land." Surya paused no longer able to contain his anger "And you managed, if that is the right word, to loss not one, but two of the most precious things I possess." Fortunately for the three men, Surya's rage was only verbal. Surya demanded to see the Queens's chamber and Venula's body. Surya was, of course, deeply familiar with Leonora's rooms, adjoining his own as they did, and happier memories besieged him as he looked around. One by one, the magical senses added to the picture to provide details hidden from ordinary men. Occasional signatures from Leonora's own magical items were easily ignored. Far brighter was the residue of a significant working centred around the archway leading from her bedroom to the dressing-room. Surya thought a powerful conjuration, probably a portal had been opened here. Surya turned to other magical senses he had at his disposal, and cast detect evil. At first it seemed ineffective, but combined with the vision enhancements of the Robe, a tiny flicker of dark light drew the King to a shelf next to the infant prince's cradle. Embedded in the wood was a small, flat object. It looked like a scale. Surya removed the scale from the cradle and put it in his pocket for further examination. He then turned to the corpse of Venula. The bereft King could see at a glance what had killed her, something sharp and pointed had struck her head from behind. The whole front of her head was gone. There where clues here to his families abductors, but not enough yet to point a finger at with any certainly. Surya had upset a few powerful creatures in the past, so the list of possible suspects was quiet long. The queen of dragons will not have forgotten his part in the vanquishing of her favourite child, he thought. Nor would Zabyrayt forget the part he played in her down fall. Surya also recalled the last words of the demon Azarrth You would never serve against your will, …. but your decision can always be ...influenced. Was this the influence that Graz'zat's would use against him. Surya needed more information so he decided to use his magic again. He turned to one of the mirrors hanging on the wall of his Queens dressing room and cast an incantation upon it. He wove a Scrying, and sent his mind's eye winging in search of his lost ones. Burned into his memory as their precious faces were, the image he sought across the realities was strong, so strong that there should have been no difficulty at all in locating them. But Nothing, so explicitly nothing that it was unmistakable that something was blocking the seeking magic. Someone had shielded them, wherever they were, from being descried, and that person was strong enough to defeat Surya's search. He was still no where nearer to finding out who had taken his loved ones, he thought, when he remember the scale he had found in his sons cradle. Taking it from his pocket, he examined it closely, something this evil could have only come from a fiend of some sort. Surya also noticed that it radiates slight magic, so he cast his identifying spell upon it, which revealed it source A Marilith scale..... Surya now turned to the remnants of the portal, may be there were signs here that an experience inter-planer traveller could read, he thought. Surya prepared to use his scrying magic once again. He wove the incantation upon the dressing room mirror, this time with more success. The scene in the mirror changes from his own reflection to that of the home of a retired professional plane walker. Xerxes, was comfortably ensconced in a deep armchair reading a book when Surya contacted him. His eyebrows lifted in mild interest as the King explained the situation and asked if he could discern the nature of the portal used from its remains and where it emanated from. Nodding calmly, he replied; "A Discern Location spell should do the trick, especially combining the portal and the scale. Not a spell I can cast, but not a problem for you so I hear." Surya thanked him for the information and broke the spell. Surya knew of the spell, but it was a very powerful incantation, but if he could cast it, it could not only tell him where the portal was opened from, but also the location of his family. He call for his squire and told him to go to the mage guild and purchase the spell he needed. Surya added "If they have not got what I need, instruct the guild master to send someone, preferably himself, capable of casting the magic" He was getting nowhere with his investigation, every which way he turned lead nowhere. It seemed strange, to him that the kidnappers had not left a note. Surly they would want him to know who had done this deed and why and what they wanted. If they wanted him to suffer, surly they would want to see it, or perhaps they were watching. Surya cast the spell detect scrying, which reveals that he was indeed, being watched, though from where he could not tell. The time had now come to use some of his more unpleasant magic's. He asked for the room to be cleared of all personnel as he wished for a few moments of solitude. Although given no details, a few of Surya's vassals were more than aware of the nature of some of his methods. When he asked for privacy, they scattered without demur. Swiftly, he worked the magic of Dead Maids' Eyes, but the result was far from what he expected. Dimly, he could see the room he now occupied, in an image that jerked and shifted as the viewer underwent some sort of violent movement. Overlaid above it was a clearer image... of a familiar face. Zabyrayt's beautiful face, twisted with hate appeared in his mind's eye. "Greetings, treacher," she spat, with a malicious smile. "By now you know that I hold your heart in my hand. Only your life can redeem them. The moment you die, they will be freed from their tormented captivity. I care not who does the deed - use solitary courage or end cowering before your headsman. Do not rush, however, their screams are sweet." Both images faded to mocking fiendish laughter. At least the puzzle was solved. He now knew who the kidnapper was, why she had done it and what the fiend wanted. Zabyrayta is a Marilith. A huge, six armed demon standing over 9 feet tall and measuring 20 feet from head to tail tip. Surya first meet this creature on the plane of Minauros and after they had freed Orcus from the dungeons of Belemacil, the Lord of the Undead had given her command of all his forces on Thanatos. But she could not defeat an army of Graz'zt demons guarding the Skanathorn valley, commanded by the Dark Angel Seraphiel. This was the point it started to go wrong for General Zabyrayt. She asked for Surya's help to overthrow the Dark Angel, but instead he persuaded her to change sides. As a reward for reclaiming the Lord of the Undead's throne, Orcus gave the command of his armies to Seraphiel. Shortly afterward his squire returned bearing a scroll. Surya took the piece of parchment from Narvas and after a brief examination of the spell written on the paper, thanked him but politely asked him to leave the room. Surya cast the spell, incorporating the archway and the scale into the incantation. Success, he now knew where the portal had taken his wife and child. Taurnor, the 421st Plane of the Abyss. Surya would now have to prepare for another trip to the underworld. If he was to pursue this Marilith, he would have to first re-acquaint himself with the politics of the Abyss. He left the chambers of the Queen giving orders for the rooms to be restored to there normal state. As to the body of the handmaiden, he gave instructions for the corpse to be removed and buried with full honours. He then retired to his workshop to begin his preparations. On the way Surya was meet by Halvoord Gurney of the Mage-Guild. Surya informed him that he had been observed the entire time he was in the Queens chambers and he would rather not be spied upon anymore especially in the workshop. Understand the Lord request, Halvoord, screened the workshop area from the fiendish scrying eyes. Halvoord warned his King that the screen would not last indefinitely, and suggested that he returned when the effect had worn off and re-cast the spell. Happy he was now not being watched he set about his business. As he prepared for the journey he held several meeting with the senior council members. During these meeting, he outlined contingency plans should none of his family return and obtaining whatever aid he needed for his quest. The fact of his leaving didn't bother them, they would have been very surprised if he didn't go, but they want a Regent named if possible and strongly recommended to Surya that he should take a medium-sized army with him He left the usual instructions for the kingdom to be run by the council, but did not name a Regent. One of the first meetings Surya had was with Halvoord Gurney. Surya explained the nature of his quest and asked the magician for the Guilds help. Surya needed all the information they had on the plane of Taurnor, plus a few items of a magical nature to aid him on his expedition. Halvoord was very keen to help his Lord in anyway he or the Guild could, but stated that he would need the help of the local priests to complete all the tasks he had been set. Surya thanked him for the offer of help and stated that any costs associated with these tasks would be covered by him. Surya then passed his robe and two beautiful amethysts carved in the shape of skulls to the magi. He told the mage that time was not on their side and if he wished he was welcome to use his new workshop on Tariclya. Surya explained to Halvoord that time on Tariclya past more quickly than here in the castle. The mage seemed to understand and was preparing to leave the workshop to begin his tasks, when he noticed the King was somewhat distracted by the two weapons on the workbench. As Surya eyes were now fixed on his trademark weapons, Tormentor and the Sword of the Dead Legion, lying on the work bench, cleaned and returned to their former glories. He recalled the demon bound to Tormentor, Zoravam-Anasvish. She was the sister to the fiend that now held his family to ransom. What a truly cruel and fitting revenge it would be if he were to bind Zabyrayt to his other sword. Sisters united again, never to leave his side. Surya was acutely aware that he was not yet capable of performing the rituals required to achieve this retribution alone, so he asked the mage if he was skilled in these arts and willing to help. Halvoord said he understood the techniques involved but was not convinced he was powerful enough to bind a great demon such as Zabyrayt. He suggested that there where others in Alair better suited to the task that he, but they may not be as willing to help. He was of cause referring to Elverandil, or possibly Grispere Crusher. The mage added "If we had the creature's True Name, we would have a much better chance of success"
Surya thanked the demon for the advice and bid her farewell. He broke the spell and continued his preparations.
Surya was now ready to begin his quest. He mounted his fiendish ride, Saethor, and descended into the Abyss. Firstly he travelled to Thanatos, home of Orcus, to seek an audience with the Lord of the Undead. He wished to obtain his permission to pursue Zabyrayt. Surya still fancying the idea of binding his family's abductor so would also ask of Orcus her true name. Few mortals willingly travel to Thanatos, a place of immense danger for the living. As Saethor touched his burning hooves to the grave-dotted wasteland surrounding Naratyr, fiends and the unquiet dead rose from the ground. At first they menaced the bold mortal who dared invade their Master's realm. As they neared him, however, an unmistakable tone to his aura alerted them to his true status, and they backed away and allowed him past. He knew the way to the Well of Souls well enough and soon stood in the presence of the dreadful Lord of the Undead. Around him, demons crooned and vampires swayed, hypnotized by the flows of undead power from the racked souls in the tiers of the Well. Enthroned in his bloody glory, Orcus greeted his mortal apprentice with a lazy wave. Once Surya had told his tale, Orcus laughed, clearly delighted by the prospect of the mayhem to come. "Splendid! Wonderful!" he rumbled. "Kill her by all means, bind her, as you can. I like My servants to fight amongst themselves, as long as they don't disobey Me or neglect My tasks to do it. I get the strongest to serve Me and the weak are weeded out. Challenge her by all means. If she kills you, you'll serve Me yet;" he gestured to the awful Well and its' damned occupants, "your song will be so sweet. If you defeat her, proof she was not worthy of the favours I gave her." "You ask for her True name, but these things are never given. I will accept a suitably painful sacrifice; the child? Your soul? A tenth of your subjects?" Surya answered the demon lord "Thank you My lord for this opportunity to delight you in the mayhem I will cause. The plane of Taurnor will rock with my vengeance. As to the price of knowing the creature's true name, I fear it is too higher sacrifice for me to make" Surya paused for a few moments. Surya was a warrior who had yet to meet his equal in combat, but he knew that he stood in the presence a creature so powerful that it could snuff out his life at a whim. It took all his strength just to continue, but continue he did "I go to rescue my child and I would defend my subjects to my death. As to my soul, that goes to the highest bidder and it will not be up for auction for a few years yet" Once again, the demon lord of the Undead roared with laughter. "So you cling yet to your human weaknesses, mortal King of The Dead! Very well, by your own might alone then. Ultimately, it is the only way." Surya replied "It is those human weaknesses that make some mortals so strong. I don't need to remind you that it was a weak human that freed you and regained your throne. But it is now those weakness that put me in this situation. I beg your leave to go and reclaim my family" With that the mortal bowed and left the court of Orcus. He then made his final preparations before departing to Taurnor. Surya knew very little about the plane of Taurnor, this was due to the fact it was very seldom visited. The little he had gleaned prior to journeying to the Abyss seemed to indicate that it was reasonably normal for an abyssal plane, gravity was normal, magic functions and reality was normally morphic. Surya had found a fragment of a madman's scrawl indicating that time ran faster here, in a similar way to that on Tariclya. The reason Taurnor was not often visited was due to the plane being entirely under the control of an elite Marilith sisterhood called the Damarcane. No doubt his quarry was a member of this order, this was not going to be an easy task. With a flash and a sense of disjunction, Surya's Plane Shift took him and his mount onto the plane Taurnor. At first, he thought he'd arrived in complete darkness. Then his eyes adjusted and he realized that it was just extremely gloomy. He dismounted from Saethor and looked with the superior vision of his robe. He found himself in a large square room, constructed of massive slabs of stone, black with a hint of green. A crack right across the floor at his feet bubbled with what looked unpleasantly like blood. A lorn, miserable moaning filled the air, rising to uncomfortable levels and dwindling to a dull whimper seemingly at random. The whole area appeared magical and evil, but for once the undead had not left their mark on this place. Across the room from where he stood was a large arched doorway with a dim shadow of steps beyond, very obvious and suggestive. Surya bid the nightmare to stay close but out of sight. Saethor faded into the Ethereal, and followed his master. From the look on his face, inasmuch as Surya was accustomed to reading his mount's emotion, the Dark Horse was amused, probably at the idea of hiding. Most things they were likely to encounter here would see him as well as Surya could. Surya was aware of this, but a bit of stealth may prove useful. That said he was aware of the scrying eyes upon him, but he could do nothing about them. Saethor was correct, Surya thought, he might just was well blow a trumpet and announce himself. Convinced that there was no genuine trap in his path, other than the feeling he was walking in to very large one, Surya stepped through the arch and began climbing the stairs. The stair case continued up as far as the eye could see, changing direction at regular intervals. One side of the stair case appeared to be a solid wall, but the other fell away into darkness far beyond the range of Surya's vision. Surya continued up the stairs and after about ten minutes' climbing he descried a pale, human looking face in the shadows above. Several more joined it, at the limit of even his vision, peering down curiously at the human King and his ghostly mount. Surya stopped in his tracks and observe the creatures, trying to discern their nature. As they moved closer, Surya was able to discern that these creatures where indeed undead, but their number had now grown to over twenty. They now began to move very quickly towards Surya and as they approached the mortal warrior they bust into flames. Surya tried to control the now flaming undead with the powers vested in him by Orcus. Five of the Mordol exploded in mid air completely overwhelmed by Surya's power, many of the others veered from their attack and moved away from the King, clearly waiting for an opportunity to attack. But eight of the beasts continued their assault on Surya. He brought down the first of the blazing heads with ease, but as his sword cut through the disembodied head it exploded in a ball of fire. Surya was knocked back a few feet by this unexpected blast, but took no damage. Now knowing what to expect he slew any of the Mordol that came within the range of his swords. With over half their number destroyed the creatures retreated out of the range of Surya's cursed weapons. The King then drew his bow and dispatched all but a few, which escaped into the darkness. After the last of the Mordol disappeared from view Surya and Saethor continued their journey up the stairs. Finally, after a very long climb, they reach the top. The stairs led up to an archway, throw which Surya passed to discover a huge circular room. The room was dominated by two colossal columns, at least fifty feet in diameter. These columns were decorated with runes and sigils along their entire lengths, stretching over one hundred and fifty high to ceiling. The room was lit by a dreary emerald/grey light which appeared to radiate from the ceiling.
Surya was the first to speak, "Greeting your ladyship" the said with some deference. "A leverage of respect, excellent, now leave this place or craw on your hands and knees and worship me" The Marilith, now glared at Surya in a very intimating way, clearly trying to unnerve the mortal. She seemed quite surprised when the human standing before her failed to succumb to her domination of him. She was further surprised when this human appeared to grow in stature and become a greater threat than he had first appeared. Surya observed that her manor appeared to change slightly towards him, after this non physical exchange. Surya spoke again "Let me introduce myself", but before he could finish the demon interrupted stating "I know who you are, traitor, Orcus's latest human pet. Leave my domain" "If you know who I am, you will also know why I am here. I will not leave until I have retrieved what has been stolen from me" Surya continued, demanding "Where is that bitch Zabyrayt" The demoness spoke "I will not help you on your road to ruin, you have displease my sister and must face the consequences of your actions. At your hand she has been disgraced in the eye's of Lord Orcus and been replaced by that half breed abomination". Surya reposted "That of cause is her side of the story. She asked for my help in winning a battle, which I did and more. Freed after millennia of imprisonment, Lord Orcus now sits on his thrown because of my actions not hers. If she was such a great general, she would now be basking in my glory and not sulking here within your domain" Surya paused and change track, he attempted to flatter the Marilith. "But in you I see greater qualities, if you had been the Undead Prince's general, you would not have called on this mere mortals help" The demon clearly enjoyed the complement that Surya had paid her, but he realised that his charm had fail when she answered "This is very true of cause, but changes nothing. If my sister chooses to meddle in the affairs of mortals, that is her business. But I can still not let you in to the domain of the Damarcane" Surya answered "I am truly sorry, I hope that some of Damarcane survive my assault on your domain. The price your sisters will pay will be dreadful if they stand in my way" The demon, dismissed Surya's wild threat and said "You are alone human, go home. No one needs to die here". Surya answered the only way he knew when diplomacy failed "I'm never alone", clearly a reference to the Legion and with that Surya drew his cursed weapons and attached. The rabble of lesser demons rushed forwards, shrieking, gibbering and yelping. Surya gestured, unleashing a spell, and a great swathe of the monsters suddenly sagged with weariness. The Marilith ground her teeth audibly with rage, a frightening sound all of itself. The lesser demons whose magical resistance had fended off Surya's spell
clustered in front of him, and Tormentor and the Sword of the Dead Legions
were busy for a few frantic moments. Bits and pieces of fiend flew across
the floor, and the few survivors Teleported away, unwilling to face any
more. Surya once again called upon Orcus' gift and as the lesser demons
fell to his cursed blades they rose to feet, but no longer living. These
creature, now undead, turned on there former mistress and engaged her
is combat. And at the height of the tumult, the Marilith sprang forward to meet him, two more weapons appearing in her hands as she did. Ahead of him, the Marilith weaved her six weapons in a complex arabesque. One of them was wreathed in flame, one trailed a haze of cold, and one dripped venom, Surya could only guess at the powers of the others. The blinding speed and natural ferocity of the Last Tellaran won him the first strike, as it usually did. The two unholy blades lashed out and he gasped in shock. Tormentor, the damned sword so feared by all who faced it, moved in his hand like a sword. No less. No more. The subtle shifts towards a better trajectory, the increase in the power of impact, that a magical weapon usually provided were utterly gone. Tormentor was merely a beautifully well-made piece of extremely sharp grey metal! To his relief, the Sword of the Dead Legions felt just as it normally did, and he delivered his attacks with that with a slightly renewed confidence. Weaving a web of flying blades, however, the Marilith blocked them.
Fortunately for the human he had been forced back by the overwhelming force of the demon's attack and now the last remaining returned demons lay between the King of Alair and his foe. The undead attacked their former master and where cut to ribbons by the Marilith. This did however buy Surya the few seconds he needed to execute his survival plan. Surya picked himself up from the floor and sheathed his swords. As he returned Tormentor to it home, he whispered to the blade "You are no use to me if you will not fight your sisters, you have failed me, I may never use you again". Tormentor returned no answer. At that Surya turned from the creature and ran at full tilt towards the ethereal shape of his nightmare, calling to Saethor to come to him. The nightmare reacted instantly and galloped towards his master, his ethereal form turned to solid as he did so. Surya jumped on to the creatures back and in seconds Saethor and his rider were airborne and out of react of the demons weapons. Surya then reached into his quiver and drew out two items, his bow and a staff. He used the oaken staff to heal the extensive damage he had sustained and then returned it to the quiver. He then strung his bow and proceeded to fire volley after volley of arrows at the demon. The arrows struck true and deep into the demons flesh. Soaring above the demon, raining arrows down upon it, he through to himself "Never enter hand to hand combat with a creature with three times as many hands as yourself" The first fusillade of arrows slammed home into the monstrous parody of a human woman that was the head and torso of the demon. Black blood spurted and her snaky tail thrashed, knocking splinters of rock out of the walls and floor in her agony. She cast her magical Darkness, but it was instantly apparent that both Surya and Saethor could still see perfectly well as they came around for another pass, with Surya already drawing his bow. With a scream of fury, the monster abandoned the fight, Teleporting to safety and leaving the King and the Nightmare alone with the thrumming cylinders. With the creature gone, Surya landed his fiendish stead and took stock. The millions of voices were still muttering, shouting, screaming, crying, singing and laughing in his head making it almost impossible to think. He had to stop the columns from spinning, but how they where huge. Surya thought to himself "where was Talamos when he needed him" Surya examined the columns and noticed a small gap at the base of the towers. If he could ram something into the base, it might just throw it out of balance. He searched the room for a suitable lever and spying a large metal shafted halberd, probably dropped by one of the lesser demons, he picked it up. The King turned to his stead and suggested that he find somewhere to hide. Saethor promptly vanished back into the ether out of harms way. Surya them approached one of the columns and using all is strength jammed the weapon into the base. With a deafening crunch, the oversized weapon rammed into the gap, and through into the mechanism of the column. The metal shaft was snatched from his grip as if he were a small child, and the force of the snatch sent him rolling across the hard stone floor with a boiler works clangour of protesting metal. Behind him a hideous grinding scream climbed swiftly in volume, and suddenly a drumming thunder of stone falling filled the room with flying fragments of glowing stone. Surya was battered by several chunks but finally everything stopped moving and silence fell, including the shouting and screaming in his head. Looking cautiously up, he saw the effect of his action. The two columns were evidently operated by one shared mechanism, for not only had they both been whirled to fragments by the torque of their spin but the floor had been torn up as the devices underneath ripped themselves apart. The place where he'd stood to wield his 'brake' was gone, and he realized that had he not been propelled across the chamber, he'd have been much more badly wounded. His path to the archway beyond was now clear. Surya pick himself up, dusted himself down and once again healed himself. He quickly scanned over the room, but saw nothing in the area of interest now, just tons of fallen masonry. With the fighting over, for now, he turned his attention to his sword's failure. If the weapon would not fight when confronted with her sisters, Surya thought, he would have to find another to replace it. Surya drew Tormentor and studied it through his arcane eyes. All appeared normal now, the sword looked and felt as it had always done. Surya spoke to the demon inside using her name, Zoravam-Anasvish, but still the weapon was silent. As a last resort Surya took from his bag the book entitled, The Demonomicon of Iggwilv, given to him by Orcus. The book contained, amongst other things, a list of names, which Surya believed to be a small collection of demonic true names. Maybe, Surya thought, one of them was Zoravam's. As he spoke the names, the words seem to twist and writhe away into the dim air. The effect here was different, compared to his early experiments with the book in his work shop, but still the sword was silent. Surya sheathed the weapon and as a precaution he drew a further two blades from his quiver. The first was another longsword which Surya now fixed to his sword belt next to Tormentor. The second was a great sword of Fae Mhor manufacture, which Surya had taken from Asildur the death knight. The sword, Goltarak, was a dreadful unholy weapon, a vorpal weapon designed to cleave the head from your opponent. Most Fae Mhor weapons were little use in the sunshine and unlike Tormentor this was no exception, but as the sun was in short supply down here that would not be problem. Surya set the blade's scabbard to his back and placed the sword carefully in place. He then mounted Saethor and rode through the archway and deeper into the Damarcane fortress. Surya and Saethor moved on, ascending the stairs beyond the arch, not a common experience for a horseman. The flight was shorter, and at the top they found another archway. Beyond was a huge hall, built on several levels, alive with activity. Fountains sparkled and sang, pleasant until one realized that they were flowing with blood. Open pits of flame ten feet across blazed at regular intervals. Between them were sections of floor raised into plinths, and atop each plinth was a peculiar structure. Several horizontal bars, made of metal or other substances, were held in a large frame, looking at first glance like a giant rack for drying wet clothes. Only when he spotted his first occupied one did Surya realize what they were. Resting comfortably, her coils woven in intricate patterns through the bars, a Marilith hung on the frame in her equivalent of an easy chair. Each frame was surrounded by an assortment of objects, weapon racks, crystal balls or cylinders or frames displaying pictures of events happening elsewhere and usually involving warfare, torture engines, manipulated to horrifyingly complex effect by the six-armed demonesses; some had bowls of assorted horrifying delicacies and it was here, not quite believing his eyes, that Surya saw his first fat Marilith!, some had things that might have been musical instruments, and many had reading stands supporting heavy books or scrolls. Flashes of magic flared and darted around some of these. A constant stream of lesser demons appeared and disappeared, teleporting to fulfil the whims of their mistresses. A stream of damned souls trudged through and around below the plinths, occasionally drained of energy as a Marilith desired it, sometimes tormented simply for the fun of it. Around the perimeter were more Mariliths, smaller than the ones taking their ease below, armed and clearly guarding their superiors. Age and seniority seemed to go with increase in size he realized, for the monsters on their frames were all bigger than the Gatekeeper he'd defeated below, whereas the guardians were perceptibly smaller. Surya now looked through his very experienced warrior's eyes at the considered might and fire power gathered in the chamber. There were at least fifty plinths, widely spaced. Eleven were currently occupied by the huge demons. There were also over fifty of the smaller Marilith guards and at least a hundred of the smaller demons, scattered throughout the chamber. The lesser demons were wretched little Dretch for the most part, with the occasional Quasit and very occasional Vrock. Surya thought as he sat on Saethor in the doorway, there was no way he could defeat all these creatures at once in mortal combat and he was sure that they where quite aware of his presence. Surya made his final preparations, readying weapons, spells and a few choice magical trinkets. He insured that his mount was ready for a sharp exit if the need arose. Saethor was quite aware of the likely need for a swift exit. Not a sight Surya had ever expected to see but this was a Nightmare who was scared shitless. He uttered a silent pray to Kord and then rode throw the archway and into the large chamber. As the King rode across the threshold, several of the larger Mariliths immediately turned to regard him, and all the smaller guardians on that side of the room hefted their weapons in readiness. Magic flared here and there as defensive spells were reflexively cast. The defeated Gatekeeper must have warned her mistresses of the approaching visitor. Surya addressed the throng of demons in his usual bullish manor "Your Ladyships of the Damarcane, I am Surya, a mere mortal and seek an audience with you" Surya paused and looked around the room as all eyes now focused on him, he then went on politely "I respectfully requested that you return to me, alive and well, my wife and son, taken from me by your sister Zabyrayt. Do this and I will leave" One of the largest demons twisted one of her left hands just so and vanished from her plinth as he started speaking, appearing instantaneously at the foot of the stairs he stood at the top of. Her voice was like thunder as she replied to his bold sally. "How dare you, a mere mortal, briefly favoured of Orcus by blind chance, bearing the blasphemous creation of Raldar Z'hin, enter this place and demand aught of us? Your place is down there," she gestured to the suffering souls below, and they flinched from her movement. Surya had not heard the name Raldar Z'hin before, but he knew the meaning of the Fae Mhor words, warbringer or he that brings others to war. Or more accurately she, as the most powerful of that dark race where generally female and a very powerful being she must have been to have bound one of these creatures to a sword. Surya put on the bravest face he could muster and answered the demon "I dare because I can and I am down here because one of your kind has some thing of mine. I just seek to end this peacefully, but I have the means to take back what is mine" Surya paused, thinking that this Demoness, would surly see through his bravado. He then asked "And who is Raldar Z'hin?" The Marilith grinned. "Raldar Z'hin was the Fae Mhor warlord who dared to imprison a Damarcane in a mere sword for mortals for blunder around with. He reaped the benefit, the women of his race conspired against him, undermined his power, forced him to over-extend himself; and he was killed by the elf Galoriand. His soul suffers our most attentive hospitality to this day, and will forever. Maybe yours will share his quarters?" There was no signal Surya could see, but from every quarter, Fireballs arced at him in a massive display of the mastery over the element of Fire held by demons. Twisting and dodging, Saethor weaved his way through them, in some cases accepting the strikes for his master, immune to fire as he was. Trailing smoke and with some of his clothing alight, the pair soared into the air above the Hall of the Damarcane. As good as his mount was Surya could not evade all of the fire balls, but the burns he sustained were only minor in nature. The words of the language of magic spilled from Surya's lips as he wove the spell of his retaliation. As the spell reached completion, he felt a peculiar sensation, as if another hand rested atop his that he stretched out to direct the spell of death. Or.. maybe not a hand, more a paw, or a claw… The power of Orcus flowed into him and joined with the spell he cast, leaving a slight residue behind. The flow of the magic appeared different, in a way reminiscent of the energy flows of the Abyss. It felt both uncomfortable and enjoyable. The Mariliths of the Damarcane blinked and braced themselves slightly, readied for whatever the magical attack would be. Surprise and puzzlement flicked across the evil, beautiful faces as nothing appeared to happen. Then the lesser demons began to die. All across the chamber, describing a wave emanating from the Last Tellaran, the scurrying Dretch servants and lesser guardian Mariliths began to crumple and fall, dying in their tracks as the horrendous, merciless magic of the Circle of Death touched them. Armour clashed and weapons clattered for long moments as the creatures died. Then, finally there was silence. The Marilith who had spoken before glanced around. "Very well," she said, and it was clear she was impressed despite herself, and trying not to show it. "The lesser ones are weak and easily slain. Do not believe you can best us that easily…." But her words trailed off as all around her, the slain creatures lurched to their feet. A pale green light burned in their eyes, and a dreadful hunger. Turning inwards, they picked up their weapons and began to advance on their former mistresses. In all about fifty undead warriors joined the fight against the demons, mostly they were once lesser demons but nine of the Marilith guardians had also returned to aid Surya. Surya then turned to the Marilith who had addressed him and spoke quite gently as he prepared his bow for combat. "As I said, demon, I have the means to take back what is mine and it was your choice to protect Zabyrayt from my wrath. Also know this if I die my family will go free anyway and if I don't all the Damarcane are doomed except perhaps the one bound up in this mere mortal's sword." As he finished speaking, Surya once again unleashed death as his arrows left his bow and struck the demoness hard in the head and body. She screamed in pain as the shafts penetrated deep into her flesh and Surya saw her black blood spill on to the ground. Total chaos ensued in the Hall of the Damarcane. Zombie versions of the lesser guardians and servant demons lurched forwards and threw themselves on their former mistresses, who defended themselves casually at first and then with increasing force as the power of their foes became apparent. Surya's missiles slew the demon he'd been speaking to, who was caught completely by surprise. Instantly, several of the others caught on and dropped their melee weapons to seize bows. Others coiled motionless and concentrated, and suddenly the King and Saethor were assailed from all directions by a blizzard of objects, loose weapons, chunks of rock and dead bodies. Most of the projectile bounced of the Kings armour, but he did receive few minor wounds to his leg and chest. Surya quickly took stock of the situation and noticed that the majority of the living demons were engaged in a combat with their dead brothers and sisters. But at least ten of the Mariliths were focusing their attention on him. Half of these had now armed themselves with bows and the rest appeared to be responsible for the storm of flying objects. He also noticed that two of these huge creatures were magically lifting their frames up in an attempt to reach him. Saethor now excited by the battle, began to snort and neigh with rage. His snorting produced a hot, sulphurous smoke, which would have troubled lesser creatures than these demons they now faced, but Surya did noticed that they where finding it hard to target him with their arrows and other projectiles. Seeking to take full advantage from this, Surya encouraged his mount to create more. And under the cover of this smoke Surya cast a protective spell before resuming his attack. The magic was a success as the continuing storm of flying objects now passed harmlessly by. The arrows from Surya's bow sleeted among the Mariliths of the Damarcane. Screams announced the deaths of three of them. Arrows arced up from the demons in return. Many were mis-aimed due to the smoke, but some were not and Surya felt their points bite into his flesh. Blood flowing across his mail, Surya turned Saethor for another pass. At that moment, a strident voice cut through the mayhem. "Stop!" At the far side of the room, another Marilith had teleported in, one Surya recognized. Zabyrayt bulked at the end of the hall, with Queen Leonora gripped in her coils looking pale but well. Of Cuitech there was no sign. The thunderous voice spoke again. "'If you want to see the brat again... or like your women in one piece..... think very carefully about your next move..." Surya and the larger demons paused from their destructive attack on each other and turned their attention to the new comer. Surya was the first to respond. "Greeting your ladyship, do you wish to renegotiate the terms of my family's release. You said that my death, by solitary courage, would secure their release, but your sisters are not up to the challenge." Surya smiled and went on "Sorry did I miss understand your request or did you really think I would fall on my sword and not come after you." Surya paused, his mouth was now quite dry from all the smoke that Saethor was generating and he noticed that now they had stopped flying, at speed, that this smoke was starting to build up around the two of them. Surya's thoughts were now racing as he saw a possible solution to the situation, below the lesser demons and the undead were still fighting it out and the large Marilith were poised on the outcome of this verbal exchange. They had already lost too many of their brethren and Surya was quire sure they wished they had not got involved. Surya continued to speak to the demon, but under the cover of the thickening smoke put his plan into action. He reached into his quiver and healed himself using one of his many staves "I will stop my onslaught against you and your kin if you release the women and child now." The sight of a Marilith shrugging her shoulders was most impressive, as there are a lot of shoulders on a Marilith! "You are welcome to your little queen, take her and be welcome." A callous shove sent Leonora stumbling tearfully towards her husband. "But your son I have a use for. He is safely bestowed, somewhere you with your infant knowledge of the Plane walker's art will never find him. Slay me, and you will never see him again. Only with my aid can you reach him. Step into the portal yonder and you may… may …. save his life." Surya directed Saethor to land near to Leonora. He dismounted from the nightmare and ran to his queen. They embraced warmly, but Surya kept one eye on the Marilith. He spoke gently to her "This is no place for you, my love. You must return home now, but I will carry on until I have found our son". The Queen of New Tellare straightened, her spirits rising at her husband's unquenchable confidence. With that he cast the magic of Planeshift and Queen Leonora vanished. Surya then used the new powers of his rob to check his wife had returned to Reital. Seeing her safely home spurred him on. He then turned to the giant Marilith and spoke "What possible uses do you have for the boy and why would I walk willingly into your trap. Return my son or you and your kind die this day. Your are right, my knowledge of the planes is poor, but others will gladly help me find my son after your death." Surya paused while he remounted Saethor and drew his bow "And know this demon, you may still aid me after your death, now return my son or join your sisters" Surya gestured to the fallen demons in the hall. She chuckled. "So brave and confident," she mocked. "I lay you no traps, mortal king. You have my oath that nothing awaits you where he is beyond what you yourself take or have made. But you also have my oath that should you slay me or refuse the door, you will never see him again. Some planes are harder to reach than others!" She reached slowly as she spoke and pulled a pin from her hair, dropping it to the stone floor. As it fell, a fan of light radiated upwards from the head, forming a peculiarly-shaped portal beyond which an incongruous looking landscape of gentle grasslands and distant woodland could be seen. One hand gestured in graceful invitation towards the portal while another reached for a second pin. Surya remounted Saethor and spoke to the demon "Very well I will play your games, for now. But if you do not return my son, alive and unharmed, I will resume my pursuit of you and your kin." Surya then gestured towards the portal "Ladies first" The second pin tinkled to the floor as Zabyrayt moved forwards ahead of Surya, and a second portal appeared. Swift as lightning, the demon slithered into it, and was gone, the new portal closing behind her. Surya had a momentary glimpse of streets and houses, and a peculiar skyline. It might have been Sigil, he thought. Alone now, he and Saethor examined the remaining opening, not completely convinced of the view that was portrayed. Neither saw anything they recognized, other than heartbreakingly normal beauty. More so than any other mortal, Surya's vision was able to discern the presence of illusion. Little could fool the Robe of Eyes now. As far as he could tell it was real, wherever it was. Certainly it seemed more appealing than the blood-spattered mayhem still continuing behind him. Surya, for now turned for the battle, put his weapons away and set Lordsguard to his arm. He made himself comfortable in the saddle and spoke to Saethor saying "Sorry old boy, it doesn't look like your sort of place, but looks can be deceiving" and with that Surya, the King of New Tellare, spurred his mount through the portal and left Taurnor. To the relief of the Mariliths of the Damarcane he was sure, some of which where still fighting for their lives. As Surya rode through the portal, he noticed a subtle difference in the feeling. Like, and yet not like, the usual transition between planes of existence. The feeling sparked a memory, he'd felt this before, somewhere… Swords.., Swords were something to do with it. Swords and planar portals, Surya thoughts where now racing. Then it came to him, the Hallow, the transition to the Hallows had felt like this. The Hallows is a demiplane, built by the Gods for one purpose. That purpose was to keep the Sword of Absolute Law, Zero One, from being used to tear the fabric of the multiverse apart. Surya had been instrumental in recovering this Primal artefact, created before good and evil existed, and placing beyond the reach of any that would seek to use it power and that included himself. Much to the displeasure of Cullinan, who would have released Cain from his prison in Arnora, with that power. A dark thought ran across Surya's mind, could this be Arnora, the sealed demiplane in the Realm of Law, prison of Cain the First Vampire, no surly not, the power required to bridge the plane was far beyond him or the Damarcane. He was probably still in the Abyss.
The only incongruous sights in the whole picture were a mighty black stallion with a flaming mane and smoke oozing from his skin, and a tall grim warrior in heavy, scarred armour, spattered with black and red blood. Surya bid his stead to make himself scarce and the creature disappeared into the ether, through still visible to his master, but hopefully not to others. Surya noticed that the nightmare was not a misty, to his eyes, as normal. May be magic worked differently here. He tested this theory by casting one of the first cantrips he had learnt, which worked normally, and made short work of cleaning himself and his equipment of the blood and gore from the previous fight. He also checked his equipment for any damage sustained in the fight and to ensure it all worked as it should. He was still troubled by the failure of Tormentor and his mind began to wonder, was it time for a new sword, a good sword, one that would bring balance to his soul. With everything now in order, he was ready to explore this new world. Firstly, still not quite believing the beautiful scene around him, he cast detect evil. This revealed nothing to dispel the pleasant nature of the new world he now found himself in. Just then a movement on the bridge caught Surya's eye. Peering, he thought he could make out a humanoid shape. He took out his spy glass and took a closer look. He could now see that the figure was tall, human-shaped and dressed in black plate armour. It was also equipped with a longsword, but he could not make out any insignia at this distance. Then a sound jerked his attention around behind him, a sound not unlike someone very clumsy or very unconcerned with stealth forcing their way through the undergrowth of the nearby copse towards him. Surya turned bringing Lordsguard to the ready and drawing the sword of the Dead Legion. The sight that greeted Surya was the last thing he had expected. It was
a dwarf, clad in plate armour wielding a glowing glass bladed axe. Surya
recognised him instantly and lowered his weapon, as this was no ordinary
dwarf. This was the Hand of Kord, Dragonslayer, Ta'nara, bearer of the
Axe of Glass and Surya's trusted companion for many years - Hildraft Surya was the first to speak and asked of his old friend "What bring you here?" The dwarf answered boldly "My god told me you needed my help" there was a short pause "and that I might need yours." The two then spoke for a while as Surya recalled the recent events that had brought him to this idyllic place, where he had hoped to find his son, Cuitech. With Hildraft now up to speed with the recent events, the two turned their attention to the only thing of any real interest, the armour humanoid on the bridge. The crossing was about a mile from where they stood and both, with no heed of stealth, walked to the bridge and confronted the creature. Surya demanded of the being, which was clearly human "Who are you and what lies beyond". It answered "I am your nemeses and beyond is the after life" The King of Tellare then asked of the creature it name and it answered "I can not tell you" Surya and Hildraft continued to question the creature, but it was either unwilling or unable to answer any question put to it fully, only eluding to some enchantment place upon him that meant he must fight Surya and only Surya if he wished to escape from this place. At this point the King turned to Hildraft and asked him to try and dispel the enchantment. Surya knew his comrade's magic was far superior to his own and he would have a much better chance of success. The Dwarf either ignored or misheard him and flew at the black armour knight. The Axe of Glass crashed against the creatures armour in several places, drawing first blood. Completely ignoring the dwarf the creature adeptly swung it long sword at Surya hitting him several times. Surya reeled for the attack, instantly realising that this opponent was well versed in the art swordsmanship. The blows that he received where placed with such a devastating precision and power, he knew he was in a fight for his life. Undaunted the King brought his weapon to bear and the sword of the Dead Legion struck back at the black knight. The damage he inflicted on the creature should have been sufficient to stop dead almost any creature, but not this one. The knight, through greatly damaged, with his shield almost clove in two, simply touch on an amulet around his neck and the colossal damage that had been inflicted upon him was gone. Hildraft, realising that this was a sword fight he did not want any part of, stepped back and prepared to use his primary weapon - his magic. He summoned up the power invested in him by Kord and attempted to break the enchantment upon this warrior. Unfortunately the magic he had cast, failed to break the charm placed on this creature, but the cleric now knew from where the enchantment emanated from. Hildraft would now attempt to target the amulet around its neck with a more powerful spell, but before he could cast the spell the creature was upon Surya again. The knight was again faster than Surya and repeatedly struck home with yet more devastating blows. Without the aide of Lordsguard the King of New Tellare would have been dead by now, but putting his trust in his training and weaponry Surya attacked again. Surya put together a combination of strikes that left the black knight with a shattered shield arm and a very bruised manhood. But the creature came back at him and returned the low blow, making Surya's eyes water. This knight, thought Surya, was about the best he had ever fought. Surya moved to attack the creature again, but as he closed upon him the amulet around his opponent's neck shattered into a thousand pieces. Hildraft's magic had worked this time, much to the relief of Surya. The knight had been thrown to the floor by the force of Hildraft's spell and was now reeling in pain. With the knight down, Surya moved quickly, despite his discomfort, and kicked his sword and shield way from him. Then using his boot kicked open the black knights visor and stared with horror at the sight he was greeted with. The arrogant sword master was now gone and had been replaced but a boy of about eighteen years. The boy had long blond hair and a very familiar look. Hildraft was the first to speak "He looks just like you, only younger". This fact had not escaped Surya and he demanded to know the boys name. "Cuitech" he said Hildraft and Surya looked at each other and then back at the boy, both now in shock. With the fight over and the threat of the black knight removed, Hildraft healed the boy of the damage his farther had inflicted upon him. Cuitech was clearly distressed and kept repeating he had failed to kill his nemeses and would now be trapped here forever. Surya suggested that they all went back to the keep. Cuitech then proceeded to tell his story. It transpired that he had been here all his life, visited only by a red haired woman, who had basically brought him up. She had prepared him for the day when a man would come, one which he must kill. Only then would he be free to leave. At the end of his tale, he turned to his visitors and reiterated "I am now trapped here forever, I have failed." Surya tried to comfort him, telling him they would free him from this place. Still not quite sure where to begin, Surya attempted to tell Cuitech the tale that had brought him to this day. He finished his tale by informing Cuitech that the last time he had seen him, he was a babe in arms, only three days ago. The three comrades spent the next few days recovering from their ordeal, in this idyllic world. The two Tellarans spent much of the time getting to know each other better. Surya did his best to explain to his son, who he was and what was going to happen next. Surya and Hildraft had decided the act of imprisoning the Crown Prince of New Tellare here for eighteen year could not go unpunished and they would pursue Zabyrayt and teach her a lesson she would not forget. As to Cuitech, they would leave him in the safe and holy hands of the priests of Kord and take him to the Kordasa until they returned from Sigil. Then Surya would take him home and explain to his wife what had happened. Surya was not looking forward to the latter. The time came for them to leave and Hildraft prepared the magic that would transport them back to Alair. The dwarf turned to the other two and asked them to hold his hands. Surya, choose this moment to mention there was one another that would need his help to get off this plane. The dwarf looked quizzically at this human companion. Surya knew the Hand of Kord was not going to like this one bit. Looking a bit embarrassed Surya spoke "Let me introduce you all to my mount, Saethor" At this point a huge black station, with flames for a mane and tail appeared from the ether. The dwarf just shook his head and said "Where the hell did you get that, no don't tell me I don't want to know". Surya told him anyway "From an angel". With that the dwarf cast his magic and they were gone. The magic of plane shift was not the most accurate mode of transport and it took then a few minutes to get their bearings when they reached Alair. It was Hildraft that recognised the place first - Stormpeak, in the Erean Mountains.
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home was not as Surya had left it. The whole castle was in a state of
pandemonium, with soldiers, priests and servants running this way and
that. Surya stopped one member of the elite royal guard and demanded he
be told what was going on. The guard, after realising who was addressing
him said "Queen Leonora and the boy Prince are missing, sire"
Between
these gathering he contacted Seraphiel the Dark Angel by way of scrying.
He wove the now very familiarmagic upon a large mirror in the workshop
and observed his reflection change to that a tall beautiful, winged woman
in black armour. "Greeting Dark Lord, what is it I can do for you"
she asked, with just a hint of suggestion in her voice. But her playful
tone soon dropped when Surya explained the situation to her. Surya asked
if she knew of the whereabouts of Zabyrayt and who she now served. Seraphiel
shrugged. "I haven't seen her since Thanatos was recaptured,"
she said, "Probably slithered off somewhere to plot revenge. Give
her my sharpest regards when you catch up with her! I understand she may
have a bolthole somewhere around Layer 400 if that helps. Oh - if your
wife doesn't make it, look me up and I'll plunder you dinner."
Between
the two enormous pillars there where over four dozen demons, mainly Dretches
and other minor demons. But one huge fiend dominated the room, with six
arms, standing over 12 feet tall and measuring at least 25 feet from head
to tail. A Marilith, but not the one Surya was searching for.
Then
the tidal wave of her attacks struck him. Sword, axe, flail, mace, morning
star and warhammer smashed at him from all directions, a blizzard of blows
against which he could only defend frantically. Surya was thrown back
under the barrage of heavy blows. The creature had hit the King so many
times that there did not appear to be a single part of his body without
injury. Surya would have to think again, he would not survive another
beating like that one.
He
shrugged and looked around as the portal flickered out of existence behind
him. Wherever he was, it was beautiful. All the places he'd visited lately
had been alien or horrible or both, but this was a land to make the heart
sing. Gentle rolling grassy hills were dotted with small forests of healthy
trees. Birds were singing, and a herd of deer grazed contentedly. A small
lake was visible about a mile away, and beyond that a river, gently winding
across the landscape. Just level with the lake, a graceful bridge spanned
the river, and at its' far end was a small stone keep. Smoke rose lazily
from a chimney indicating possible inhabitants. 
.