Rain Shine, seeking a lost Kirin, ends up in a new world, in a city hounded by a dark and foul alliance, and joins three adventurers on their quest to set things right.
Rain Shine, upon discovering that Autumn Blaze has gone missing, goes out in search of the missing Kirin, only to go missing herself. She then finds herself in an unfamiliar world, in an unfamiliar body, in a city that is visited by adventurers and merchants while being hounded by the forces of darkness. She joins a group of three heroes in their quest to track down the thieves who attacked each of them upon entering Baldur's Gate, recover their stolen possessions, and right the wrongs of the city along the way... all while uncovering a dark plot that's bigger than they could have imagined.
(Baldur's Gate, Dark Alliance/MLP Crossover) (Part of the Demon War story series, but reading the others isn't required)
It had been a good day in the Kirin village, as the birds were chirping and the sun was out, something that caused each and every member of the community to head outside of their homes, since it had rained for the last couple of days and this was the first normal day since it started. Many of them started chatting with each other as they went about their days, all while many could see that the clouds were clearing, meaning that they didn't have to worry about another rainstorm happening, not unless the pegasi believed that more hours of rain were required. While they did that Rain Shine, the leader of them all, glanced out of her own residence with a smile on her face, as the rain had been good for them and every plant and tree that surrounded their village, even if they had been forced to do less than they were used to doing. The smile was also due to the fact that she was pleased to see that the rest of her kind were no longer bound by her foolish decision to enforce silence on all of them, in fact it looked like it had been completely forgotten.
Such a thing made her grateful to Autumn Blaze, the kirin who had accidentally undid the binding on herself, along with Applejack and Fluttershy, ponies who came to assist them, for rectifying her mistake and uniting them with ponykind once more, even if they stayed here for the most part.
"Lady Rain Shine, it's... it's Autumn!" one of the other kirin exclaimed, rushing up to where Rain was standing as she walked out of her residence, though at the same time she was able to tell that some of the others were worried, meaning that the good day they had been experiencing, even for a few moments, was over.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" Rain asked, because usually, back when they could talk, this happened when one or more of their kind was in some sort of danger, such as some sort of creature attacking or the kirin in question being hurt by one of the natural disasters of the world, but it didn't stop her from being concerned.
"I... we don't know. We checked her residence and found that she's not there!" the kirin replied, while the others stood off to the side as they wondered what to do next, where Rain recalled that Autumn had lived in a cottage that rested on the very outskirts of their village, during her banishment anyway, and realized that the small group must have checked her cottage that was closer to everyone else.
It did strike her as strange that they hadn't heard anything from Autumn yet, since she was the most energetic out of them all and she loved to talk, causing Rain to realize that something was definitely wrong and that she might be in danger, as a rainstorm like this could have affected the rest of the surrounding area.
"I'll go check her old cottage and see if she went there to collect some of her things." Rain stated, because that was the only thing that made sense, that Autumn hadn't fully packed up her outskirt cottage and had gone back during the storm to get something she deemed to be important to her, to keep it safe from harm, before she turned to the others, "If I'm not back in an hour I want you to remain calm and go about your days as if nothing is wrong... if I'm not back by nightfall, well, I want you to send someone to the ponies and get help. I doubt I'll be gone too long, but, in case something happens, I want all of you to be prepared, just in case."
As the rest of the kirin nodded their heads, and started to go about their days despite some of them looking worried, Rain departed immediately, because she wanted to find Autumn, make sure she was okay, and then return to the village so they could go about their day in peace. Rain found that nothing in the village looked out of place or damaged, though that was due to them being built to endure any weather they got, so since Autumn's outskirt cottage had been built the same way, to ensure no harm came to her, it made her wonder why the kirin in question would have gone there in the first place. While that thought crossed her mind Rain left the village and started the trek to the cottage that was her destination, finding that the ground hadn't suffered too much, so it was unlikely that any holes had formed for someone to slip into or trip over, if one was in a hurry anyway. Such a thing confused her and made her wonder if this might be an elaborate joke on Autumn's part, as she knew that the kirin had played a joke on Applejack and Fluttershy upon their arrival, pretending to be silent like the rest before revealing her true colors to them, but this seemed a little much to her.
When she finally reached the cottage, however, Rain stopped in her tracks and brought her hoof to her face, as she recalled that Autumn had told her that she was heading to Ponyville for a time, likely to meet up with her pony friends and meet the rest of the group, and was only now remembering the conversation.
"Of course we'd forget that she went to visit Ponyville... she's so important to us that we forgot that." Rain commented, as Autumn had many friends before everyone had been silenced and it was made evident when they undid the binding since many kirin rejoiced, welcoming her back into the village, apologizing for their actions, and returned to being friends with her, so this just meant that they missed her more than they realized, "I better head back and inform the others... wouldn't want them to think I've gone missing as well."
As she turned around, however, Rain was suddenly overcome with exhaustion, like she had come down with something that instantly sapped her strength or something, where she staggered for a moment before hitting the ground, the world going black around her as she slipped into unconsciousness.
It was a dark night in Baldur's Gate, one that was much gloomier than the others that had come before it since the moon couldn't been seen, though that was how Karne liked it, since it meant that he and his men would have better cover while they robbed people of their goods. He was the second-in-command of the thieves guild that operated in the city, a guild known to only a select few as 'Xantam's Guild', and they stole from everyone, either taking whatever gold a person or even a group had, their goods to sell them for much more, or even took their lives to take everything. Of course there were a few targets that couldn't be killed, otherwise it would draw unwanted attention to the Guild, but everyone else in the city was fair game for him and his thieves right now, especially since the guards couldn't do anything to stop them. In fact the last few times they had run into the Watch they had been able to get away with ease, escaping with their treasure before the guards could do anything, meaning that when it happened again they would be able to escape with no problems and without any worries.
As he thought about that, however, there was a flash off to his left and he turned his head slightly, because he wore an iron helm over his head and it forced him to turn if he wanted to see something, though it did help keep his face a secret since all his men saw were his eyes and mouth. He also wore a dark brown and deep red jacket and pants, as he almost never got in a fight and didn't need to wear armor, along with some knives attached to a shoulder strap that his sword's scabbard was linked to, but he kept his hand off his weapon for now. Karne glanced around for a moment and found that none of the guards seemed interested in this, or maybe they hadn't noticed yet, causing him to walk over to the alley he had spotted the flash in, where his men followed after him without delay. A flash like that meant someone must have used magic, that much he was sure of, though as he approached the area he was interested in he discovered something that he wasn't expecting to see and was sure that his men were surprised as well.
Karne found a woman, probably between twenty to thirty years old by his reckoning, resting on the ground, though in that moment he discovered that her body was more like the mythical faun, as in she had legs that looked like a cross between a human's and a horse's, or maybe a pony's, since both ended in hooves. As he looked over her body he found that her skin was a grayish color, with what appeared to be goldish gray colored scales on the sides of the waist and upper body area, an unusual color for the races of the world, even though the scales were incredibly out of place. Following that he discovered that she had long moderate opal colored hair, another odd and extremely unusual color, before noticing what else she had, there was a thin tail, possessing her body's color, that had hair the same color as her hair on it, only to notice the moderate crimson curved horn on her head. That was when he noticed that she had pointed ears, more like a horse's or pony's given what he had seen so far, and both of them seemed to be pointing at the sky, though to wrap it all up she also had a muzzle, making her look like a human or elf crossed with a pony creature.
He had no idea who she was, where she had come from, or what in the world she was, but he could tell she was magical in some nature, as that flash must have been a teleport spell of some kind due to the lack of clothes on her, to which he took a nearby piece of cloth and threw it over her before his men got any funny ideas.
"Karne... what do we do with her?" one of his men asked, though as he said that Karne knew what was going through his mind right now, while at the same time the other three were focused on the surrounding area and the main gate, which was their actual target in case travelers showed up.
"Quiet. I'm thinking." Karne replied, where he wondered if his master would enjoy having a new soldier to mold into one of his faithful followers, especially one with such untamed magical powers, since the lady had to have some due to the magic that brought her to this city, which might give them more power over the city in due time.
"Karne, we've got newcomers... three of them: an elf, a human, and a dwarf." another said, where Karne turned his head for a moment and found the trio in question, finding that the female elf looked like she was a sorceress due to the staff in her hand, the human had a quiver and bow, and the dwarf had a battleaxe, causing him to realize what they were as soon as he noticed the packs on their backs, adventurers.
As he started to form the order he wanted to give, however, the lady moaned as she started to come to, getting over the shock of her transportation spell, though as she started to stand up one of his men to step forward and struck her right in the back of the head, knocking her down once more. Such a thing caused the adventurers to notice that something was up and moved to investigate, which was fine with Karne since the other thieves were in the path they were taking and those three emerged from the shadows when they were passed. As the trio started to get ready to deal with them the thieves struck each of them from behind and knocked them to the ground before they could do anything, causing Karne to walk over to where his targets were laying, finding that each one, while having no armor or trinkets, had some decent weapons in their possession. With that in mind he ordered his men to relieve the adventurers of their weapons, and even the quiver that the archer had since he had some good quality arrows that could make them some good gold once they were sold, but to be sure they were actually sold he had them handed to him for the time being.
"Easy pickings, eh Karne?" one of the trio asked, the supervisor over the group that he was currently working with, who had come to the Guild to make some gold and had stayed after discovering what they were capable of, while the others in his group continued to look the adventurers, taking their gold to add to the Guild's coffers.
"Indeed. Our little ambush has won us some gold and some odd items." Karne replied, though at the same time he took a moment to glance back at the alley that the lady was resting in, either with a concussion or a split skull, where the latter would likely annoy his master when he learned what had happened, but before he could do anything he heard the sound of the Watch coming, "Quick, take the rest of their gold and leave everything else for the Watch... we'll come back for the strange lady when the coast is clear."
His men nodded before they scurried off for the shadows, to use secret entrances that only the Guild knew about, and of course none of them would use them if the Watch was waiting, not that it mattered since he found that the two guards had stopped to tend to the fallen adventurers, with a third near the fallen lady.
"Damnable thieves... they grow bolder with every passing day." one of the guards commented, where his companion took a moment to nod his head in agreement, neither of them were too pleased with the thieves who had run off, since more and more people were being attacked every day and there was nothing the Watch could do since they were spread thin at the moment.
"I'll say, they robbed her blind." the third guard stated, as he had lifted the cover for a moment and found that the group of thieves had stolen everything from the odd lady that was under it, though he counted themselves fortunate that they had arrived when they had, otherwise all four of them would have been slain, "They also, um... took her undergarments as well, as odd as that sounds."
In the next moment the three adventurers regained consciousness and found that that were alive, in fact they had heard of thieves killing their prey once everything of value had been stolen, before focusing on the fact that someone else had been hurt by the same individuals who knocked them out. They found the same thing that the guards discovered, she was without clothing or possessions, the thieves must have stolen everything before they walked through the door and had carted it off before they could even see whatever she had been wearing. It came as a shock that the thieves would steal all of her clothing, unless she was some sort of noble and her clothing had all sorts of gems and gold lining, but, since all of the guards had never seen her before, it was unlikely that she was a noble. In the end the adventurers decided to help her out, even though most of their gold had been taken, causing one of the guards to offer up a few pieces to ensure that they got a room at the Elfsong Tavern, where they could rest and get their bearings, and help the unconscious woman when she finally woke up.
As the trio moved towards the tavern, the human carrying the lady, who had been wrapped in the cover that had been put over her, they thought of how they were going to get back at the thieves for attacking them, the lady, and everyone else in the city, unaware of the great adventure they were going to be embarking on in the very near future.
It didn't take the trio too long to locate the Elfsong Tavern, as they happened to pass by it when they noticed the thieves attack the lady that the human was carrying right now, where he paused as the elf and the dwarf opened the door for him to move inside, without worrying about hurting the lady more than she already was. There they found that it was smaller than most of the taverns and inns that each one had passed on their way to the city, no doubt intended for a quick stop before any adventurers or merchants went on their way, though a few people were present, one sleeping at a table in the back while the rest were standing around the building. From what they could tell there was a stout man off to their left, standing by a circular staircase that lead to the upper level, another man, thinner than the last, who seemed to be drunk or close to it, while two more people stood on either side of the bar, on their side sat a man who looked up as they entered while a lady worked on the other side. It was clear that there weren't a lot of paying customers right now, because the lady wasn't getting any drinks ready, despite the few containers resting behind her, though she was wearing revealing clothing since it was easy to see the top of her cleavage, but none of them were focused on that.
While they were worried about the injured lady, and the fact that all of her stuff had been stolen, they took note of a song that was being played right now, a phantom song that was sung by someone who wasn't present right now, likely a ghost of some kind, and that everyone seemed transfixed while it was playing, enjoying the melody.
"It's a beautiful song, isn't it strangers?" the bar owner inquired, speaking once it was done, though with it being a ghost the trio knew it was only a matter of time until it started up again since spirits didn't have the weakness of stamina that most people had, though the smile on her face faded as she noticed their new friend, "What happened to her?"
"Attacked by thieves, who seem to have stolen everything she owns... and we mean everything." the human stated, where it was easy for the bar owner to understand what he was saying, that under the cover the lady was wearing nothing to cover her body, which seemed to draw the attention of the man at the bar, as he shifted slightly, "Sadly we were robbed as well, so we have no gold to pay for a room... maybe we can work out a deal of some kind?"
"I can help with that, and I might have a few minor jobs for you in the future." the man spoke up, showing that he had been listening to their brief conversation and that he was willing to part with a few gold to ensure they could get a room for the lady they were helping, even though they had plans to deal with the thieves who did this.
The trio discovered that the man was called Ethon and that the bar owner was called Alyth, where the pair exchanged a few words before Alyth beckoned for them to follow, as she lead all three of them up to the second floor and brought them to the room that Ethon had paid for. With that done the human gently placed the lady on the bed that was in there and did his best to cover her without disturbing her, though once that was done the trio backed off and took a seat nearby, as the room was large enough for them to sit on the ground without much trouble. As they waited for the lady to wake up, since each of them assumed it would come to pass at some point, they decided to introduce themselves to the others, due to the fact that all of them were planning on doing the same thing once everyone was rested. The human introduced himself as Vahn, an arcane archer who lived on the Sword Coast becoming coming to seek his fame, causing the dwarf to tell them that he was Kromlech Bruenghor, a shield dwarf from Easting in the Summerset Mountains, and the elf informed her companions that she was Adrianna, a moon elf sorceress who hailed from Evereska.
Each one had come to Baldur's Gate seeking fame and fortune, only to be robbed of their gold and precious weapons, so for now they needed a way to come up with some gold to purchase new gear for the future, but as they discussed what sort of jobs Ethon might have for them a groan could be heard as the lady regained consciousness.
"Ugh... where am... I?" the figure asked, where she remained laying down for a moment, getting used to the room that she was in, before pushing herself into a sitting position, but as she did that, and turned to face them, the covers fell not even a few seconds later, something she either didn't notice or didn't seem to care about, "Who... are you?"
"I am Adrianna, and these are my companions Vahn and Kromlech... who are leaving for now." Adrianna answered, though her second statement was due to the fact that the dropping of the covers meant that the lady's body was on full display and, to the best of her knowledge, men enjoyed such a thing, hence why she directed the pair outside before closing the door, though after that she picked up the cover and held it over the stranger's body, "Normally nudity is frowned upon in society, and full displays like that could get you fined... I have a spare set of clothing, just in case of emergencies, and replacement undergarments that you can borrow for the time being, at least until we get you back on your feet... er, hooves. Do you recall anything that happened earlier?"
"I... no. All I remember is my name: Rain Shine." the lady replied, where Adrianna thought it was an odd name and quickly wondered if she was a resident from one of the Elemental Planes, a type of creature that the world hadn't documented yet, before focusing on the task at hand as Rain looked down at herself and her body.
Adrianna found that she had to answer a few questions about Rain's body, such as telling her that the mounds on her chest were breasts, among other things, though it did make her wonder if her theory about the lady being a new elemental from one of the Elemental Planes was accurate or not. Of the six planes in question she had never heard of a being like her being seen or documented by those who had contact with each realm, or at least before they went missing anyway, and she could tell that Rain wasn't from the earth or fire planes, due to her smooth arms and lack of fire. Even then she could rule out the water and air planes, she didn't quite match what sort of creatures called those realms home as well, nor did she match any of the few known beings of the planes of light and shadow. Such a thing meant that there was a chance that her theory on the matter might be wrong, that Rain didn't hail from one of the Elemental Planes, even if it felt like she should since this was the first time Adrianna had seen someone like her, but she decided not to dwell on the matter.
In the end she was able to outfit Rain with some clothing, a green tunic that had a V shaped cutout going from the collar to one's belly button, revealing the sides of one's breasts, and some leggings that happened to be of the same color, which she helped Rain into before nodding her head as she opened the door again.
"Vahn, Kromlech, this is Rain Shine." Adrianna said, figuring that she might as well tell them what little she knew about the figure they had saved from the thieves that attacked them, since it diverted their attention long enough to ensure that some of the Watch could arrive and drive off the cowards who struck from the shadows, "She, um, doesn't remember much right now, save for her name."
"The thieves did a number on her... however, the best remedy for such a thing is battle!" Kromlech stated, or at least that was the case for dwarves, whenever they had a problem like this, though he knew some who rammed their heads into the walls of a mine or even a house if their memory was hazy, "I believe it's time for us to see what sort of jobs Ethon or Alyth have in store for us, to pay them back for their kindness."
Vahn expressed his worry that bringing Rain along now, after she had just woken up and without any real rest, was bad for her health, though she informed them that, despite the slight headache from the blow she apparently took earlier, she was fine and ready to follow their lead. The trio glanced at each other for a moment before taking her word at face value, where they walked out of the room and headed for the stairs, though Adrianna stayed at the back for a time to make sure Rain was fine, as she had noticed that walking seemed weird for her. Such a thing only remained true for about half a minute, as the strange person was able to quickly overcome whatever difficulties she might have been having and seemed to mimic them in how they walked, like she was a fast learner. If that was the case it meant she would be able to learn how to fight in next to no time at all, in fact they might be able to help her recover some of her lost memories before the day was over, if they were lucky anyway, causing a light smile to appear on her face as they followed the others.
As they walked down the stairs, however, Rain found that there were more people on the first floor of the inn, Vahn had told her that much, and those that weren't drunk turned to look at them, or her since she knew that she was something that not a lot of people saw, based on her companions' earlier reaction.
"It seems that your new friend recovered quickly." one person, the name called Ethon as Rain recalled the description that she had been given, commented, while at the same time the lady behind the bar, Alyth, glanced up from her work to see the group with her own eyes, even though Rain was distracted by the odd stone trophy over the fireplace and the singer who wasn't present right now.
"Yes, and got her something to wear for the time being." Vahn replied, where he was grateful that Adrianna had some spare clothing that she could lend to Rain, even though they would likely become hers in due time, before focusing on the topic that was on all of their minds right now, "Listen, all four of us were robbed by some thieves on the streets not too long ago, each of us losing something important in the process... we're hoping that you can point us in their direction so we can take back what is ours."
"I've seen enough adventurer types to know it's best not to try and persuade you to stand down... if you're looking for the new Guild, you'll want to try the sewers." Alyth said, showing that she either knew more about the topic than what any of them were expecting or she and Ethon had talked things over while they were dealing with Rain, but, at the same time, it also meant they could save some time and get to the main topic, "Many have figured that the thieves have been using the sewers to move around the city, hence why sewer rats have been pushed to the surface recently, but none of the Watch has dared to go down there, not with the deaths of several watchmen. Now, there's a gate to the sewers at the end of the cellar that's connected to this tavern, which I locked up ages ago when the Guild War began... Ethon's agreed to hand over the key to the cellar, if you agree to take out the horde of rats that's infested the place, at which point I'll give you the key to the gate so you can get into the sewers."
"I also have a few daggers for you, since you lost your weapons." Ethon added, where he put a small cloth sack on the bar and opened it to reveal four daggers that were a little worn, either from extended use or from not being used at all, but as the group wondered how he could have gotten them so quickly they decided not to bother.
"It's not my battleaxe, but it'll take it." Kromlech stated, as he snatched one of the daggers and nodded his head, showing the pair that he was agreeing to deal with the rats so they could get into the sewers, causing Vahn, Adrianna, and Rain to follow his lead, even though Rain seemed unsure of how to wield the weapon.
Ethon also handed over the cellar key, as he was trusting them to focus on the rats and not worry about the thieves right now, though as the group headed for the door in question Vahn found the local drunkard in their way, who said something about some wine in the cellar that he wanted and some gold for them if they brought it to him. After saying his piece they watched as he staggered off into a corner of the tavern and sat down, causing them to open the door and enter the area that held the stairs leading down into the cellar, which the trio took without delay as Rain followed them. In the cellar there were plenty of barrels and containers that no doubt held some items that were once used in the tavern, before the Guild War erupted and the rats invaded the area, plus a door no doubt leading to another chamber. Vahn nodded as both he and Adrianna showed Rain the basics of fighting with a weapon, as this was the best time for them to do so, since forcing her to learn during the heat of battle would be a bad thing in case she had never fought before, due to the fact that they had no idea what was in the memories she had lost.
Rain, on the other hand, proved to be a good learner and copied the motions with some ease, though there were flaws she would be able to iron out once she had more experience, causing her companions to nod their heads before walking over to the barrels and vases that were nearby. Kromlech explained that there might be useful items inside them, since this, at one point in time, had been connected to the sewers and he was able to confirm his suspicions as he found some small red and blue potions inside a few vases, health and mana potions. Adrianna informed her that adventures needed these potions to ensure their survival, as the former allowed them to mend their wounds and the latter replenished their mana pools, where Rain tilted her head for a few seconds before nodding. She sort of understood what her companion was talking about at the moment, though everything was still new and foreign to her, causing the sorceress to sigh as she said that experience was often the best teacher, allowing them to return to the others as Kromlech handed Vahn a quiver he had found, not that he had a bow to use the arrows that came with it.
Once that was done, and everyone was ready to go, Vahn opened the door so they could move into the next chamber, an area where a few rats happened to be resting, ones that came up to his ankles to be exact, though as soon as one hissed at the group the rest came at them. It gave Rain a chance to witness the others in battle, observing them as they swung their daggers at whichever rat they happened to be fighting, and while she could tell that each one preferred another weapon, the ones that were stolen from them earlier, they didn't seem annoyed with their temporary weaponry. Adrianna also showed off a bit of her magic, summoning fire into her empty hand before releasing it in a short burst of flames that roasted a pair of rats, where she informed them that, at this point in time, short bursts were better. Rain got the feeling she was teaching her how to do things, no doubt feeling some sort of magic inside her, but for the time being she didn't really get that sense, so she joined her companions and stabbed a rat, only to find another door leading deeper into the cellar.
As they moved through the next couple of chambers, surprising Rain with how many were down here, the group found an old chest that Kromlech opened, finding some gold for them to take, apparently the adventurers code allowed such a thing even though it was technically stealing from Alyth, and a short sword. That was handed to Vahn, who had been hoping to find a bow down here, while the dwarf held onto the gold, as he knew Rain didn't have a pouch of holding, something that allowed adventurers to carry a lot of gold without being weighed down, while theirs had been opened and robbed back on the surface. Rain also discovered a brown potion in one of the crates she was told to smash, a recall potion that contained a bit of magic that allowed one to teleport to safety, meaning it was a magical spell contained inside a useful container that all adventurers used, and they usually stuck around to allow one to make a round trip. As she understood it one recall potion ensured two teleports for an entire group, one to take them to a safe haven, like the tavern for example, while the other one sent them back to where they first used the potion.
One of the chests they discovered had just gold inside it, which Kromlech happily collected, while other also had a few coins and a small ruby, a gem that was worth a fair bit of gold to a merchant, where Rain discovered that the dwarf might be the money keeper of the group, at least until it was divided between them anyway. She also found a circular wooden shield in one of the chests, which the trio let her take since she was the least experienced and could use the extra protection, but at least Vahn showed her how to put it on and use it against her foes. After that chest they discovered a new type of enemy to deal with, small reptilian creatures, who were halfway up to Vahn's knees by Rain's estimates, that had clawed hands and feet, a scaled body, with snouts and tails belonging to lizards, completing the reptilian look. These were kobolds, a common enemy in the wilds based on what her companions told her, though while these creatures were tougher than the rats, due to the fact that they actually carried weapons in their hands, in waves of one or two they were nothing.
As Rain understood it they didn't want to fight a group of kobolds, likely five or more given the number of their own group, before they found a chest with a longsword and a wine bottle resting near it, where Adrianna was given the new weapon as they opened another door.
This one lead them straight into a chamber that had a group of kobolds, at least ten of them, guarding the area, though as Rain took in what they were seeing her companions backed up, using the narrow tunnel to funnel their foes into a far more controlled area, so they wouldn't be overwhelmed. It was a good strategy, especially since two of them could block the few incoming attacks and open the way for their companions to deal the finishing blow before they switched places, no doubt so she got some more experience in using her weapon against their enemies. Once the chamber was cleared the group took a moment to rest, as that was important since some beginner adventurers spent all of their energy and got killed due to not being ready for the future, but Rain did find a chest nearby. This one happened to have a battleaxe inside it, which Kromlech claimed without delay and made into his only weapon, before she found a barrel of what Vahn said was explosive powder, no doubt used to clear away chunks of earth when the cellar was first made, though he told her not to ignite it, since many of them were still dangerous.
As such she stepped back and rested up as well, figuring that the barrel in question was leftover from when this place was made and had never been claimed, causing her to shelve the thought since it wasn't too important right now, because there was more for them to do before the cellar was cleared.
Rain, of course, questioned by they were clearing out the entirety of the cellar, since the job had been for the rats, where her companions reminded her of the sewer gate and the key they'd be getting for completing this, meaning it benefited them to find the door before reporting their success to Alyth. She guessed that she understood their reasoning, even though being an adventurer seemed like a lot of work in her mind, but that just made her wonder how in the world the kobolds were able to get in here in the first place, if the door to the sewers was locked. That was a question none of them had the answer to, as the only thing that made sense was that someone deliberately let the kobolds into the cellar to make sure no one dared to enter the sewers from this direction, and while Ethon held the only key, that they knew of, he was trustworthy. That meant a member of the Guild must have done this, no doubt under orders to keep everything secured and protected while the rest of the thieves did their usual thing, or at least that was their guess on the matter.
That thought kind of failed as they discovered some rat sized spiders in the last chamber of the cellar, vicious little things that attacked faster than Rain was expecting, but her companions dealt with them as she did her best to aid them, showing her just how strong they were as a team. With the spiders dealt with, three of them to be exact, they found what they were looking for, the locked door that lead to the sewers, meaning it was time to return to the tavern and report their success to Alyth and Ethon, who would be pleased to see that they were alright. In addition to that they found two chests that had a few gold coins for them to collect, though Rain found a hidden wall behind them that had a small room hidden from everyone, with a chest that had a fair amount of gold and even a ruby to sell later on. She really had no idea how she had found the wall in question, but the others were fine with it, as it had given them more treasure to sell at some point, causing Vahn to pull out the recall potion.
As everyone gathered near him Rain counted herself lucky that she had such wonderful companions and realized that their adventure had only just begun, making her wonder what the future might hold for them as they hunted down the thieves to reclaim what was theirs.
Rain found that the recall potion worked as she had been told earlier, it allowed one or more people to teleport to safety, as they disappeared from the cellar and reappeared in the center of the Elfsong Tavern, not even surprising anyone as they did so, meaning it was a common occurrence in this world.
"Alyth, we have news: the cellar has been cleared out." Vahn said, as the moment they returned to the tavern he had faced the owner of the establishment, who Rain noticed seemed worried about something and she found that Ethon was no longer where he had been when she came down here with the others earlier, "Though, um, we did find some kobolds and a few rat sized spiders down there, who have been taken out as well."
"Kobolds and spiders? Oh that is worrisome." Alyth commented, confirming that she was worried about something, though now it was more turned into the dangers that she and Ethon had sent them to deal with earlier, causing her to glance over to the area that the other person was usually standing in, "Tell me, did you see Ethon at all down there?"
"No, it was just us down there." Adrianna replied, though it was hard to say if they would have seen him on the way back to the stairs, since they had used a recall potion instead of walking, making her wonder if they had wasted it by using it so soon after obtaining it.
"He was wondering what was taking you four so long and decided to follow you into the cellar." Alyth said, which struck Rain as odd since they hadn't been gone for more than ten to fifteen minutes, meaning Ethon either had no patience or he felt it should have taken them less time to clear out the cellar, "Now I fear that he's either gotten lost in the cellar or worse, that he's wandered into the sewers. I tried to stop him, but he just wouldn't listen..."
"Knowing our luck, he's likely found another way into the sewers." Rain stated, where she found that her companions took a moment to nod their heads, especially when she considered the fact that Ethon had more experience with the city than any of them did, so if there was another way into the sewers, a direct path, he had withheld it from them, why she had no idea, "We should go after him, given what we discovered in the cellar, so there's likely more of them in the sewer itself... and no telling what else."
"You'll be needing this." Alyth remarked, where she reached into her bosom and removed a key, likely the key to the sewers given what they had been told before accepting the rat slaying quest, which she handed to Vahn before setting a pouch of gold on the counter for them to take, "Also, it's only fair that I reward you for taking care of the cellars... just be careful, as Rain's right about what might be down in the sewers."
None of them bothered to comment on why she kept the key to the sewer gate in such an area, while Rain was confused as to why Alyth would do such a thing, before the group stepped away from the counter and pulled out the recall potion, as it was time to use the last of it to return to the end of the cellar. A few moments later they reappeared where they had used the potion originally, where they readied their weapons once more as Vahn unlocked the door, allowing them to discover a short tunnel carved into the earth that had to lead to the sewers. It didn't take them long to reach the end of the tunnel, as it quickly brought them to a smooth stone walkway that was above a lower water level, coming up to their ankles, meaning all of them could walk through it with ease, where they focused on exploring and moved away from the hole they had walked through. Sure enough they found a few more rats in their way, making Rain wonder if the thieves had trained them to keep an eye out for intruders or something, but they took all three of them down before finding a room with a few more and a small closet like chamber that had three more inside it.
In the smaller room Vahn found a chest that happened to have a bow inside it, along with some healing potions and a few gold coins, meaning he could finally loose arrows at their foes as he added it to his arsenal, though he had a chance to use it not a few moments later as they discovered more kobolds guarding the path forward. Once more the group took the force of kobolds one at a time, using the slim sewer tunnel to funnel their foes into an area that they controlled, and once that was done they found that there were some camps in the next chamber, meaning someone was getting ready to invade the rest of the city. Unfortunately there was a circular locked door in their way and that meant they had to head into the chamber on their right, which seemed to include a few prison cells, why Rain had no idea and she was sure her companions were as lost as she was about this matter, though there were no foes to worry about. As such they were able to pull a lever, one that did cause the door to open, along with some chests that they opened and looted, finding a few gold coins and a couple of red potions, which were added to their collection before Kromlech returned to the door.
After they made sure that nothing was waiting on the other side the group passed through it and continued to explore the rest of the sewers, before finding that the kobolds had set up a defensive line with large crates, or large for them since Rain found that the boxes were smaller than her and her companions. Based on what she was seeing it looked like they were working for someone, maybe even the Guild that they were trying to track down, and that this had been set up in the off chance that someone came into this place from the tavern's cellar. This really made it seem like they were dealing with a criminal organization or a group that was up to no good, something her companions agreed with when each of them took a moment to think about everything they had seen so far, before they focused on their foes. With the current set up they decided to attack the kobolds from multiple sides, causing them to divert their attention and fracture their wall, due to their being only six in total, allowing the group to crush them with ease.
As they carefully looted the area, however, Adrianna found a smaller container of leather helms for them to wear, since some protection was better than none, after what happened to them earlier, but as Rain put hers on, since the others did the same thing, she found that a bit of magic washed over it and remolded it to fit her head, horn, and ears.
"How interesting. I wasn't expecting that to happen." Adrianna remarked, while at the same time Rain looked at it and how it fit over her head, meaning she was surprised like they were, making her wonder if armor pieces might be affected as well, to fit over her hooves or accommodate her tail, something they'd likely see in the very near future.
"Neither was I." Rain admitted, though she wasn't sure what to make of this development, even though it meant she didn't need to worry about losing out on wearing armor, so she should be able to stay at the same level of protection as the rest of her group.
With that done the group noticed that there was a ramp nearby that would allow them into the sewer water, though they stayed out of it and walked along the path in front of them, keeping their eyes open in case more enemies were hiding in the areas ahead of them. Such a thing meant that the four of them had to pause every now and then, because there were a few vents blowing out hot steam that they had to stop in front of, to avoid taking damage, while also taking care of some rats that happened to come up from behind them. Rain took care of the defense, swiftly taking care of the rats with ease, before they were able to push deeper into the sewers and discovered more kobolds ahead of them, causing the four of them to separate once more and divide the attention of their enemies, an effective strategy when she considered the few battles they had been in so far. She also spotted a door off on the left side of the area they were passing through, which she pointed out to her companions and Vahn informed her that they'd check it in due time, causing her to focus on the rest of the kobolds that were coming at them.
After taking care of the enemies that were in front of them the group continued forward for a few seconds, only to stop as soon as they saw a large number of taller boxes that formed some protective zones for them to hide behind, and on the other side stood a far larger force of kobolds, guarding levers that likely went to another door that was deeper in this part of the sewers.
"Okay, time to double back to that door." Vahn commented, as while they had done well against the foes they had taken out so far he knew that facing off against a force of kobolds like this, easily between fifteen to twenty, was a bad idea, and that wasn't taking into consideration what might be lurking on the left side of the area they were in.
On the other side of the door the group discovered a few more kobolds, not to mention a ringed walkway that allowed all of them to look down at the levels below them, before discovering that the path seemed to be heading back up to where the line of kobolds was standing guard. Kromlech continued to swing his battleaxe at his foes and cut them down, which opened the way for Adrianna to blast a few with her flames as Vahn used a few arrows to knock his targets backward, a fact that allowed Rain to step in and take down the wounded. She really wasn't seeing anything that might help them with the force that was guarding the way forward, which was bad since they needed some sort of advantage over the force of kobolds, before they found a giant figure watching over them. Vahn informed her that it was a bugbear, a goblinoid that was very hairy and had some decent sized muscles, not to mention the fact that they carried large maces into battle, ones that had spikes on them, but it gave Rain an idea as she bypassed it and opened the door behind it.
Vahn, Adrianna, and Kromlech watched as she drew the bugbear out into the open area that the kobolds were guarding, as she dodged it's attacks and used it's own weapon to crush the kobolds, causing them to wait for a few moments, to be sure the area was clear, before joining her in bringing it down.
"Smart thinking, using it's own power against it's allies." Adrianna said, because while she was sure that they could have brought it down in due time, as there were four of them and only one of it, this allowed them to save time and get deeper into the sewers without having to rest for a time, especially since the kobolds had attacked the bugbear while trying to hit Rain, so everyone was mad at each other.
Rain huffed for a moment as she nodded her head, as that was a lot of effort on her part, giving the others time to pull all of the levers that were nearby, which caused the circular door to roll out of the way and granted them access to the next area of the sewers. On the other side of the door there were more rats to deal with, which surprised no one, before they found some boxes that were set up for someone to jump on and that one set lead right to a pair of chests, something that Kromlech investigated, even if all he found were gold and a few potions. Rain reflected on the items they had recovered so far, mostly weapons and lackluster gear that her companions said that they would sell when they got back to the tavern, if they made it that far, so they would have a fair amount of gold for whatever items they might need for the future. Other than that there was another box path for them to jump on, as it seemed to go right over a box wall that had been built to block people that got this far, especially since there was another bugbear and a fair number of kobolds on the other side of the wall.
Even with the path splitting into two paths the group had to be careful, since there seemed to be an increasing amount of kobolds guarding the way deeper into the sewers, though what surprised Rain was the fact that some of the kobolds had weapons that seemed of a better quality than their weapons. When she pointed this out to her companions Adrianna took one of the blades that had been dropped by the group they had taken down and discovered that she was telling the truth, someone was supplying these kobolds with decent gear. As such they made sure to claim some upgrades while carefully clearing out the area, while most of the weapons ended up in their packs for later, to be sold to the merchants for some gold that they could use for other items, or at least that was what Vahn told Rain. The interesting thing was that none of the kobolds seemed to be carrying new armor for them to pick up, rather they were left with what they had started with and the helmets they had picked up along the way, causing them to wonder when some new gear would be found or if all of them would have to purchase some from the merchant.
After taking down the bugbear, as there wasn't much besides it in the area it was guarding, the group opened a door and found an area that had more kobolds, guarding what appeared to be another door that would head even deeper into the massive sewers.
The four of them continued to use the same strategy that allowed them to be successful in the first place, splitting up to make the kobolds do the same thing, meaning fewer eyes on each member of their group, especially since some of them were over on the other side of the chamber. With that in mind they were able to slowly take care of the kobolds and claim more of the area that they were in, even though there was another area for them to explore, one blocked off by a couple of boxes, before worrying about the main door. Rain discovered more kobolds on the other side of the small blockade, and a few dead ones oddly enough, before they encountered a massive rat that seemed to be the culprit, but, like the rest of the rats they had killed, it went down in no time at all. With that done they returned to the center of the chamber that they had just cleared out and took a short break, allowing them to regain some of their lost stamina before heading into what Rain hoped was the final chamber of the sewers, or at least this portion anyway.
What they discovered was a massive chamber with a fair number of tents, complete with campfires and chests, before discovering a large number of kobolds in the center of it all, with a more brutish bugbear, who had a key resting on a chain around his neck, standing over them.
"Comrades, kill the intruders!" the bugbear stated, noticing them without delay, while revealing that his voice was rough, as if he wasn't used to talking to people, causing the kobolds to turn and face the group before rushing at them, meaning a new fight was on their hands.
Rain found it odd that the Chieftain, for that was what the bugbear had to be, stood off to the side as his forces attacked her and her companions, but for now she focused on what was going on and separated herself from the others, pulling a few kobolds to her as the others did the same thing. This time around Rain did something she wasn't expecting to do, she used her empty hand to control the flames of the nearby campfire and used it to burn some of the kobolds, surprising her companions as they noticed what she was doing. Even the Chieftain seemed surprised, or maybe not, but her actions caused him to step forward and join the battle, though she moved him around and made sure the others were done with their groups before everyone ganged up on the figure. Sure enough it was tougher than the other bugbears, but that was all he had going for him, as the four of them were able to deal some good damage to him before he collapsed on the floor, allowing Kromlech to take his key as he noticed that there was a door on the right side of the chamber.
"Rain... are you alright?" Adrianna asked, as that was the first time she had seen something from the figure, in terms of magical power, and while it seemed to make her huff a little it was clear to her that Rain must have great mana reserves, as she wasn't as tired as one would expect her to be.
"Yeah... I think so." Rain admitted, because she wasn't sure what was going on with her body right now, save for the fact that she must have awakened some sort of power, but since there was nothing wrong with her, not that anyone could see, the group decided to worry about it later and investigated the area.
What they discovered was a prison area on the other side of the right door they had seen, with an odd passage ending just beyond it, but it did allow them to discover what happened to Ethon, he had been locked up in one of the cells, which they were able to open thanks to the Chieftain's key.
"Ethon, it's good to see that you are alright." Vahn said, especially given the amount of enemies they had seen since they entered this portion of the sewers, with that many kobolds he had wondered if there was a chance that they would have found his remains, or that he would have been taken deeper into the sewers, "Alyth asked us to track you down after you followed us into the cellar."
"I thought about it and felt guilty about not offering you more aid than what I gave you, but as soon as I entered this part of the sewers the kobolds captured me and locked me up." Ethon replied, though at the same time he looked like he was going to properly thank Alyth for asking them to come look for him, meaning he likely knew something they didn't, and not a few seconds later he emerged from his cell, "As you know I didn't follow you into the cellar, rather I used one of the few other entrances into the sewer in the hopes of catching up to you before all of you went too far... I knew about it from my days in the guild... as in the old one, not the new one that attacked you. I had hoped that the cellars would have convinced you not to pursue the members of the Guild that attacked you, but now it seems I was wrong to worry, so I'll hope you will forgive me for wanting to keep you guys alive. Now be assured that I'm retired, as the life of a thief holds no meaning for me, but the knowledge from those days has served me well: I swiped this key from the bugbear Chieftain, which must go to a door somewhere deeper in the sewers... plus I witnessed a meeting between one of the higher ups and a lower class delivery member."
"Really? What could they be planning?" Adrianna asked, where she found that Kromlech quickly walked over to a pair of chests as Ethon walked by them, allowing him to collect the loot before they left the area, though he was interested in the mysterious plan that the Guild was currently planning.
"I have no idea, but to stop them you'll have to follow the path that the delivery man is following." Ethon stated, though as he said that he lead the way over to the spiral stairs that happened to collect to the ceiling, a path straight to the surface streets of Baldur's Gate, confirming that he knew more about this place than they did, "I suggest that we quickly retire to the Elfsong Tavern, so you can rest and regroup before heading deeper into the sewers... while you do that I'll get contact with my friends and see what I can learn from them."
The group looked at each other for a moment and agreed with his plan, as there were some things they could sell and an item or two they could get from the merchant, though they knew that it wouldn't be long before the four of them delved into the depths once more and figured out whatever the Guild was planning.
With the defeat of the bugbear Chieftain, and Ethon being rescued from his cell, the group headed over to the stairs that lead back to the surface, where Rain paused near it as she and their friend watched as Vahn, Kromlech, and Adrianna did a quick search of the area. He explained that, as adventurers, her companions needed gold and looting the camp that their enemies had set up for weapons and gear would provide them with funds for the future, especially since most of the items they found would go to the merchant in the tavern. Rain understood what he was saying and said nothing in return, as she recalled what her companions had said when she first saw them gathering everything that had been dropped from some of the kobolds earlier, that the gear was good quality and meant it would fetch a good price. She was also sure that if one or more of them found anything useful, like a new weapon or some better gear, it would improve their effectiveness and ensure they were able to face whatever the future held for them.
Once the camp was looted her companions joined her and Ethon by the stairs, where they followed him up to the streets of Baldur's Gate and found that they were right across the courtyard from the Elfsong Tavern, though there was a fountain in between the two locations.
Upon returning to the tavern the first thing they did was check in with Alyth, who was overjoyed to see that Ethon was safe and that they had survived their journey into the sewers, before Rain sat at the bar and watched as her companions took care of the next important step. That was talking to the merchant that happened to be in the tavern, who likely worked in the building next door, hence why he was able to get things to them if they purchased something from his wares, for a time as they sold everything they didn't need and acquired whatever might be needed for the next step of their quest. While her companions did that Rain took notice of two new figures in the tavern, a lady who seemed to be drowning her sorrows in ale and a man in a green shirt who seemed to be smoking on a pipe as he thought about whatever it was that was on his mind right now. Eventually her curiosity got the best of her and she walked over to the figures, finding that the man was Ipswitch and that he had come to pay his respects to the Shrine of Suffering, tended to by the priests of Ilmater, so he could visit his brother's grave and retrieve a medallion, which he described in detail.
Rain found it odd that no one would answer his summons and that the temple itself was closed to the public, making it near impossible for him to do anything he had come to do, so by the end of his tale she had offered to help him out, since it might be connected to the Guild's activities. Ipswitch told her that it wasn't necessary, but, at the same time, if she and her friends were able to help him out he would compensate them for their time and energy, which she was sure that her companions would agree with when she told them about his problems. Osala, the lady, wanted no company right now, a fact that was changed by her somewhat drunken nature clouding her mind, where she told Rain that she was waiting for her lover to arrive, only to mention that it was in vain. Her reasoning was because his employer had sent him to an area called the 'Battle of the Bones', where the dead still walked, to retrieve something and bring it back to them, but so far she had heard nothing from him and feared the worst, and was somewhat willing to let Rain talk to the others to see if they could track him down.
She really had no idea if the path she and her companions were on would head into the temple or cross someone who was Osala's partner, but at the very least the pair seemed happier after talking with her, causing Rain to smile a little as she returned to the bar and waited for Vahn, Kromlech, and Adrianna to finish their shopping.
"While you were talking to the patrons Ethon told me what happened in the sewers." Alyth said, where Rain could see that she was definitely happy with their efforts, given the smile on her face, before she put a small pouch on the table, which no doubt had at least a hundred coins inside it based on it's size, "Here, for your efforts... and you guys are welcome to rest here for no charge."
"That is welcome news." Vahn replied, informing Rain that they were done with their shopping and that they were ready to go, where she found that they had purchased some leather armor that was far better than their normal clothing and that they had acquired a set for her as well.
Sure enough Adrianna lead her back to the room that they were going to be using for some time, or at least the one Alyth had upgraded them to since there were four of them, and while the boys took one side, and set up a privacy wall, Rain told them about what she had discovered so far. While she did that Adrianna helped her get into her new armor, since she was still new to this sort of thing and was unsure of how to put everything on, while she and the others listened to her talk about the other patrons of the tavern. Rain had wondered if they would be angry with her, for agreeing to aid the pair with their problems without consulting her companions, only to find that they were fine with her actions, in fact there was a chance that they could help them out, since they had no idea what the Guild was planning. With that in mind the trio agreed that a bit of rest was in order and, once Rain was ready to go, they got some food from Alyth, so they could take a short break from their journey before heading back into the sewers to find the courier.
A few hours later, with some rest and some food in them, the group left the tavern and returned to the ladder that lead into the sewers, quickly returning to where the camp was located and came to a stop at the door that lead to the passage that would allow them to head into the depths. Vahn made sure they were ready before opening it, as he wanted to be prepared for whatever the Guild might have placed on the other side, only to discover that nothing happened when they unlocked the door, as it was just a small room with stairs heading into the depths. With that in mind Kromlech took over as the leader for the time being and headed down, with Vahn and Adrianna walking behind him, the warrior keeping an eye out for trouble while the ranged attackers kept an eye on the shadows, leaving Rain to follow behind them. She found that nothing jumped out at them as they made their way down the stairs, eventually coming to a new floor that seemed a little more dangerous than the last, due to some explosive barrels near the walls of the first chamber.
Sure enough her companions moved the explosive barrels out of the way before smashing the other normal barrels apart, finding a few bits of gold and some potions to add to their collection, before moving through the nearby door and found that there were three bugbears on the other side.
This time around they had to deal with their enemies and not direct them into some of the kobolds, as there were none of the smaller creatures around, causing Adrianna to loose a longer burst of flames at their foes as Vahn and Kromlech used their weapons, before Rain had an idea. She quickly returned to the previous chamber and utilized the three barrels they had left untouched to their advantage, igniting them before running each one into the area that the bugbears were in, a fact that caused her companions to pull back and join her as the barrels exploded. Her plan worked out quite well, as the explosions severely weakened two of them, while killing the third outright, opening the way for her companions to deal with them before the bugbears could recover. Instead of celebrating the group remained silent as they walked over to the next door and found more bugbears in a more sunken area of the sewers, the water at the same level as what they had seen in the past, where Vahn pulled out his bow and readied an arrow, causing his companions to back off before letting it fly at his target.
The plan was simple, they were going to pull one of them into the passage between the smaller room and the large area that their foes were currently guarding, and it worked like a charm as they carefully removed the bugbears with ease, as with it being four to one there was nothing they could do to save themselves.
"I'm honestly surprised by the amount of bugbears down here... I'm also not sure how they got down here in the first place, without anyone detecting them." Vahn commented, after they took down what seemed to be the last one that was in the chamber they needed to move through next, of that he was sure of based on what he was seeing, allowing them to relax a little as he kept his eyes open, "Also, nice work with the barrels, Rain. That was a good idea."
"Thanks. I'm glad it worked so well." Rain replied, though she knew that her companions were doing most of the work as she worked to catch up to their level of skill, but at the same time she was far more worried about what might be down in the sewers, brought in by the Guild that had attacked them earlier.
With the bugbears dead the group moved deeper into the sewers, where Rain came face to face with a new type of foe, a blue colored square shaped creature called a slime, the more aggressive member of the species since Adrianna told her of the green half sphere version they might find down here as well. They were annoying creatures to deal with, but to fight them the group let one of them raise their shield into position so the others could beat the stuffing out of it, which was more than enough to break each one down as they discovered them. When the slimes died they expanded a little before dissolving into nothingness, or at least it sure seemed like it to Rain, who had to wonder if the slain gelatin enemies might be merging into a mass somewhere else, but for the time being it didn't seem like such a thing was happening. She was also surprised by just how infested the sewers were, as there were monsters everywhere, with no real areas for them to rest in without being in danger of something attacking them, but she trusted her companions and kept her eyes open as they carefully explored the sewers.
Of course they found more kobolds at one point, which made sense given that the bugbears were done here, where they made sure to keep their encounters small so they weren't overwhelmed by enemies, allowing the four of them to clear out the various reaches of the sewers as each one sought out anything that might tell them where the courier was going with his package.
That really made Rain wonder what the Guild was thinking, taking something from a place where the dead still walked, a fact that made her wonder if it would be tainted by the power of death, to raise the undead or something, and if that was the case it sounded incredibly creepy. It also didn't make sense when she thought about it, as in why someone would even want something like that in the first place, since she figured that an army of mindless undead would just kill every living creature, as it would turn Baldur's Gate into a ghost town in due time. If it was about controlling the city her thoughts on it not making sense were sound, but if there was another reason for potentially doing something like this she had no idea what that reason would be, though she refrained from saying anything to the others since she had no knowledge to even back up what she was thinking about. She was sure that if she told Adrianna what was on her mind she might figure out a solution or pick up her train of thought after explaining things to her, she was definitely smart in the art of using magic and understanding it, causing her to focus on the task at hand as they carefully moved through the sewers.
While they walked Rain found a weapon rack that had a staff on it, one that wasn't like what a sorceress might use when she showed it to Adrianna, so she switched it with her weapon, figuring that two sword users were enough for them, as not all of them needed to wield the same weapon. In addition to that the group passed by a side chamber that had a lever inside it, one they moved into position as they heard the grinding of stone on stone further in the distance, meaning there was some sort of sealed path they had to keep an eye out for. During their journey the group discovered an area that happened to have the area that the noise had come from, with a dead thief, Vahn recognized the armor from the night they entered the city, who had a note on him and some gold for them to take. The note, as it turned out, revealed that to enter the crypt that was connected to the sewers they would have to activate three levers that would move the three stone doors out of the way, which made Rain realize why there was a slain thief near the first one, as they must have followed the courier down here and stayed behind to seal the way.
Eventually they discovered where the other two levers were resting, both guarded by more slimes, and moved them into the activated position, allowing them to return to the doors and found some stairs leading down into a darker place, causing Rain and her companions to brace themselves for whatever might be down there
It took them some time to reach the bottom of the stairs, though when they got close to their next destination Rain found that it was far darker than what she and her companions were used to, causing Kromlech to keep his battleaxe at the ready as everyone else followed his lead. A few seconds later she found that there was some light, in the form of lanterns that had to be near the end of their life span, given the size of the flames inside them, before glancing down at the floor they were heading towards, where she paled instantly. There were corpses moving around, staggering from place to place, and while it confirmed that someone was messing with the natural forces of the world, bringing back the dead for some odd reason, and it even applied to those who had been dead and their bodies had been reduced to pure bones. Adrianna informed them that they were seeing zombies and skeletons, since she had no idea if they knew what they were looking at, and she told Rain and the others that there were enchantments that instantly struck down the undead, which they didn't have.
With that in mind Rain and her companions lashed out at the undead as they reached the bottom of the stairs, where Vahn switched to his sword as he and Adrianna dealt with the zombies, leaving her and Kromlech to smash the skeletons to bits with their weapons. She suspected that the decision was based on the fact that one of them was using a battleaxe and one was wielding a staff, heavier weapons in the grand scheme of things, since they did break down the skeletons that were in front of them as their companions dealt with the fresher undead. When the first group of enemies were dealt with they discovered that there were far more in the following chamber, which made sense due to the fact that they were in a crypt and there was no telling how many people were buried down here, so the group repeated their previous tactic. Rain had to wonder why in the world there was a passage from the sewers that lead into such a place, even the thought of the Guild using it to rob the dead didn't make a lot of sense, and guessed it had something to do with whatever they were planning.
The most disturbing thing was that the fresher zombies could, at times, break the upper parts of their bodies off from the ruined lower half, the legs and waist area, to crawl on the ground to tear the living down, causing Kromlech to cut off their heads, stopping them in their tracks, but before they could think about that the group found a man in some robes to the left of a doorway they walked through.
"What are you four doing down here?!" the man exclaimed, where Rain assumed he was one of the priests that had been mentioned when she talked to Ipswitch earlier, though his words caused them to stop for a moment so he could explain himself, or at least she hoped so, "You have to run, now, before that dreadful thing changes you!"
"Before what changes us? Explain yourself." Vahn replied, though he made no motion to use his weapon, in fact all four of them carefully put their weapons away for the time being as Rain kept an eye out for any zombies or skeletons, since she could see another doorway that they could burst through at any moment.
"I... am Fayed, a priest of Ilmater, and it's my duty to tend to the crypts and perform burial rights, but now... now I fear that I shall be the next one to be changed." the priest said, where he calmed down after realizing that they weren't here to hurt him, though it was easy for them to see that he was still on edge about whatever had happened before their arrival, a fact that caused him to sigh for a few seconds, "Into the walking dead... surely you saw them to reach this point? Some of them were my brothers and sisters, all slain by the very dead that we were tending to and raised into undeath by a power that radiates from that foul orb I discovered in the Chamber of Ashes. With the dead walking, on holy ground, I did what I could to seal off the lower level from this one, to prevent the undead from escaping into the city above, but, as you can see, the power of the orb has reached this far, meaning it's only a matter of time until they kill me and escape into the city."
"It would seem that the courier we were after has completed his terrible mission." Rain commented, which was sad when she thought about it, that so many people had to die because of whatever the Guild was currently planning, meaning they had to be taken down to keep the remaining people of Baldur's Gate alive, "Can you tell us how to get to the lower level and this 'Chamber of Ashes'?"
"Yes. The trap that sealed the exits on this level is triggered by three urns, which are now no longer on their pedestals," Fayed stated, showing that, while he was frightened of the prospect of becoming an undead creature, and attacking those who were around him, he was willing to help them because he knew they might be their best shot at defeating the orb and putting down this foul assault, "return the urns to their pedestals and the way down into the lower crypt, and the Chamber of Ashes, will open. Once you get that far the four of you will have to fight your way to the Chamber and destroy the orb, hopefully before the wards and gates that prevent the undead from escaping fail on us... if that happens I have no doubt that Baldur's Gate will fall."
"You should get out of here while you can, as there's a way into the sewers behind us and, eventually, there's a way up out of the sewers beyond that." Adrianna said, as he was frightened by what was going on in the crypt and that meant he might be more of a hindrance, and even if he didn't come with them there was always a chance that one of the undead might get by them and kill him, so she was trying to save his life.
Fayed, as they expected, stated that his place was here and that he'd do anything to help them, causing the group to sigh for a moment as Vahn agreed to let him tag along, but when the fighting started they made sure he knew to stand back and not get involved, in the actual fighting anyway. Based on what Rain recalled having a priest in the group was a good thing, since it meant there was someone who could mend their wounds and ensure that they were ready to go for whatever was down in the crypt, even if this was just a temporary set up. While they were less interested in treasure right now, since their focus was on the Orb that the courier had brought to this place, Kromlech asked Fayed if it was okay if they looted the chests that they would no doubt come across, causing the priest to think about it. His answer, as it turned out, was that it was fine, since there might be something in one of the chests that could help them out in their quest, though when Rain asked about the location of Ipswitch's brother he said he couldn't recall where he had been laid to rest, which wasn't a big deal right now.
As they started to explore the rest of the crypt, by passing beyond the chamber that Fayed had been hiding in, the group found more skeletons and zombies stumbling from place to place, in addition to spirits of the dead, who didn't seem even a tad bit interested in them. With that in mind they repeated their prior strategy on the enemies in front of them, due to the fact that it worked out so well when the group first entered the crypt, while making sure not to take on too many enemies, as there was an ensure crypt to explore and clear out. Fayed did his best to lend them whatever aid he could, restoring their energy when they became exhausted or mending the wounds that the undead left in their wake, as Rain found that some of the risen had more fight in them than others and actually hurt them while they cut them down. He also asked her what she was, since this was the first time he had seen someone like her, and she had no information to share with him, because her memories seemed to be gone, or maybe she didn't have any to begin with.
Rain also reflected on how terrifying this was, that the Orb's power was able to reach so far, since the Chamber had to be far below the city based on how far down they had gone so far, and could only imagine the damage it could have done had Fayed not done what he did.
One thing that helped them out was the fact that there was a trail of footprints on the ground, which Fayed confirmed as the ones he had tracked to the Chamber of Ashes, meaning it was easy for them to see where the courier went and where he didn't go, not that it mattered too much since they were planning on clearing out all of the undead. All of the coffins on this level were open and even smashed in some cases, showing that the undead were growing in power if they were able to break metal and stone, not that such a thing bothered her companions as they hacked into the undead and burned a few of them in some instances. With four of them fighting the zombies and skeletons, and Fayed watching over them with his healing abilities while even calling out where an enemy might be in case they hadn't noticed it, Rain figured that they would be able to reach the Chamber of Ash in no time. The only good thing was that it looked like the spirits were totally peaceful and not aggressive, like those who had no bodies couldn't be returned and were simply wandering while many of them either waited for something to enslave them or the magic was dispelled.
As they moved through the crypt, however, Rain discovered that the urns they needed to move into place were nowhere to be seen, though when she mentioned it to the others Fayed informed them that the three urns were inside the final chamber of the level, something he realized he should have clarified before this point.
Of course they did have to take a break every now and then, as there were far more undead than they assumed, even for this part of the city, which confirmed Rain's earlier thoughts about them overrunning the city had Fayed not sealed all of the paths leading up to the surface. While they did that she also seemed to awaken something inside her as she seemed to call vines up out of the ground, which wrapped around some of the more fleshy undead and locked them in place, all so they didn't get overwhelmed. Fayed noticed it and asked her if she was, perhaps, a druid in training, causing Rain to tilt her head for a moment, as this was news to her since she had no idea what type of people there were in the world, but, as she expected, Adrianna came to her aid and told him that they weren't sure. What they did know was that she was working on being a hero of the city, just like they were doing by taking the fight to the Guild, and that they were sure that she would no doubt figure out her path while adventuring with them.
Eventually they found an undisturbed coffin that had a necklace on it, the one Rain was looking for to help the man in the inn she had talked to earlier, where they made sure there were no traps as she claimed it, as she figured that they could turn it in when they returned to the tavern later. The four of them also fought their way through the final chamber when it came time to do so, taking down all of the undead that were guarding the three urns, where one appeared to have a more corroded copper color, another was brass, and the third was either silver or ivory. Once their foes were taken care of the group turned to Fayed as he told them where to place each urn, as the copper one was to be placed on the left, the ivory urn in the center, and the brass one on the right. The pressure of the three urns allowed them to open the locks and push the lid back into position so they could head down into the Lower Crypt, though before doing so the group decided to use a recall potion to return to the inn to restock before the next leg of their journey.
It would also give Rain a chance to turn in the medallion and help the poor man out, not to mention let Fayed take a break before delving into the lower part of the Crypt, since he insisted on helping them with their mission, causing her to look forward to what might happen when everyone was ready to go.
Rain found that Ipswitch was grateful to have his brother's medallion back, though while she was expecting him to hand over some gold or something, since that was common in this world, he also handed over a few other items, four maces that had a glow to them. Fayed revealed that they were disruption maces, an enchantment that was useful against the undead, which was just what they needed given that the path was leading into the Lower Crypt, a place that was no doubt crawling with all sorts of undead creatures. While Rain did that, and learned of the power that was contained within the maces, Vahn and the others spoke to the merchant for a time, exchanging the items that had been recovered since their last visit for gold that was used to restock all of their supplies, as there was no telling what they might discover next. Ipswitch told her that he didn't need the maces anymore, hence why he was willing to hand them over as a reward, even if it was weird for him to have four in his possession, since he didn't seem to be the fighting type, but she decided not to complain since it meant there was one for everyone.
Once her friends were done with the merchant, and Fayed had steeled himself for the journey ahead of them, the group quickly returned to the Crypt and walked down the stairs that would bring them down to the Lower Crypt, which was far darker than the upper level.
Sure enough they found more of the undead wandering around the older passages that were in front of them, giving the group a chance to use their new weapons against them, where Rain found that the enchantment inflicted more harm on the zombies and skeletons. In addition to that the power that was stored inside their weapons also had another interesting effect, there were times where hitting an undead with their maces would result in the creature turning to ash, almost like an instant kill in some cases. Such a thing meant that the battles were far easier on them, since they didn't have to worry about using the weapons and magic that they had used so far, meaning they could conserve their true power for when they found the orb that Fayed had seen in the Chamber of Ash. Fayed had to agree with their plan of attack, conserve their true power for when it came time to fight the foul item that was reviving the undead, while utilizing the power of their new maces to take down the undead as they emerged from the side chambers, causing the group to carefully move while ensuring that they weren't overrun.
Fayed kept an eye on the footprints they were supposed to be following, recalling the path he had taken to reach the final chamber of the Lower Crypt, leaving all of the fighting to them while making sure to use his own powers on them, to ensure they survived this long journey.
Rain found that the disruption enchantment only worked on the undead, as in the flesh of zombies and bones of skeletons, though it left behind the pieces of armor, weapons, and even some jewelry that each foe had been wearing before being buried down here. Fayed didn't seem annoyed by Vahn, Kromlech, and Adrianna picking up some of the freed items, mostly to sell them to the merchant in the inn, rather he told Rain that it was a common trait of adventures, collecting loot to sell and adding gold to their pouches. These three, he noted, weren't actually doing it out of greed, like he had feared, rather it was so they could acquire the funds to purchase supplies for their adventure, to keep themselves alive while they helped the people of Baldur's Gate, and he was happy to help them in whatever way he could. He also informed them that he had used a bit of their time in the inn to speak with Ethon, meaning he knew what was going on inside the Crypts and was likely on his way to find someone else to talk to, something they would likely figure out after the Orb was taken out.
Even with everything going their way it seemed like the Orb was drawing in more and more undead, ensuring that the way to the Chamber of Ash was well protected by those that had been risen to do it's bidding, where Adrianna decided to see if Rain could replicate what she had done in the upper level. Rain discovered that it wasn't as easy as she had assumed, as the first usage of her power seemed to be more of a random surge that came from the desire to not be overwhelmed by enemies, while this time it seemed like it was harder to call forth her powers. Adrianna and Fayed told her that training was the best course of action, because if she could call upon it whenever she wanted the pair knew it would be a benefit to the group as a whole, especially since the vine power would allow her to stem the tide and keep them from being overwhelmed by their enemies. Nothing happened when she tried the power out on some of the other undead, making her wonder why the first time had even occurred in the first place, but Vahn told her that some powers only activated when the need was great, so all she could really do was keep up her training, even if nothing seemed to come from it.
Such a thing made her wonder if encountering the Orb might be a point that would allow her to actually awaken her powers for real, a time of great need like Vahn said, though to prove or disprove her thoughts they would have to find the Orb and the Chamber of Ash, hence why she focused on following the footprints and the undead that happened to be in their way.
She was still thankful for the maces, their disruption enchantment allowed them to deal with the hordes of undead that were in their way, though such a thing allowed her to actually figure out why her powers might not be working, she wasn't worried about being overwhelmed anymore. With the power to reduce the undead to ashes, leaving behind whatever they had been holding or wearing before that point, she was less worried about falling to the skeletons and zombies, rather the weapons allowed her to remain calm and collected as they explored the Lower Crypt. Such a thing made her wonder if her power was connected to her emotions, instead of a great need like everyone else seemed to think, and if that was the case being in this state seemed to keep her powers far away from her, or maybe she was overthinking everything. She didn't have the magical knowledge that Adrianna or Fayed had, even if they seemed to come from two different worlds, so it was hard for her to really say what was going on with her magic, but she was sure that when the time came for her to wield it once more it would come to her aid without delay.
As they got closer and closer to the Chamber of Ash, however, Fayed became more worried about it's power and that it might get to him while his defenses were lowered, to the point that he stopped the group and told them that he wouldn't be joining them inside the Chamber, as once they found it he'd stop outside. Vahn said it was fine, as there was no telling what might be waiting for them inside the last part of the Lower Crypt and, if they took out all of the undead before that point, he would be safe from the dangers he had been worried about. Fayed understood his point, especially with all the undead they were crushing with their weapons, so he focused on ensuring that they reached the Chamber without delay, so he could let them take care of the Orb that was doing all of this, before the group turned their attention to the Guild that set all of this up. Rain still found it weird that someone would intentionally do something like this, even if they wanted to take over the city itself, but they had no information on what was going on and could only keep moving forward, since leaving the undead around was a bad thing for everyone.
Eventually the group found what they were looking for, a circular chamber with a pedestal in the center of it all, though there were a few stone pillars and campfires around them, with bones scattered everywhere, making Rain wonder if they were designed to reduce the bodies of dead to ash, given the name, before they found an icy blue orb that radiated the power of death on the central pedestal.
As Fayed backed off the group walked into the chamber, finding that the Orb sealed the way behind them with magic, all to ensure they couldn't escape, before letting out a wave of magical energy that raised all of the skeletons that were in the area around it, all while raising into the air to get out of their range. They discovered what needed to be done without too much time wasted, the four of them had to crush the summoned undead before the Orb would float back down to where the pedestal was located, as it needed to be close to the ground to infuse the dead with unlife. As such they had to aim for those moments, attacking it when it came back down to call forth more minions to deal with them, though Rain could tell that it was a powerful artifact and that their attacks, while harming it, weren't doing enough damage to actually destroy it, even with the disruption maces. Such a thing made her worry that this would be the end of their adventure, that the Orb's minions would eventually overwhelm them and raise her friends once they were dead, something that caused her power to stir inside her once more, so when the Orb lowered itself she rushed forward, surrounded by a leafy green aura, and grabbed onto it with her hands.
Sure, it burned when she did that, but her power seemed to tear into the deathly energy of the Orb, causing it to glow as Rain let her magic do it's thing, before it violently shattered before her eyes and the pieces turned to mist before her eyes as they disappeared, causing her to huff as she stood there.
"Rain... what did you do?" Vahn asked, as he was expecting that they would have had to wear down the defenses of the Orb and then break it when it was time to do so, and yet Rain, who knew nothing about magic, was randomly calling upon her power while breaking an object of magical power.
"Her magic destroyed the foul Orb." Adrianna said, speaking for Rain since she figured it out in no time at all, though that didn't change the fact that she was impressed and stunned, especially since it looked like her powers were focused on her emotions or even what she was feeling at the time.
As Fayed entered the chamber, to congratulate them on their success, Kromlech found the body of the courier and that he had a map on him, one that seemed to indicate where they might find the entrance to the Guild's hideout, meaning it was time to return to the inn and see if Ethon had any new information to share with them.
Upon their return to the Elfsong Tavern the group found that there was a newcomer standing by Ethon, a dark robed male who likely knew him from his past as a thief, though whatever they had been discussing was stopped as Rain and her friends stepped into the inn, meaning they were about to have an important conversation.
"Friends, allow me to introduce Jherek. He's a friend and we work... together... on many things." Ethon said, speaking as the four heroes walked up to where he was standing, while at the same time gesturing to the man as he bowed his head a little to acknowledge them, "When you told me about the dangers in the Crypt, and went back down to challenge the threat that had been brought into our city, I called for him so we could discuss it... now that you're back, he would like some words with you. Don't worry, he can be trusted."
"You'll want to know that we crushed the Orb that was messing with the dead." Vahn stated, because if Jherek knew about the problem in the Crypt, and had come after discovering the information that Ethon had shared with him, he figured that it was best to start with their success, before he rubbed the back of his head for a moment, "Well, we fought the undead in the Chamber of Ash... Rain, um, crushed the Orb with her magical powers... we're still not sure how she did that, but she managed to smash it and stop the dead from rising."
"First druid abilities, and now what sounds like a priest or paladin skill." the man, Jherek, remarked, sounding impressed by the fact that Rain was capable of many things, instead of being restricted to the path of one profession, or whatever they were called since she was still confused about many thins, "I was told you four were great, but now I see that all four of you are exceptional in your own ways... especially with your great courage and your willingness to sacrifice yourselves for the rest of the realms. Ethon and I are members of a group known as the Harpers, who are dedicated to protecting the very people you have saved this day, along with the rest of the realms... after hearing about your successes, I have come to the conclusion to invite the four of you to join us, especially since you might be the key to stopping a grave threat to the entirety of Baldur's Gate. What say you?"
Rain found that Vahn, Kromlech, and Adrianna were fine with joining the group, causing her to nod as well, which was when Jherek informed them of the group that the Harpers were trying to bring down, the very same Guild that they had been trying to bring down since their arrival in Baldur's Gate. Originally he had feared asking them to deal with the new Guild, since it was possible that several mages were helping the Guild in it's war against the city, but after hearing about the powers that Rain was developing, and what it might mean for them, he had faith that the group might be able to deal with the thieves now. Such a thing meant they would have to infiltrate the Guild and figure out what was going on with it, who was in control and who was backing them, so they could attempt to get ready for whatever the future held, and he even informed them of the existence of a door leading into the Guild's hideout, one that couldn't be opened despite their best efforts. Adrianna revealed that she had found a key on the body of the man who brought the Orb to the Crypt, which caused Jherek to realize that they might have what was needed to bypass whatever blockade was in their way and enter the hideout, where he awakened the enchantment on the key without wasting a beat.
With that done the group turned to the merchant and did another round of selling and buying, something Rain was now becoming familiar with even though her friends were doing everything on their own, causing her to talk to the patrons for a time, as this might be the last time she'd be able to do such a thing. She talked with Osala about her fallen partner, as in the fact that they found him in the Chamber of Ash, slain, though while the lady was thankful for the information since she handed over a few coins for her services, it did leave her feeling sad and depressed at the same time. In addition to that she found a newcomer who was from a caravan that had been attacked, the thieves making off with the priceless spices they had been carrying, and, sure enough, it was the very same Guild that had attacked them some time ago, meaning she and her friends might find the spices along the way. She made sure the lady understood that they might not find them, as they could have been sold by this point, but she was more than willing to accept that fact as Rain rejoined the others, who were happy to assist something else in their time of need, even if they agreed with her that the spices might be gone by the time they reached their destination.
Once everyone was done with the merchant, who was pleased to help them since it meant helping the city, they left the inn and headed for the entrance that would take them down to where they needed to go, as Rain had been thinking about it during their conversation and she had figured it out. The door that Jherek had mentioned was in the area that they had found Ethon in, back when the Guild's monstrous minions had captured him during their patrols, as it had to be in the odd end location they had spotted, causing Adrianna to realize that she was right. It made too much sense to not be true, as it allowed the Guild to enter and leave the Sewers whenever they wanted, move their troops however they wanted, and also gave them access to the Crypt and the Lower Crypt, so the courier could deliver the Orb to the Chamber of Ash. Thanks to the information that had been gained from the slain courier, who shouldn't have been given all the items that would allow one to enter the Guild, they were poised to bring down the Guild and save the city, causing them to smile as they came to a stop in front of the end and Adrianna raised the key.
Sure enough part of the wall pulled back and moved out of the way, allowing them to see that a tunnel was between them and the Guild's hideout, causing the four of them to ready their weapons as they marched onward, knowing that this was going to be the greatest fight of their lives.
Karne was nervous, something he usually didn't feel unless he was fighting someone who was stronger than him, but there was one person in the entirety of the Guild that could kill him if he failed to uphold his missions, which showed everyone in the Guild that no one was safe. At first things had gone smoothly for the Guild, taking whatever they wanted from the people or the merchants while none of the city's guards dared to lift a finger to stop them, but after the arrival of the stranger, and the three adventurers who rushed to her aid, things had started to go downhill. First there was the loss of all the kobolds and bugbears that had been positioned in the Sewers, along with their prisoner based on his scout's report, and now all of his scouts were reporting that the plan to bring down the Shrine of Suffering, to create a diversion with an army of the dead, had been interrupted with the destruction of the Orb. What really surprised him, while confirming his thoughts, was that a few of his people reported seeing the odd pony figure with the adventurers, who was said to be the one who broke the Orb with her magic, and if that was true he seriously regretted not taking her with them when he first found her.
In that moment he paused in front of the large door that lead to the final chamber of the Guild's hideout, on the lowest floor to be exact, and entered his Master's domain, as he had a report to make and he was sure that Xantum knew that the Orb had been destroyed, causing him to brace himself as he entered the chamber.
"What happened in the Temple, Karne?" his Master asked, a large beholder who floated above the ground as his many eyes, many at the end of tendrils while he had one large one staring right at him, focused on the massive chamber they were in, all while one was likely one the onyx gateway that was right behind him, "Why do the priests still live? What happened to the Orb of the Dead?"
"I am unsure, my Lord Xantum. My scouts have informed me that the Orb could do little more than slay a few priests before it was destroyed." Karne answered, where he stood at attention and made sure the being in front of him was pleased with his answers, even though he knew that his Master would be displeased with their plans being interrupted like this, so close to the start of the master plan no less.
"Do you know who destroyed the Orb?" Xantum inquired, because Karne was one of his finest followers, despite the recent failures he had suffered lately, and he knew that, out of everyone in the Guild, his second likely had an idea as to who did it and was no doubt thinking of a way to make them suffer for interfering with their plans.
"There are rumors that three adventurers did the deed, three I was in the process of killing before the Guard interrupted me and my men... but it can't be them." Karne replied, as he had considered everything his men had discovered since the fool took the Orb into the Chamber of Ash and got himself killed while fulfilling his mission, every drop of information they could find in such a short period of time, and he suspected that he knew who the culprit was, "Just before they arrived I found an odd lady who looked to be a cross of a woman and some sort of pony... she had arrived in the city by a teleportation spell that must have gone wrong, as her clothing had been incinerated. Judging from the power she must have used to reach the city, and the rumors that someone smashed the Orb with their bare hands, I can only assume that the Stranger is the one who derailed our plans."
"Ah yes, the mysterious Stranger." Xantum said, his tone revealing that he believed Karne's statement, as not that long ago he had felt something magical enter the world for a few seconds, likely the figure in question, and knew that many of the other magical beings had likely felt her arrival as well, where he mentally reflected that it was a shame that Karne had been unable to claim her power for the Guild, "Her awakening under the watchful eyes of the Harpers is a shame, since they will use her to destroy their enemies, which currently includes us... it is unfortunate, I was hoping to turn her into yet another loyal soldier, but I can settle for fixing her once we're done with the heroes. Karne, gather the soldiers and keep an eye on our secret entrances... I suspect that we'll have guests in the near future, the adventurers and this Stranger no doubt, and we must be ready to intercept them."
"I'll see to it at once. I swear to stop them before they reach this point." Karne stated, bowing his head to his Master as he said that, as he knew that Xantum was angry with him, despite his curiosity with the Stranger, and that he had to correct it to avoid any serious consequences, since he knew his Master could be quite creative, especially after witnessing several interrogations in the past.
"We shall see, Karne." Xantum replied, because while he knew that Karne and his men were skilled, they had kept the rest of the Guild hidden until this point, he suspected that the truth might not be so simple, the Stranger might be far stronger than either of them realized, especially if she had broken the Orb with her own magical power.
Karne said nothing to that as he marched out to gather his forces, as he knew that his Master was curious to see which of them were stronger, him or the magical lady, and it made him nervous when he considered everything, but he was willing to do everything in his power to save the Guild, and maybe succeed in his true secret mission.
After walking for a while the group passed through a hole in the wall, coming out into a well maintained structure that had to be the Guild's hideout, made out of well polished wood with all sorts of emblems in the sides, along with several barrels that must have been used to mine the entire area out. Such a thing caused them to raise their weapons as soon as they reached the first door, as Rain and her friends knew that the thieves would be expecting them, there was no way that the breaking of the enchantment that had been on the door to this place. On the other side of the door the group found just another passage that had a few boxes in the way, which they navigated around with ease since most of them were empty, before opening another door and found all of the thieves on the other side, wielding swords as their weapons. Rain found that none of the thieves seemed to have armor, save for the leather attire they were currently wearing, meaning it was far too easy for her and her friends to deal with the first group of enemies and establish themselves in the hideout, though it was only a matter of time until the thieves discovered their existence.
While they did so Rain noticed that Kromlech had changed up his weapon, as he was now carrying a greatsword that he had to use both hands to hold, a special weapon from the merchant on account of the fact that they were heroes to the city and that it would go a long way to taking down the rest of the Guild.
Rain had to wonder if they had managed to get here before the thieves were able to get into place, because it seemed like they might have gotten the drop on the Guild's members, or at least those who had been assigned to watch the entrance that lead to the Sewers, since they were cutting through them. In addition to the thieves there were some kobolds and a few bugbears standing in their path, which was to be expected after everything they had seen during their time searching the Sewers, but Rain found that as long as they took the fights one step at a time she knew that nothing would stop them from reaching their true destination. Vahn even found a circular staircase leading up to a side alley that was far away from the main hub of this part of the city, which explained why the thieves had been able to get up here so quickly and leave before any guards could figure out where they had disappeared to, but he made sure the way was open and walked over to the inn to inform Jherek of it. Rain assumed that it was to help their new Harper allies, when it was time to bring down the rest of the Guild, so she said nothing about it and when Vahn returned they resumed their exploration of the Guild's hideout, carefully looking for any traps to warn their allies about later.
While they did that Rain also did something interesting, she noticed that one of the thieves dodged Vahn's arrows and just raised her hand, where it was caught in what she assumed was her aura as she redirected it into the side of another foe, stunning him so Kromlech could cut him down, leaving the others surprised by her actions. Adrianna was sure now that her powers defied explanation, because it was like Jherek had said earlier, Rain was capable of using all sorts of powers, from different classes, and it made her wonder what else she might be capable of, what powers or skills she might be able to call upon in the future. While they wondered about that, and what it might mean once they were done with the Guild's activities in Baldur's Gate, the group found a side passage to another room, as there were several before that point, that had what appeared to be gas balls floating above the ground, but they were easily broken. The final chamber of one just so happened to bring them to a treasury of sorts, where the loot that was stolen from those above ground was stored in between robbing and selling, and sure enough Rain found that her friends were able to recover their own gear, weapons of incredible power by the looks of it, and she recovered the spice as well.
After that they came to a set of stairs that took them down to the second level of the hideout, where there were traps to stop intruders from progressing deeper into the Guild's territory, which loosed fireballs out of four mouths and only did so in the direction that an intruder was approaching from. After a few of those the group found a chasm that had flat stones floating in the air, level with where they were standing, where Adrianna revealed that they would have to go one at a time to avoid someone falling to their deaths, which was what they did. Of course there was a variation of the straightforward path as another chasm had stones in what appeared to be a grid shaped pattern, where when one stone was stepped on a few in the surrounding area would glow for just a second and fall, forcing them to track down the singular stone that had remained whole and jump to it to continue on the path. It was an interesting way to do such a thing, instead of tackling it as a team, like Rain was used to, and they were able to cross all of the chasms with ease, without losing someone to the depths of the hideout, before reaching what seemed to be a spiral hallway that seemed far too large to be practical.
Sure, the group had to deal with a number of spiders, spice balls, rats, and the various fireball traps, but by taking them carefully they were able to make their way through the spiral with ease, before stopping at the end at what appeared to be a circular area with a figure Rain vaguely recalled standing in the center of it.
"And so you have arrived, Rain Shine, with your 'friends'... I should have erased them when I had the chance." Karne said, where he made no attempt to draw his weapons as he focused on the people in front of him, or rather on the person that was of great interest to his Master, while noting that the three adventurers had regained their weapons and were ready for a fight, "Come with me, my Master wishes to speak with you... these three are unworthy of your presence."
"You and your Master won't be touching a hair on her head!" Kromlech stated, where he shifted his stance and readied his weapon, something that caused the others to do the same thing as they stared at the figure, who clearly had a sword on his belt, and daggers attached to bits of his chest armor.
"You don't get it, do you? She's a magical being from another world, another realm, and sooner or later she'll abandon you for someone else!" Karne replied, as he was trying to drive a wedge between Rain and her companions, because while he planned on capturing the lady and delivering her to Xantum, for his own purposes, he wanted to break her connection to the adventurers before taking her down, to make things easier for his Master, "She doesn't need you fools... here, let me show you what I mean."
Rain, despite knowing that getting ahead of the others was a bad idea, rushed at the man with her weapon at the ready, a fact that was turned against her as he drew his blade, parried her attack, and then turned before pushing her against the wall to the left of the area that they had entered through. As the others realized that he might be an actual threat, since his speed was more than they expected from someone who let his minions do the fighting, Karne drove a blade into her shoulder, pinning Rain to the wall so she'd be out of the way, and, to ensure there was no funny business, he used one of his daggers to pin her right hand in the same manner. Rain bit back a scream as the blades tore through her flesh, due to the fact that it was incredibly painful, though something inside her stirred as Karne moved to do battle with her friends, a battle they might not be able to win if he was able to do this to her, causing the air to vibrate as the feeling ignited without her being able to stop it. Adrianna felt it before they saw it, as Rain's magic flared for a moment as dark wisps started to pour out of the sides of her eyes, like mist, and when she raised her head they found that there was a crimson coloration to them, with some sickly green around them, indicating that she must have awoken something new.
She raised her empty hand and the shadows reacted, bursting off the ground as they reached for Karne and struck him in the chest, though what surprised him was that they had avoided his daggers, almost as if they reacted to his movements, before hitting their marks, and before he could react he was surrounded by darkness as Rain crushed him with her power, or at least that was what they thought when they found nothing but a bloodstain.
"Wh... what was that?" Vahn asked, though at the same time he and Kromlech rushed to help Rain, to remove the blades in her arm and hand while offering her a healing potion, since the pain had to be great given where their foe had hit her in the span of a few seconds.
"I... don't know." Adrianna replied, where she noticed that Rain huffed as whatever power she had called upon vanished as she was freed from the wall, a power that seemed unlike anything she had seen before, which only made her curious as to what else Rain might awaken next.
As she said that, however, Adrianna knew that they were going to break for a moment, let Rain recover from her ordeal, and then, when everyone was ready to go, tackle whatever was in the depths of the Guild's hideout, since there was the Master to deal with when the time came.
The group spent a few minutes making sure making sure Rain was alright, since she had used an unknown type of magic after being stabbed in her right arm and shoulder, before Adrianna informed her that she was just fine, her body was fully healed and there seemed to be no side effects of her strange magic. Her eyes had returned to normal after the power had been used, which had to be drawn from an incredibly powerful emotion given what it had done, but her friends were happy to see that she was just fine, even if she was still weirded out by her new skill. Of course she was still shocked by the fact that she had crushed the high ranking member of the Guild like he was nothing, showing just how fearsome the power truly was, but she was thankful that there were no serious consequences to be had from such a power. With that in mind they quickly looked around the arena, finding that there was no treasure to be found, an odd thing considering what all of them knew, before deciding that it didn't matter in the end, as they were here to destroy the Guild and didn't care about the treasure, to which they headed for the next set of stairs.
At the bottom of the stairs the group discovered that there was a new obstacle for them to overcome, magical barriers that could be turned off by pulling a lever, as when they pulled the one by the stairs it lowered the barrier and opened the way for them to enter a new chamber. This one, as Rain soon discovered, held a pedestal of some kind that had a floating orb above it, in the shape of an eye no less, that seemed to fire off balls of energy that disintegrated anyone it touched, as she spotted a rat scurrying across the floor who turned to ash after being hit. Such a thing came as a shock to them and made her friends realize that they should have seen if the thieves had some sort of protection talisman on them, to protect them from this sort of thing, but Adrianna dismissed such an idea, as she suspected that they were tied to those they were given to. With that in mind they had to hide behind the various short walls that were in front of them, extra protection to avoid being blasted to ash, before discovering that there were other traps in the area as well, to make sure intruders weren't able to get deeper into the hideout.
One of the chambers they passed by had Rain stop them for a moment, as one of the Eyes was pointed right at a lever, a trap that would kill whoever dared to try and move it, before she noticed that there was one to their left and Adrianna just nodded her head in understanding. What she did was observe the rotating Eye for a moment and moved when it was no longer looking at the opening the others were staying away from, where they watched her from the other side of the half wall as she circled around the Eye, activated a lever, and caused the second one to disappear. With that done they quickly moved towards the doorway before the first Eye turned on them, allowing the group to pause for a moment as the four of them focused on what was next on this level of the hideout, more Eyes set around a path. Rain had to wonder why they were so popular with the Master of the Guild, given what was on this level anyway, but for the time being it didn't matter to her or the others, only crossing each room while using levers to deal with the stone Eyes.
After that they found a lone corridor that lead to a large doorway, with grander looking doors than anything else, that had three bugbears standing guard over it, but they stood no chance as the group brought them down, giving Rain a chance to stare at the door.
"We're here at last... the Master of the Thieves Guild is on the other side of this door." Rain said, staring at the door as she wondered what might be on the other side, even though she knew that it had to be a powerful being to command all the creatures and people they had faced since their first venture into the cellar.
"Indeed, and hopefully we'll get some answers from him." Kromlech remarked, as the Second in Command had told them a few things before his timely demise, even if there were more things he could have explained, but that didn't matter at the moment, as they needed to stop whoever was on the other side of the door, "He'll regret setting his sights on you."
Rain nodded as the others stepped forward, to which she followed them to the door as they entered what appeared to be a massive chamber, where they discovered why not a few moments later as she found a large floating eye creature, with sharp teeth and tendrils that had eyes at the ends, staring at them as they entered, and behind it stood a black arch that seemed incredibly important.
"So, you are the one called 'Rain Shine' that Karne told me about... you are completely different from the humanoids that are standing beside you, who look alike to me." the creature stated, where Adrianna quietly informed everyone that this was a 'Beholder', which seemed to be a creature of incredible power based on everything they had seen so far, especially with it's levitation power, though Rain gathered that the Beholder didn't care about mortals too much, "Your power is far greater than I had assumed... it's a shame that you are fighting a losing battle, as you could have used it to get whatever your heart desires. You can still change sides, use your power to get what you want... you can even have these fools, if you so desire."
"No... after everything we've seen the Guild do, there's no way I'm joining you!" Rain replied, where she shifted her stance and readied her weapon as her friends did the same thing, because she wasn't about to let something like the Beholder do whatever it wanted, even if they had no idea what sort of plans it had in mind for Baldur's Gate.
Instead of saying anything else the Beholder did something interesting, he roared and started to move towards them as the group started to spread out, though the part Rain focused on was that he struck her with a tendril and sent her flying into one of the walls, near a map no less, before she was struck by a gray magical bolt in her chest. At first nothing came of the attack, making her wonder if the Beholder just wanted her out of the way since she seemed to be more valuable than her friends, though as she tried to move she found her body seemed too stiff and caused her to glance down for a couple of seconds. In that instant she found that her body was turning gray, like smooth stone that went into making statues, and it was spreading all over her, trapping Rain in cold stone as the seconds ticked by, and the only reason her friends didn't rush to her aid was because the Beholder was attacking them, using it's eye tendrils to throw magic at them, though not the one that had been used against her. Over the span of a few moments her body was encased in stone, unable to move despite the commands she was sending the rest of her limbs, before it reached her head and her vision faded, leaving her trapped as a stone statue, with only her thoughts to accompany her as the darkness surrounded her.
The oddest thing was that she could still hear everything that was going on around her, Rain could hear the sounds of her friends clashing with the Beholder as Adrianna noticed what had happened to her, but in that moment her power spilled out once more, causing her to break free from her prison. She wasn't about to wonder how she had done so, because by this point she knew that her powers just seemed to be all over the place, so Rain focused on the battle that was going on as she rushed at the Beholder, who seemed surprised by what she had done. With her friends commanding it's attention, and most of the tendrils shooting off either flames or lightning, Rain tracked down the one that had been used against her earlier, as she found the gray magic dancing around it as the creature readied another blast to bring her down. In the next few seconds the blast came at her as fast as the previous one did, though this time around she was ready for it as she did something that surprised her friends, she pulled out her old dagger and used the blade to block the attack, and when the weapon started to turn she hurled it through the air.
Adrianna watched as the dagger struck the Beholder in it's main eye, causing it to roar in pain, before the petrification on it sunk into the creature's body, turning it into a statue in a matter of seconds, though when it hit the ground, since the levitation was no longer powered, the entire thing shattered into a pile of rubble.
"Well... that's one way to take down a Beholder." Adrianna stated, though as she said that Vahn made sure that Rain was fine, since there was no telling how much damage her body had taken from being turned into a statue, but, just as she expected, their friend was just fine, another sign that her magic was incredible.
"Aye, though we should tell Jherek about this discovery." Kromlech said, as while he was interested in Rain's powers, and what it meant for them in the future, he knew that the discovery of the strange arch meant that they had to tell their boss about this place, especially with the map Rain had landed near.
Adrianna agreed before using one of their recall potions to return to the inn, allowing Vahn and Kromlech to make sure Rain was fine, that there were no parts of her that were still dealing with the petrification she had endured, but she kept telling them that she was just fine. A few seconds later Adrianna returned with Jherek standing beside her, who told the group that he was proud of their actions in keeping Baldur's Gate safe, even though he had been shocked by the fact that a Beholder had been running the Guild and was equally shocked by the fact that Rain destroyed it. With that done he and the group walked over to the map, where they discovered that there was a triangle on it, connecting Baldur's Gate to the Sunset Mountains and the mountains to the Marsh of Chelimber, confirming that there was a larger menace to the city than they originally thought. As such Jherek informed them that he had an agent in the Sunset Mountains that he hadn't heard from for some time and that they would be in the debt of Rain and her friends if they investigated the threat that the city faced, even though he did suggest that, if they were to take the job, they should get some sleep first, since there was no telling what the future might hold for them.
Vahn, Kromlech, and Adrianna agreed that some rest was in order, especially since there was a reward for their hard work in dealing with the Guild, to which Rain followed their lead once again, as she was sure they were going to need it for the dangers that were on the other side of the mysterious onyx gateway.
Rain yawned as she got out of the bed that she had fallen into after the small feast that Jherek had ordered for her and her friends, a thank you of sorts for saving Baldur's Gate from the Guild, in addition to the four long swords that burst into flames when enemies were near, a magical bow for Vahn, and the gold that was delivered as payment. She still had no idea why he was willing to give each of them two thousand gold coins for killing the Beholder, though Kromlech said that part of it might be to ensure they didn't speak of it to the public, since it would cause an untold amount of panic. As such she had decided to put her trust in her friends, they hadn't steered her wrong yet, even though it meant carrying around a small bag on her person that held the coins she had been given, a 'bag of holding' that looked like a pouch, to ensure that no one else knew how much wealth she had. Rain also remembered that Vahn didn't actually need the bow he had been given, since his was far better and it held special memories for him, but he didn't sell the reward just yet, meaning he might be waiting for them to find another shop before selling it.
After getting up, and ensuring that she wasn't forgetting anything, she headed down to the lower level and found that the people of the city were celebrating the Guild's downfall, since it meant they could go about their business without the fear of being robbed or killed, causing her to join her friends once more.
Their meal was quick and no one really said anything, rather they let the people celebrate as they thought about Jherek's next mission, using the strange onyx gateway and seeing what happened to be on the other side, if it truly was the Sunset Mountains or if it went elsewhere. Adrianna was going to use it, as this seemed to be far better than her original plans for when she reached Baldur's Gate, and the others agreed, because all three of Rain's friends had come here seeking fame and fortune, but the threat they had discovered was more important than their petty desires. Despite her lack of memories, a fact that needed correcting at some point in time, Rain was willing to join them and continue traveling towards whatever end their adventure had, as she suspected that she might rediscover who she was if she followed them. With that in mind the four of them finished their breakfast, made sure they had enough potions for everyone, and made sure the spices were returned to their original owner, before using a recall potion to return to the Beholder's lair while the rest of the inn was focused on their loud celebration.
It didn't take them long to reappear in the chamber that they had fought the Beholder in, especially since the fragments of him were resting where they had landed, though instead of worrying about it the group focused on the Onyx Gate, as that was what Rain was calling it, and the magic that danced around the inner frame.
"A magical gateway, right under Baldur's Gate... it's still odd to think about." Rain commented, though this explained how all of those monsters had gotten into the Sewer, something they had been interested in after discovering the bugbears, even if it left many more questions in it's wake.
"I agree. However, we're likely to learn more about the threat on the other side." Adrianna said, causing the others to nod their heads for a moment, though after everything they had seen so far everyone drew their weapons without delay, since there was no telling what was waiting for them on the other side of the strange gate.
Vahn and Kromlech said nothing as they stepped into the center of the gateway and disappeared, which caused Rain and Adrianna to do the same thing, where she felt herself being moved from one place to another as she discovered that the landing point was a path carved into the mountain side.
"So this is the Sunset Mountains... wow." Rain said, as they were high in the mountains, far away from Baldur's Gate based on the map she and the others had seen in the Beholder's lair, where she found that the mountain itself seemed to be a dirty brown color, instead of what they were used to with the other areas, and parts of it had been carved away to make room for the arch they had walked through, including the smooth path.
"Someone has modified the path... this isn't good." Kromlech commented, though at the same time he glanced up the now smooth path and spotted something that he pointed out to the others, a pair of large hyena looking creatures that the dwarf called gnolls, one of the many dangers that the dwarves of this mountain usually dealt with, "Keep an eye out for ogres as well... you'll know them when you see them."
As everyone readied their weapons Rain discovered something interesting, the Onyx Gate was no longer working, as in it must have shut off after they stepped through it or they didn't have an item that would allow passage back to the Guild's hideout, meaning it was a good thing they slept and got ready before coming here. With that information in hand she and her friends started to travel along the path that should, if Kromlech's information was right, bring them right to a dwarven mining town, where they could get directions to Jherek's agent or even find him hanging around. As such they started to walk along the path, making sure to stick close to the left side of the mountain since the right side had such a dangerous drop that everyone had to be careful to avoid, though Rain found that the gnolls wore nothing more than loincloths, while carrying round shields and axes. As soon as the pair started to aggressively wave their weapons at them Rain found that her new longsword started to burn, just like Adrianna's since Kromlech was using his greataxe and Vahn had his bow out, though it wasn't long before they clashed and the pair went down without too much resistance.
That was why she thought it was weird that the gnolls didn't have armor, though she guessed whatever organization was behind the Guild's existence didn't want to waste resources on what appeared to be dumb creatures, but they did find a couple of healing potions off to the side at one point and collected them. She also discovered that, while there were more gnolls along the path, they didn't hit as hard as some of the other foes they had encountered so far, in fact none of them hit as hard as any of the bugbears did, meaning these were fodder soldiers, according to Vahn anyway. He made sure to point out their enemies to everyone as they followed the path, while using his arrows to slow down some of the gnolls that were off in the distance, giving Rain, Kromlech, and Adrianna time to deal with one group of foes before focusing on the next one that he spotted. Rain could tell that something was bothering the dwarf, no doubt he suspected that there would be more of his kin in this part of the mountains, maintaining the road or taking care of the gnolls, meaning whoever had been aiding the Guild must have chased off the other dwarves or killed them.
Rain also spotted another new enemy not even a few minutes after they started moving, a heavily furred creature that was slightly taller than the gnolls, which was a yeti according to Kromlech, though he admitted that it was odd for them to be this far down the mountain, as they usually stayed in the snowy regions. Fire seemed to be the weakness of the yetis, as Vahn took one down with just his flame arrows, something he could do with how own power and the bow that was his prized possession, and even if one survived some of his arrows the group finished them off. The number of yetis down on the rocky section of the mountain told them that something must have happened on the mountain peaks, something had chased them off and forced them down to this portion, which only made the dwarf worry that there might be a dragon up in the mountains. He knew of one beast that was rumored to be in the Sunset Mountains, Ciraxis it was called, but there was a chance that they would miss him entirely, so he wasn't too worried about dealing with him, though this did tell Rain and the others more about what might be lurking in the mountains.
Even with all of that in mind Rain wondered if the other dwarves were safe, as there were a lot of yetis and gnolls down in this section of the mountain, far more than what Kromlech was used to before he left for Baldur's Gate, almost as if there was an army waiting for orders to move through the gate. Adrianna agreed with her, there were far too many for this to be a coincidence, especially after the discovery of the map in the Beholder's lair, meaning his allies must have been busy gathering their armies to march through the gate when all was ready. Destroying the Guild allowed them to postpone the end of Baldur's Gate, though with another army waiting on the other side it meant Jherek and everyone else were still in danger, confirming his suspicions he had shared upon their return to the Elfsong Tavern, meaning there was another foe somewhere in the Sunset Mountains for them to deal with. In addition to all of those enemies Kromlech also pointed out a tall figure, easily twice as tall as Vahn was, that wore a loincloth and carried a large club into battle, a giant he told them, which made things more interesting and difficult at the same time, but they were able to overcome the new foe and kept moving forward without wasting too much time.
It took some time, effort, and a lot of gnoll bodies, as they were the most common threat on the path, but eventually the group was able to make their way to the dwarven mining camp, an area full of stone houses that had Kromlech's people wandering around, even though they looked completely miserable.
"Brother! Can it be that you have returned to us, in our darkest hour?!" a dwarf said, one who looked like a warrior while most of the others seemed to be craftsmen, making Rain wonder where all of the guards were since it seemed that most of them seemed to be missing.
"Torrgeir, I remember you!" Kromlech replied, showing that he knew the figure, a good thing since he might not give them the same welcome if someone else approached him first, which was why both Vahn and Adrianna let him take the lead so he could give them a good first impression, before they shared a handshake of some kind, "It has been too long old friend... tell me, what happened here? Where is the rest of the Bruenghor Clan?"
"We are all that remains, brother. Dark elves invaded the mine, killing scores of us with their poisoned blades, and for us to survive we collapsed all but one of the exit tunnels." Torrgeir said, where it was far too easy for them to see that he was depressed over the loss of life that had occurred recently, losing many friends and family members in the attack no doubt, all while explaining why this camp seemed so small to Rain, most of the clan was gone, "Please, brother, turn back before it's too late... there's nothing here for us now, and those that survived are gathering our belongings so we can move to a much safer location."
"We can't just abandon them to hostile invaders... even if you won't fight, can you at least open the mine so we can head in and deal with them?" Rain asked, because after everything she had been through so far she wasn't about to let such a thing slide, meaning they had to head into the mine and deal with these dark elves, as it had to be connected to what Jherek had told them about.
"Torrgeir, allow me to introduce Rain Shine, Adrianna, and Vahn, my friends and comrades. We were sent by Jherek not that long ago to investigate the dangers in this region." Kromlech stated, making sure that his friend knew that his brand new friends were allies and that they were here to deal with whatever dangers might be plaguing the rest of the region that his clan called home.
"Even if I wanted to, I can't, as our leader, Kolgrim, took three men with him to climb the Burning Eye Peak, all so we can light the signal fire to call on aid from Easting, but they have yet to succeed." Torrgeir stated, though everyone knew what he was thinking, there was a fair chance that the four dwarves were dead, but before anyone could say anything else he held up a hand and gestured to the mine entrance down to their right, a sealed door by the looks of it, "Kolgrim carried our Key of Dumathoin, which can turn cracks and spaces into solid stone again, with him as his team went up to light the signal fire. If you want to help you'll have to track him down, help his team, and convince him to hand over the Key... once you have that, well, you can head into the mine and fight the drow that have overrun the place."
As Kromlech thanked him for the assistance, especially since this place became their rest spot for the time being, Rain had a feeling that they had discovered what Jherek had sent them to investigate, causing her to wonder what sort of dangers they might encounter in the very near future.
After taking a few moments to rest and offload some of the items they had picked up on their way to the mining camp, the group departed through the northern exit, where they found a well worn path that seemed to lead straight to the base of the section of the mountain they needed to explore. Rain found that they were in an area that happened to have trees and small bodies of water, all off to the side of the path they were following, though in addition to that she and the others found a few wolves that wanted a piece of them. Kromlech informed them that the wolves had to be starving, or they had been tamed by the gnolls or yetis to do their bidding, and that the decline of his people must have allowed a sudden population boost for all of the various wolf packs. Vahn offered another thought on the matter, that they had moved to this part of the mountain after something drove them out of their previous home, which made sense due to the fact that they had no idea where the dragon Ciraxis was resting at the moment.
Of course Rain and her friends could tell that the dwarf was troubled over the news they had received in the camp, most of his clan had fallen to the drow, meaning he had lost friends, family, and possibly even loved ones since his departure from his home so he could become an adventurer. She really didn't know what to say in this situation, especially since he was so angry over what had happened while he was gone, though at the same time her comment from earlier stood, they were going to find Kolgrim, help him light the signal fire for the Key he held, and then deal with the drow. Adrianna told her that the drow lived in the Underdark and were, for the most part, some of the cruelest people one could meet, since most of them believed that they were superior to all beings in the world. They also served a deity known as Lolth, the Queen of Spiders to be exact, though that was hardly important right now, despite the fact it told Rain that there were goddesses in this world, and gods when she thought about it, as odd as it sounded.
Their thoughts returned to the task at hand as they put down another group of wolves that were hunting in the area, a fact that alarmed Rain since there seemed to be more of them than anyone had thought at first, where Kromlech told her that it was unusual, meaning the gnolls had to be responsible for this change.
After another group they found their target destination, a path that had stone walls, set at the height of a dwarf, that told them that they were on the right track, which was around the same time that they discovered some gnolls guarding the path in question, looking rather proud of themselves. As such the four of them lashed out at their enemies once more, just like they had done before reaching the dwarven camp, where Rain found that these gnolls were the same as all those they had faced before this point in time, meaning they must have sturdy hides. What was interesting was that there were a few camps set up along the path they were following, though what was odd about them, as Rain looked at the tents and fires, was that it seemed far too good for the gnolls to make on their own. With what she had seen so far this scene told her that their true foe, whoever was in control of this portion of the mysterious alliance's forces, wanted to ensure that all of the gnolls were well taken care of before the invasion started.
Kromlech stopped for a moment as he discovered something else, there were crates full of food and items that had been stolen from the rest of his clan, to which he had them pick some of the containers up before hauling four of them back down to the camp, only for them to return moments later with some survivors.
"They were definitely preparing for war... why else would they have our stuff?" Kromlech commented, as there were all sorts of weapons and gear inside some of the containers, hence why it was important to get them back down to the camp, before the drow found a way to bust out of the mine, if they cared to do so anyway.
"We'll be sure to take down whoever is controlling the gnolls and the other enemies." Rain said, because losing so many of his kind had to hurt Kromlech and she was going to make whoever was responsible for such a thing pay for their foul and horrible deeds, regardless if they were in this region of the world or another one.
As the others nodded Kromlech calmed himself as he followed the path that would, in due time, bring them to the peak of the mountain, going from rocky ground, like on the path that they had started on, and becoming ice and snow, which was to be expected since he told them that the peak was high above the camp's position. There were more wolves and plenty of gnolls standing on the path, which none of them were even remotely surprised by at this point, though there were also a fair number of yetis for everyone to fight as well, ones with more white colored fur to help them blend in with the area that they lived in. To be sure that they were through Kromlech lead them to some of the caves he knew the location of, as there was a chance that some of Kolgrim's team might have sought refuge after encountering the dangers that they were lurking on the path, something that the others agreed with as they followed him. There was one such cave off to the right of the path that had a number of wolves inside it, though the lack of blood on the ice, combined with the fact that there were no bodies anywhere, told them that while the idea was sound there was also a chance that it might not work out for them in the long run.
While they traveled along the path, however, Rain figured that it was time to learn some magic, even though hers had, for the most part, been accidental and uncontrollable, where Adrianna showed her how to call forth her inner power and use it, like how she could summon flames in front of her palms and shoot it out. She also explained that there were a number of types of magic that one could call upon, like how she had lightning, fire, and even pure energy, while others could call on the power of frost, acid, poison, and even darkness, giving her a chance to try out using flames on the gnolls and yetis they encountered. It was hard for Rain to do, since she wasn't really sure how she called upon the darkness or the power that broke her out of the statue state she had been trapped in, though Adrianna was a patient instructor and showed her a few of the basics that she knew, allowing her to try and get a grasp on what it meant to use magic. While they did that Kromlech found another cave for them to check out, one that was just as big as the last and only had a couple of chests for them to loot, causing him to hope that the team was near the summit and not down in the caves they were hunting down.
There were, of course, more gnolls on the path, these ones with more snow colored fur to show that they were more suited for living in the snowy peaks of the Sunset Mountains, plus some giants that were hanging out near a camp that was set up further up the mountain, once more showing signs that someone evil had plans for this place. After that they found a fork in the path, where there was a path that went off to the west, one that went off to the east, and the one that they were more interested in, the northern path, which should bring them to the peak's summit. Instead of heading down one of the directional paths, however, Kromlech headed to the north and continued to hack through the enemies that happened to be in their way, showing them that he was angry and wanted to save his people. After that he found a side path that went to the west a little, which also had a couple of wolves and a few gnolls for them to take down, though while they eliminated the threats Rain found blood on the ground, not from them fighting their enemies, and it lead right to a cave entrance.
Just like before they slipped inside the cave when they cleared out the area in front of it, though this time around it was far too easy for Rain and her friends to find that this one had a wounded dwarf inside it, who was holding onto a sword that was stained in blood as he stared at a fire.
"Kolgrim! Don't worry brother, we're here to help." Kromlech said, where he rushed over to where the injured dwarf was resting and stalled as he realized something, the dwarf they had been sent to find had several gashes on his chest and his arms, and with the blood at his feet they knew that he wasn't long for this world.
"Kromlech? Don't bother, I'm as good as dead." the dwarf replied, something that confirmed how far gone he was, as his voice sounded rough and his breathing was all over the place, in fact his strength was starting to fade as well, because his grip on his sword was failing, meaning he wouldn't have been able to defend himself for too much longer, "If it's the Key to the mine that you're after, I don't have it... the one I gave it to, after the ambush, was attacked at the peak and frozen in ice by the dragon Ciraxis. Take this oil flask... you'll need it, plus the tinder that the others carried, to light the signal fire to thaw his body, and call for help."
As Kromlech told the dwarf that they would do everything in their power to save the clan, to light the signal fire, Rain and the others watched as the life faded from Kolgrim's body, though not before he was able to open his pack and produce his flask for them to take. With it in hand, and they were positive that he had perished due to his wounds, the group departed from the cave and returned to the main path again, this time heading back to the fork in the path and taking the western one first, only to find more and more gnolls guarding the area. Adrianna showed Rain how to use another spell she knew, the Ball of Lightning spell that allowed her to launch a sphere of energy that damaged all of her enemies in the direction it was sent in, which allowed her to deal a good bit of damage to the gnolls guarding the way forward. Sure, it cost more for her to use it in battle, but the fact that it damaged every enemy in the user's path meant it was well worth it, and if Rain had the power to use every skill or power she found, with practice anyway, it was one she might be able to add to her own arsenal of skills.
Rain understood and kept trying to call forth her magical powers during some of their lesser fights, where she was able to do her own thing while the others beat down the gnolls, giants, yetis, or wolves that were trying to take them down, and the cave that was at the end of the path contained another slain dwarf, who had a slab of flint.
With that item in hand the group cleared out the rest of the area, making sure to wipe out the rest of the western edge of the mountain to ensure no harm came to the mining camp, just in case some of the gnolls or yetis tried to move south in the near future. Once they were sure that the western section was done the group quickly returned to the fork and went down the eastern path without delay, where Rain found that there were more wolves than anything else as the path just so happened to head down into a dirt and grass area, which had a few tents. While the group wiped out the gnolls and a few giants, however, Rain thought about what Kolgrim had said before he perished, he mentioned that Ciraxis was in the area, in fact he had attacked the dwarves at the peak, meaning they might actually run into him. She wasn't able to think about it too much as they found another downed dwarf, this one carrying a special torch that had to be for the signal fire, and with all three items in hand the group, after clearing out the rest of their enemies, returned to the main path.
What they discovered was that there were stray spheres of lightning moving around the area, which they could get around without having to fight them with magic, especially since they killed all the gnolls, allowing them to reach the peak without wasting too much time, an area that was a massive metallic torch on a pedestal.
"Anyone see that dragon?" Rain asked, because if it had attacked the dwarven party when they were at the summit, mere moments away from lighting the signal fire, she suspected that it might be somewhere in the surrounding area, maybe keeping an eye on the peak to serve it's master's dark will.
"No. Looks like it killed everyone and left." Vahn remarked, which was good for them, because even with Rain's powers he had a feeling that it might be an impossible task for them to bring down a dragon like Ciraxis, though as he said that they found that Adrianna gathered the items to light the fire and climbed the edge of the metallic tower.
In the next few seconds she ignited the material that they had gathered, combined with what was still inside the basin, and restored the signal tower to it's former glory, allowing her to return to the others as the heat thawed the frozen dwarf in no time, allowing them to claim the Key and return to the camp with good news, as it was time to head into the mines and deal with the dark elves before anything else happened.
Torrgeir, while happy to see that the signal fire was lit and that Easting would likely see it in no time, wasn't too happy to hear that Kolgrim's group had been taken out by the dangers of the peak, which had outnumbered them before killing most of them. He was surprised by the fact that Ciraxis, who hadn't been seen for some time, also attacked some of the dwarves and froze them before they could light the signal fire, since he expected the beast to be out hunting or sleeping in another part of the Sunset Mountains, not near their mining camp. Once again Torrgeir tried to talk them out of going into the mine and facing the drow, because despite the fact that Kromlech was of their clan, and his friends were willing, he didn't want to risk their lives by allowing them to access the mines. In the end, however, he saw the determination they had and decided to stand in their way no longer, allowing them to head over to the mine entrance and use the Key to unlock the seal, though as they did so some of the guards gathered nearby, just in case some drow tried to flee during their quest.
Rain watched with some interest as the flat stone surface reacted to the Key and changed before their eyes, where she and the others found that the outline of a mine door appeared in a matter of seconds, as if it had always been there, made of wood and metal, and hadn't been stone for some time.
With the door revealed the group headed inside the mine without delay, where they found that some of the torches were, despite no dwarves having entered this place for some time, still lit and made Rain wonder if they were enchanted or if the drow were keeping them lit for some odd reason. She found that the floor was smooth in places and rocky in others, no doubt something that the miners of the camp were used to, along with the fact that there were rats waiting for them not a few steps from the entrance, likely pets of the drow. Both Rain and Adrianna had an idea on how to deal with some of the rats without getting close to them, by utilizing the Ball of Lightning spell that shocked them and ignited a few barrels of explosives, blasting the rats before they had a chance to react. Kromlech wasn't too surprised to find that there were all sorts of paths leading out from the main entrance, since it was a mine, though he kept his weapon at the ready as Vahn kept an eye out for the drow, since none of them wanted the dark elves to sneak up on them.
Sure enough it wasn't long before they found the drow, as the dark skinned elves were hanging out in the tunnels, likely keeping the area clear for their forces before another assault was launched on the rest of the dwarves, where it looked like most of them were carrying maces as their main weapons.
As they carefully explored the mine, and discovering that some drow had bows and a few used magic to deal with their foes, Rain discovered that there were multiple dead ends, a common trait of mines when she asked Kromlech about it, as she was trying to take his mind off of whatever they were seeing. There were dead bodies all over the place, dwarves who had been either running from the drow or had stayed to fight them so the others could flee, and she could tell that such a sight sickened her friend, seeing so many of his clan having their lives snuffed out in such a way. She discovered one other disturbing and annoying thing, save for the drow who died at the hands of her and her friends there didn't seem to be any from the dwarves, meaning they had sacrificed themselves for nothing, given that there were only like ten dwarves left in the camp. It pissed her off, that these dark elves just decided to show up one day and came to the conclusion that they could exterminate an entire settlement of dwarves like it was a perfectly acceptable thing to do, like Kromlech's clan were simply insects to crush and that they could get away without having to face the consequences for their foul actions, which just annoyed her the more she thought about it.
Her growing rage towards these drow made her more reckless than before, as she lashed out at the dark elves as soon as she found them, hacking and slashing at each foe while her friends followed in her wake, even to the point where she just stabbed one in the chest, tore her blade out, and then removed the dark elf's head.
"Rain, you need to calm down and be more focused... these are foes that'll take you down if you give them an opening to do so." Vahn stated, all while at the same time loosing an arrow into a drow's chest and taking her down before she could do anything to him or his friends, a hard thing to accomplish since Rain seemed to be dead set on murdering everything that was around her, or the drow at the very least.
"Not until all of these foul drow are dead! I... I can't stand the amount of death we've seen." Rain replied, where she took a moment to glance back at the others, who paused for a moment as they found that while she was enraged over all of the death they had seen, due to all of Kromlech's fallen clan, she was also filled with great sorrow, almost as if she was on the verge of crying, before she continued on her way.
"I think we just witnessed something new... the deaths of your brethren has awakened a memory of pain, Kromlech, and it's driving her forward." Adrianna said, though at the same time it made her wonder if she was even right about what they were seeing, as Rain was a total mystery to them and there was no telling where she hailed from or what had happened to her before she arrived in Baldur's Gate, not until they found a way to restore her memories.
Kromlech said nothing as he watched Rain go to town on the drow, summoning vines to trip up some of them when she noticed that her friends were hanging back, talking about her, allowing her to even the odds while she was on her own, before rushing into battle as he smashed a drow's head with his battleaxe. Vahn and Adrianna joined them without delay and continued to tear down the various dark elves that were hanging out in the mine, though they all had to admit that it was strange to see so many in one place, like they were getting ready to invade either the surface or somewhere else. As more and more drow fell before their might and strategy, however, they came to realize that it was a good thing they were doing this, as there was no way Easting's reinforcements would win such a battle, not unless an entire army came to deal with the dark elves. The only good thing that came out of all of this was the fact that Rain's anger seemed to stabilize her own magical powers, or at least Adrianna was sure of that when they took a short break to recover some of their energy, though she made sure to point her friend's anger in the right direction.
Rain also discovered something odd, the lifts that took them between the levels were broken, meaning they had to track down the gears that would allow them to repair them, though the reason she thought it was odd was due to the fact that the dwarves couldn't have ruined any of them during their attempts to flee. At the same time the drow were planning on either invading the surface or securing the mine itself, so it stood to reason that they would keep the lifts in tact as well, so she was confused as to why the dark elves would wreck the lifts when they needed them. Kromlech opened his mouth to say something, before he and their friends realized that she was right, it made no sense for the drow to wreck the lifts like this, and even the idea of slowing down anyone who tried to retake the mine didn't make any sense. All four of them came to the agreement that there had to be a reason behind the strange events happening in this place, though the only way to figure out what was going on was to find a drow that was willing to talk, at least before trying to gut them for killing most of the intruders that were in this place.
During their trek the group also found a few more enemies to deal with, as in spiders who had to be the drow's true pets, at least based on who their goddess was, and drow that were riding large green lizards as mounts, before reaching the third level, more like a cave than anything, that had large purple hulking monsters that walked on four legs and had pincers as their mouths.
"An Umberhulk... that's not good." Kromlech commented, though he was thankful for Rain's vine power, tripping up the foul beast and opening holes in it's defenses so they could bring it down, though it took a while since the beast had thick scales protecting it from harm.
"No, we must have passed into the drow's domain." Adrianna said, which wasn't a good thing if it was true, since there was no telling how many monsters and creatures could be down here in the dark caves, hence why she and the others kept their guards up in case there were more enemies like this one to deal with.
Of course there were more Umberhulks to deal with, at least three by Adrianna's count as they counting through the rest of the underground cave, before they stopped at what appeared to be an open clearing with a drow sorceress, likely the leader of the entire group, standing near some banners in her oddly revealing clothing.
"So, you are the ones who have been killing my forces... you shall pay for your transgressions." the sorceress, or priestess as Adrianna thought about it, stated, showing that someone must have reported their attack to her and made her aware of all the lives that had been lost since they entered the mine.
"It is you who will pay for the lives that have been lost, drow." Rain replied, though at the same time she stepped forward, a fact that allowed her friends to make sure they were alone, since there had to be more drow resting in the darkness, just waiting for a fight to begin so they could rush in and kill them, "Your attack on the Sunset Mountains, and the dwarves who call it home, ends here."
"You assume much, my dear. We care not for the surface, as it has been promised to others, rather the mines were to be ours once the plan was complete." the priestess said, though that was when the group noticed something odd, the way she moved made her body jiggle, like she was trying to hypnotize them, or maybe her mind was partly gone and she was just aroused by having new 'toys' to play with, "You, however, were promised to someone special... a shame, I was excited to have my way with you once I heard of you and your incredible form. Oh well, I suppose I can break your friends in your place and still have fun, just like when my soldiers gutted some of the dwarves earlier."
Rain, having heard enough from the priestess, came to a stop in front of her and stabbed her right in the chest with her bare hand like it was nothing, surprising the drow in the process, before she tore her hand out and revealed that she had ripped out her heart as well. Everyone stood there for a moment as they processed that information, giving her time to crush the still beating heart like it was just a soft rock, where the priestess collapsed in front of her and her body went still, a sure sign that she was dead, causing Rain to huff for a moment. In the next instant she spotted an ornate horn that had to be important, especially since there was a key attached to it, where she held it out for the others to take and Vahn did so without wasting time, taking the horn while handing the key over to Kromlech. While they explored the rest of the area, to see if they could find the cells that the key went to, Rain knelt for a few seconds and collected the priestess' staff, both as a reward and as proof of her death, before she and Adrianna followed their friends.
It was in that moment that they discovered a single prisoner, the very agent that Jherek had sent them to find, where Vahn had them return to the camp first, to check him for wounds and report their success to Torrgeir, before worrying about what they should do next.
The dwarves had many reasons to celebrate upon the group's return to the mining camp, since they exterminated a gnoll army on one side of the camp, braved the peak to ignite the signal fire, and had now returned from the mine with news of the drow's downfall. Rain, for the time being, just wanted to rest and recover from the burning anger she had felt during her time in the mine, causing some dwarves to ask Kromlech why she, a stranger, would weep for them and seek to avenge the slain on such a personal level. He simply told them what he assumed was the truth, she was compassionate, a warrior of justice who aided those in need and who would weep when great misfortune befell a settlement, along with possessing great rage while avenging the fallen. Rain didn't try to deny his claims, because it seemed to be the path she was walking, a hero who would ensure that the evils of the world were purged while protecting those who were in trouble, not to mention whatever else one had to do to be a hero of the people.
The dwarf they saved from the drow, Brogan, spent a few moments healing his body, since he had been injured thanks to his captor inflicting some measure of torture on him to get information, or maybe she enjoyed inflicting pain on others, before he spoke with the group for a time.
Brogan was surprised to learn that they were new members of the Harpers, revealing that he was, in fact, the one Jherek had sent them to track down and speak with about the dangers that had been reported in this portion of the world, which they had confirmed after stepping through the Onyx Gate. He revealed that he was the eyes of the Harpers in this region, not an easy feat since their organization was stretched thin these days, and, more importantly, that he had noticed what seemed like an army forming, gnolls and their allies on the surface while the drow had claimed the mines. They came to the same conclusion that he had during his imprisonment, every enemy that had been discovered on this mountain was part of some dark alliance, though the head of the organization still eluded Brogan, who claimed that the dragon Ciraxis was part of it. Someone was plotting to destroy Baldur's Gate, that much he knew at this point, though when Kromlech told him about the Onyx Gate he was surprised, not for such a gate to exist, as he told the group, rather because he knew of a second one that lead to the Marsh of Chelimber, confirming that someone wanted a clear path to the city.
He also pointed out the path one could take to an Ice Cave, the one that held the second Onyx Gate, where they could use the horn of the drow priestess to break it open and investigate whatever was inside it, though if the gate was truly there it stood to reason that it was well guarded.
"It is a good thing that we are well stocked now, especially since we might have to fight a dragon." Vahn commented, as he had received a few quivers full of arrows, all prepared and ready for use, as part of the thanks that the dwarves gave them for saving those that remained in the camp.
"The clan has also gifted us some of their best elven scale mail," Kromlech added, a parting gift from his brothers and sisters, to keep them safe from whatever dangers might be resting in the Ice Cave, though he had to admit that it was humorous to see the smiths of his clan be surprised when they gifted Rain her set and the passive ability she had to adjust any armor to match her form activated, "We should be able to stand against the majority of the usual enemies of the mountains, but the others we've only heard about might be trouble."
"We should get underway... the sooner we track down whoever is controlling these Onyx Gates, the better." Rain said, as her focus was on whoever wanted to bring about the end of Baldur's Gate, which meant she was also focused on whatever had been assigned to guard the second Onyx Gate that was in the Sunset Mountains, because after everything they had learned so far she suspected the dragon was the guardian.
The path to the Ice Cave happened to be to the north of the mining camp, where they found more wolves and gnolls to fight, which Rain found was similar to the path they used to climb the mountain originally, covered by a layer of ice by the looks of it when the group finally tracked it down. Such a thing explained why the drow had a horn, as Kromlech told Rain and the others that this particular section of ice usually reformed after a day or two, at least further up the mountain, so by blowing the horn they should be able to blast a hole into the ice and enter the Ice Cave. With that in mind the group made sure the area was cleared of enemies, as while there were a few foes, keeping the area secure, there weren't a large amount for them to worry about, before Adrianna blew the horn in front of the sheet of ice. Everyone watched for a few seconds as a sound came out of the horn, causing the ice to shudder before being blown backwards into the cave, which was good for them since it meant they could enter it and see what sort of dangers were inside it.
Within a few moments of entering the Ice Cave the group found that there were some yetis waiting for intruders, or their allies based on what they had learned earlier, to Rain and her friends carefully dealt with them as they kept an eye out for any enemies that might be more dangerous or in greater numbers. One thing Rain discovered was that there were bits of water here and there, no doubt from the ice thawing, though for the time being it looked like the yetis were the only foes for them to worry about, something she didn't have to do since she and her friends took them down with ease. By that she meant that she and Adrianna used conjured the small spheres of lightning to harm the larger groups, while Vahn let loose a number of flame arrows and Kromlech hacked into them, something that allowed her and her friends to clear an area out before moving even deeper. After another group of yetis fell before their might Adrianna stopped them for a few seconds as she found that the tunnel lead to a larger chamber with a larger shallow body of water, where Rain found that something invisible was walking in the water before appearing and disappearing again.
What she spotted was a panther-like creature with six legs, instead of four, that had a pair of long tentacles growing out of their shoulders, where Adrianna told them that they were displacer beasts and that the larger ones were male, which told Rain that the smaller ones were female... though one of them did appear in front of her, sniffed her hand, and then just walked around her before growling at the open space, challenging the others of it's kind.
"Not to sound ungrateful, but... is there anything you can't do?" Vahn asked, though he had to admit that having such a beast on their side made things sightly easier for them, since the smaller one seemed to like Rain, which was due to the fact that it seemed to seek out the rest of it's kind and attack those that were around them, allowing one of them to battle it while the others focused on the tunnel.
"No idea. I'll let you know when I find out." Rain replied, where she rubbed the back of her head for a moment, since she wasn't expecting such a thing to happen and assumed that it was due to her unique nature, as there didn't seem to be anyone else like her in the entire world, but she meant what she said, she was sure there was something out there that she couldn't do and would tell her friends whenever she discovered it.
The displacer beasts, as Rain soon discovered, actually hit harder than she expected when one slipped through their net, a fact that clued her into their hunter nature and the fact that they targeted magic users, but with their ally helping her and her friends out they were able to carefully make their way through the rest of the cave. Eventually they found some other foes to do battle with, wolves for example, who went down easily and did no damage to the group, before Kromlech and Vahn found a few frost giants standing in their path, in the larger chambers that gave them room to move. Those foes, as it turned out, where definitely harder to deal with than some of the other enemies, as Rain found that they could hit them for a while before bringing them down, though if left them winded and forced a bit of a rest before bothering to move deeper into the cave's depths. There were also ice spiders in the cave as well, enemies that weren't any harder than their normal counterparts based on what Rain saw when she slashed at one with her sword, so she and her friends were able to clear their way before finally reaching their final destination.
Sure enough, in the deepest depths of the Ice Cave, the group found a large open cavern that held the Onyx Gate they had learned about earlier, along with a large four legged beast that had sharp claws, powerful wings and a tail, grand teeth, and a powerful visage that would inspire fear into the hearts of others.
"Ciraxis... so he is part of this 'dark alliance' we've discovered." Kromlech commented, though at the same time he found that the white dragon was on guard, meaning he must have known that lighting the signal fire was the sign for him to come here and guard the gate until another sign caused him to return to his post.
"Then he dies. All members of the Dark Alliance must pay for their crimes." Rain stated, because after everything she had seen and learned so far, since appearing in Baldur's Gate and doing battle with their various enemies, she wanted nothing more than to be rid of this organization and put the world at peace, until another evil showed up.
Adrianna glanced at the others as Rain braced herself, showing that she was waiting for her friends to back her up, which was when the four of them, and their new displacer beast friend, rushed at the dragon that was guarding the Onyx Gate to the Marsh of Chelimber. What was surprising was the fact that Ciraxis just stayed on the ground and used what appeared to be an icy breath against them, while occasionally calling what seemed to be icy spheres down from the sky, something that made Rain fear him less and less as the moments ticked by. In fact the only time he seemed to move was when someone got close to where he was standing, forcing him to backup to ensure no one got too close, which was hard since Rain, Kromlech, and their displacer beast were able to get close while Vahn and Adrianna pelted him from afar with their ranged attacks. It was an easy fight in the grand scheme of things, as Ciraxis never bothered to fly out of the cavern and attack them from a distance where his victory was assured, and it wasn't long before the fight was over, with no one seriously hurt while the beast itself laid dead on the ground with cut marks all over it.
"That was... oddly disappointing." Vahn remarked, because he had heard of the power that some dragons possessed and this one failed to meet any of his expectations, especially since his original plan had been to become an adventurer and go out in search of fame and fortune, which would have eventually lead to him clashing with such a beast.
"Indeed, but at least the way to the Onyx Gate is cleared." Adrianna said, though as she glanced at the dragon's corpse she had an interesting idea, especially since she looked at Rain for a few seconds before focusing on Ciraxis, causing her to even wonder if such a thing was even possible, "Kromlech, can your people use the dragon's resources?"
"To make dragon scale mail, aye." Kromlech answered, but before he could say anything else he followed Adrianna's glance and quickly put the pieces together without needing to be told, all while Rain tilted her head for a moment as he thought about what was going on right now.
Rain had no idea what he was talking about, though based on how he and Adrianna were glancing at the corpse she had a feeling that they were planning on using Ciraxis' remains in some manner, meaning they would be able to rest a little more before seeing what the dangers of the Marsh of Chelimber had in store for them.
Rain found that the dwarves of the mining camp, true to what Kromlech told them, took the scales of Ciraxis and turned a number of them into a set of armor for her, the 'dragon scale armor' as he said when they took down the dragon, though to do so they had to take a number of measurements first. The new attire was more form fitting than her previous set of gear, almost like it was hugging her without restricting her movements at all, while it came with a single pauldron that was flat and rested on the right side, right on top of her right shoulder. She discovered that the color of the scaled section was icy blue, like Ciraxis' eyes, while the design was silver colored, though one of the dwarves told her that this was actually stronger than her old gear, to the point where it might rival even half plate and plate armor. It also came with gloves, boots, and even a head piece that resembled a dragon's head, like she was a dragon knight or something, where she found that everything fit her like a glove, meaning her odd power to make armor fit her wasn't needed this time at all.
Once they were done with the armor, and she was decked out and ready to go, the group used a recall potion to return to the cave that Ciraxis had been guarding with his life, where the four heroes and Shadow, the newly named displacer beast who was following Rain, stood before the Onyx Gate that would take them to a new region.
"Now then, let's see what's going on in the Marsh of Chelimber." Vahn said, as while he wanted to stay and help ensure that the dwarves would be safe from whatever dangers were left in the Sunset Mountains, since he was sure there were more gnolls and giants to worry about, he knew heading through the gate was more important.
Rain and the others nodded their heads in understanding as they stepped through the gate without delay, leaving the lands of the Sunset Mountains behind as everyone let the magic move them from one place to another, though this time she and her friends appeared in a large underground crypt, of all things.
"A crypt... how great." Adrianna remarked, though she wasn't too surprised by this turn of events, rather it made sense to keep most of the Onyx Gates hidden in places where they could remain safe and sound until it was time to use them, a point that would likely bring about the destruction of everything on the warpath.
On the other side of the door they found that the floor was covered in water, up to Kromlech's ankles, and that there were more undead for them to worry about, as there were zombies and skeletons wandering around, who turned on them the instant the door was opened. Even though none of them had their disruption weapons anymore, as they had traded the maces in for better weapons to face the Guild, Vahn discovered that they were more than prepared to fight these type of foe again, as his arrows staggered his targets with ease, Adrianna's magic tore them apart, and both Kromlech and Rain slashed their foes apart. Even Shadow, who may or may not have been an ally of these undead at one point, vanished as the fight progressed and pounced on several zombies, tearing them apart with her teeth, so it wasn't long before the first group fell and the heroes moved deeper into the crypt, seeking a way out into the marsh itself. What Rain found to be far more interesting was the fact that their enemies were stacked, as in when one was cut down they rained sacks of gold as they fell to the ground, almost as if each were enchanted to do so, and yet, as far as she and Adrianna could tell, none of the sacks were cursed.
Someone had buried an army of individuals with a vast amount of wealth, as if they had been wealthy adventurers before their demise or grave robbers doomed to guard the very treasure they were after, giving them an army to watch over the Onyx Gate that would also convert the fallen into additional guards. Rain, not knowing what was ahead of them, spent a few moments gathering the bags, counting the gold, and making sure everyone had their fair share, all while Shadow did her best to pull any valuable items over to where her group was located. Adrianna found that it was an interesting use for a displacer beast, who was doing it because she wanted to and not because she was being commanded to, though for the most part she focused on tearing down the undead with the others, showing that her focus was ensuring that they lived to see another day. Rain was fine with that, though she couldn't help but marvel at how much treasure was actually inside this crypt, something that her friends echoed whenever they stopped for a time to rest and gather themselves for the next leg of their journey, since this place was larger that any of them were expecting.
Another thing Rain uncovered was that a large portion of the undead had potions, ones that were stronger than the ones they started using back in Baldur's Gate or even the Sunset Mountains, meaning the Marsh of Chelimber might be more dangerous than anywhere they had been so far. Still, she was gathering a fine collection of enchanted items, ranging from swords and axes, to warhammers and battleaxes, to spears and jewelry that held all sorts of benefits, the latter she and the others discussed whenever one found such an item, as in whether or not it was worth putting on. As they continued to explore the crypt they came to understand one other thing, this wasn't a crypt, rather it seemed to be either a church or a ruin of some kind, before Vahn spotted the stairs that would allow them to leave this place and make sure they were in the marsh. Sure enough they found themselves in the marsh a few moments later, allowing them to take in some brand new sights as Rain found lush green trees resting all over the place, bunched up to prevent people from deviating from the path that their foe must have set up, along with some ruins that happened to be where they came from.
Following that discovery they also found a new enemy, humanoid lizard creatures who wore little, similar to the gnolls of the Sunset Mountains, and seemed to use spears and axes as their weapons, though since they were aggressive the group turned on them without wasting time.
The lizardfolk fell with ease, which was understandable since none of them were wearing any armor, before they found a number of corrupted looking undead wandering around the area, who released poison upon their defeat and might even have some poison in their teeth and claws. As such the group made sure to avoid their attacks and lash out whenever an opening revealed itself, though since these husks, as Rain was going to call them, were filled with poison it meant Shadow had to avoid fighting them and instead focused on tearing into the various lizardfolk. She also found that there was some sort of path resting just below the water line, high enough for her and her friends to follow without losing it, along with all sorts of broken trees, which were likely being used by whatever war machine was lurking in this portion of the world, as all of them were sure of what after their discovery in the last region. The further they went the more undead the group found in their path, almost as if they were fallen soldiers from a war or something, yet all of their weapons and armor had been stolen by someone, no doubt their true target, the leader of the Dark Alliance.
Eventually they reached the end of the main path and rain found that it brought them to a vine wall that seemed out of place with everything else that was currently in the marsh, though as she studied it she noticed a trail of magic leading off to the north for a time.
"Someone doesn't want us to go this way... at least, not right now." Rain commented, meaning someone had to be waiting for heroes to come along and deal with the foe that was located in this part of the world, before she glanced over the tops of the trees for a moment, allowing her to see a large onyx tower off in the distance.
"Means we've got more fighting to do before we learn what's going on." Adrianna said, though she agreed with Rain, this seemed like someone had set up a barrier to make sure they didn't wander into a trap or an entire army, meaning that the one who did this wanted to speak with them before allowing them to move forward.
As it turned out there were only a few more husks guarding the path that they had to take, the only other one that lead in a direction that allowed the group to explore the marsh, all while Rain kept an eye on the Onyx Tower, as it seemed rather unnatural, before they came to a stop at a straw hut with a passive looking lizardfolk in front of it.
"Peace. Peace! Show no weapons, I, Sleyvas, have no desire to fight you." the figure said, where Rain got the impression he was a shaman, due to the bone and bead necklace he wore, plus this seemed to somewhat difficult for him to say, like the common tongue wasn't something he was used to using, and he even cowered while he talked, making him smaller than all of them so they wouldn't harm him, "I placed the walls of vines on the snaking trail to bring heroes to this island."
"You speak Common?" Adrianna asked, because that was far more important to her right now, the fact that someone from a race that many considered to be less than humans and elves could, in fact, speak the language that everyone used when trading or just talking to each other on a daily bases.
"Yes... and no." Sleyvas replied, where he paused for a moment and studied them for a time, just to be sure that they were going to lower their weapons and not attack him, causing the group to do so as Rain made sure that Shadow stood down as well, just to make sure he knew they meant him no harm, "There are special serpents in the marsh... we call them the Sket'kah... whose venom, if squeezed out and weaved into one's magicks, can allow what one says to be understood by all those who hear you."
It was an interesting spell, one Rain had never heard of and she could tell the others shared her opinion, where Sleyvas told them of the tribes that were beyond the wall he had set the vines on, who inhabited one of the drowned cities of the other races, such as humans. The group could tell that he wanted to speak with them and he told them how he knew of their coming before they even knew he was here, the various wildlife, such as insects, birds, and others, told him that they had stepped out of the ruins and gave him time to set his spell along the path. Sleyvas also asked them their reason for coming to the marsh, where he asked if the Onyx Tower, confirming Rain's mental name for it, was their god, confusing all of them since none of them knew anything about it, save for the fact that it existed in the distance. He explained that the tower had appeared suddenly, stabbing into the heart of the marsh like a poisoned spear, especially since it had ensnared the minds of the lizardfolk tribes who called this land home, save for him, and he had no way to explain how it suddenly came to the marsh, especially smelling of firepits and cities.
It was then that Sleyvas mentioned the tower's master, a female human who was fueled by anger and hate despite falling in the marsh, meaning she was a spirit of some kind, who he called the 'Spider of Doors', referring to the Onyx Gates that the group had found, which confirmed that the figure had some dark plan in motion. He confirmed their suspicions about what they had discovered on the way here, all of the lizardfolk who had been taken over were carefully laying the groundwork for an army to march through the marsh and reach the hidden Onyx Gate, which would allow them to pour into the Sunset Mountains and, finally, Baldur's Gate. One thing they all agreed on was that the Lady of the Tower had to be stopped, since war would come to the city if they simply let her go on with her plans, and Sleyvas agreed to help, offering guidance and whatever supplies he had gathered from his former tribe. In order to reach the Onyx Tower he informed the group that they would have to go through the drowned city, and his people, to kill their King, Sess'sth, before heading for the Sunken Temple that housed the Water Stair, as he had an idea on how to sneak heroes into the Tower's bottom floor.
Rain and the others glanced at each other for a moment, as this seemed like a good point to rest and recover a bit of their energy before worrying about the dangers of the drowned city, the bog that was beyond it, and the temple that housed the only safe way into the Tower, though Rain suspected that this would be the last chance for any meaningful rest and took it as she waited for the others to be ready for the last leg of their adventure.
After resting for a few moments, and making sure that their gear was ready to go, Rain and her friends departed from the area that Sleyvas had set up his hut in and quickly headed back to the vine wall he had set up to direct potential allies to where he was stationed. Sure enough they found that there was now a gap in it, a section that had pulled itself away so the four of them and Shadow could press onward, which Vahn did without wasting any time, since there was no telling when the Lady who was controlling the Onyx Tower would make her move. None of them were surprised by the fact that there were more lizardfolk on the other side, just waiting for a fight, hence why Rain, Vahn, Adrianna, and Kromlech were ready to do battle with their foes as the lizards got up to challenge them. Fortunately for them the lizardfolk liked to fight close to each other, which was a good thing since Adrianna's lightning spell allowed her to hit and wound multiple foes at once, opening the way for the others to take them down so they could move forward.
Rain noted that they were still a ways away from the actual drowned city, where the king of the lizardfolk ruled from, but this did give them a good chance to understand what Sleyvas had said, the rest of his tribe, not to mention the rest of his kind, were preparing for war and were armed as mere fodder soldiers. It made sense for their new ally to be worried about what was going on, as his people had no training in how to be an army, no weapons to deal massive damage, and no armor to protect themselves from harm, in fact the gear they had wasn't even scaled to fit their bodies. She found that they didn't even need to use any fancy tactics to bring down their foes, rather all they had to do was shock them with Adrianna's spell and then deal more damage to them to secure another section of the swamp, even if that was a slow task since there was so much for them to go through. Something that bothered her was the fact that all of the huts looked worse than Sleyvas' did, as if the minds and hearts of the lizardfolk had been wholly corrupted by the Lady of the Tower, causing them to forget their ways and focus on her needs alone.
While she thought about that the group also found some magic users among the lizardfolk, targets that Shadow hunted down so the heroes didn't have to worry about them too much, though they found more banners, like those they saw in the previous locations that were under the control of their enemies.
"How long has this Lady been planning her assault on Baldur's Gate?" Vahn commented, because based on everything they had seen so far it sure looked like the mysterious figure might have been planning this for years, in secret no less, not to mention the fact that there were surprising allies in this Dark Alliance, as Rain had called them.
"Hard to say... I don't remember anyone coming out this far and dying." Adrianna said, showing them that she must have done a lot of research before leaving her home so she could travel to Baldur's Gate for the adventure of her life, though all of this told Rain that it might have been a mercenary or someone who was executed, better left forgotten, who rose up to get her revenge on her killers, "We'll likely figure things out when we reach the Onyx Tower... which means following the path that Sleyvas has put us on."
"Killing the King might set the minds of the other lizardfolk free, or he might be a harsh ruler who will join the Tower and our ally wants a threat removed." Rain stated, as there were several good reasons to explain why Sleyvas wanted his own King dead, especially since he clearly didn't like the Tower and the Lady who ruled from it's peak, causing her to sigh as she focused on the enemies in front of them as Shadow tore a mage apart, "Doesn't change the fact that we might end up killing all of his people before we reach Sess'sth... maybe there are other refugees that are far away from this place, hence why he's not concerned with us killing his people."
"That very well might be the case." Kromlech remarked, where he dodged an incoming attack and removed the head of the lizardfolk who tried to take his own, causing him to huff as he looked at the path they were following, and all of the enemies that were gathering to bring them down, "For now, let's focus on cutting a path through them so we can get to where Sess'sth is hiding."
The others agreed with him as they focused on the lizardfolk, lashing out at them as they sought out the path that would allow them to enter the drowned city, as for the most part there didn't appear to be one for them to use, despite the fact that they were following what had brought them to Sleyvas. Such a thing meant they continued to hack through all of the foes that happened to be around them, weakening the Lady of the Tower's forces as best as they could, while Vahn did his best to slow them down with his arrows as he sought out their next destination. Rain continued to collect the items that were enchanted, since they'd sell for quite a lot when they got back to a town or city, and was thankful that Adrianna took a moment to show her how to make a bag of holding, otherwise she would have had to left some of this stuff behind for either the lizardfolk or others to find. She also spotted what appeared to be siege weapons resting in some of the camps, confirming Sleyvas' tale that his tribes were being put to work by the Lady of the Tower, though she did her best to pull all of them apart with her magic, with Adrianna setting the pieces on fire, to be sure they couldn't be used again.
It took some time and effort for them to reach what had to be the beginnings of their destination, wooden bridges that the lizardfolk were using to get over parts of the swamp, so Rain and her friends got on them as well and fought off those who wanted them dead. Despite what Sleyvas said it seemed like his people enjoyed using the bridges, or maybe they were being forced to like them by their master, though since they opposed the group Rain and her friends tore through all of them once more, leaving behind a trail of bodies as they sought out the drowned city. After that they found the bridge that collected to the edge of a stone city, one that was ruined, full of moss, and totally overrun by what had to be the rest of the tribes, complete with metal braziers full of fire to help light their way. There was one building off in the distance that was far more intact than the rest, a keep by the looks of it, which was where everyone assumed they would find Sess'sth, so with that area in their focus the group started to make their way across the bridges and ruins.
Sure enough they encountered more lizardfolk that wanted nothing more than to kill them, where Adrianna realized why they were so aggressive, it was because there was a King and not because of the Lady of the Tower, though there was a chance that the Lady helped Sess'sth gain his terrible throne. What made their journey through the drowned city easy was the interesting fact that most of the ruins were collapsing into the water, so the intact ones were being used and there were a number of bridges leading the way, meaning all they had to do was follow the bridges and they would reach their first destination. There wasn't much for anyone to talk about, as they knew nothing about the Lady of the Tower or the rest of the area that they were traveling through, so their full focus was on cutting down those who got close to them, all while Shadow stalked all of the mages and tore them apart with her sharp teeth. Such a thing allowed Vahn to focus his attention on scouting the ruins for the path forward and using his arrows to knock down targets before they became more of a problem, since there was always a chance that a scouting party might show up and ruin their day, but for the most part his skills allowed them to avoid any nasty scenarios.
Rain was pleased when they could get around the various patrols without having to end their lives, since she felt that they were just trying to survive and suspected that killing their King might dismantle the entire army in no time at all, saving the rest from the disaster that was threatening to bring about their destruction. Another thing she and the others discovered was that this city was far larger than they expected, even in it's ruined state, meaning it had been quite popular before an event caused everyone to either move or perish, something Sleyvas might tell them if they bothered to ask him. With that in mind Adrianna wondered if some shamans had brought about the destruction that was around them, like a duel that upset the area and caused the Water Stair to violently react, since this place was flooded, though that was a guess on her part. Rain figured that the reason behind the destruction didn't matter, as something or someone was angry and wiped out the city, making it into a place for the lizardfolk to thrive in, despite the ruined nature and the fact that she was sure all of the buildings would be gone in the very near future.
Such a thing caused her to count themselves lucky that they hadn't arrived later in the year, since there was no telling how much more of the city could have collapsed due to the flood, though when they approached the keep she turned her mind towards tracking Sess'sth down so they could end this portion of the journey.
Strangely enough all of the doors and furniture were still intact, as everyone assumed that the lizardfolk would have just pulled all of the wood out to use it in either making fires or building their new weapons, though since they didn't Rain had to assume that even the treasure was still waiting inside their chests. Rain spotted some kobolds helping the lizardfolk, as a number of them rushed into battle as well, though it just meant more targets for Adrianna to hit with her spell as she and Kromlech dealt with the melee foes, leaving the ranged ones for Vahn. Sure, there were plenty of chests to loot, which may or may not be from all of the buildings outside the keep, but Rain and her friends still looted everything that was on the way to their true destination, since they were seeking a throne room of some kind. Other than that there were plenty of enchanted weapons, armor, and jewelry for them to take, where once again Rain and Shadow spent some time simply collecting all of it in a single container, as the others claimed that they would sort everything once the adventure was over, or they reached a safe zone, so everything they had found so far was in her possession.
As it turned out tracking Sess'sth down was rather easy, the keep was smaller than they were expecting it to be, and they found that he was larger than the rest of his kind, who carried a large wooden mace and shield into battle, though there was a door behind him that had to lead towards the next region.
"You trespass. This is the land of my people... Sess'sth rules here." Sess'sth stated, showing that he didn't care for them being here, especially since he readied his weapon and took a step forward, meaning a fight was coming and that talking to him wasn't going to help at all.
Sure enough Sess'sth wasted no time in charging at them, where they found that while he was fast, far more than most of the lizardfolk they had encountered so far, he didn't seem to be very smart and his attacks, while being surprising to the rest of his kind, were easily readable for the group, to the point where Rain jumped and kicked off the wall as she swung her blade, removing his head.
"That was their King?" Kromlech remarked, as he was expecting some great fight, though this just confirmed that he was a pawn of the Lady of the Tower, but as he said that Rain took Sess'sth's head and pulled it outside the throne room, where they heard the sounds of the lizardfolk fleeing and shouting that the King was dead as she returned.
"Yes, and now all of his kind will know he was slain by our hand." Rain stated, which meant the tribes would go back to their previous forms, at least until a new ruler managed to take Sess'sth's place, causing her to sigh as she turned to face the door that would take them to their next destination.
The group agreed with her unspoken desire, a bit of rest would be good before they headed through the door, so they used a recall potion to return to Sleyvas' area for a bit of additional safety, and when it was time to move on they would do so without delay.
After taking some time to rest and recover from fighting the lizardfolk, and taking down Sess'sth, the group departed from Sleyvas' hut and used the other half of the recall potion they had used previously to return to the chamber that they had killed the King in, only to head through the door he had been guarding. Sure enough it allowed them to enter what looked like a bog, a nasty place that stood between them and the temple that held the Water Stair, their true destination since it seemed to be the only way to get into the Onyx Tower so they could face the Lady. Rain found that the area seemed to be more dead than what they had passed through to get to Sleyvas the first time, while at the same time it appeared that the only foes she and her friends needed to worry about were the husks that were wandering around, but they kept their guards up. There was no way of knowing whether or not another type of enemy might be lurking in this place, guarding both the temple and the Onyx Tower from intruders, but for right now they focused on clearing out the husks that were currently in front of them as they sought a path.
With no actual set path it was far too easy for them to get lost, clearing out dead ends of husks so they couldn't be used against the Baldur's Gate, though with how many husks they tore down Rain was almost positive that they had either been the towns people or an army that had been drowned at one point.
"Husks, husks, and more husks... it sure seems like an army was drowned here and their bodies were raised by the dark power of the Onyx Tower." Rain commented, where she slashed one of the husks apart before moving out of the way so she didn't get hit by the poison that erupted from it's body, while at the same time her friends did the same thing, while those that were in the distance fell due to Adrianna's spells.
"I was expecting more enemies, especially since we're getting closer to the Tower." Kromlech said, though that was when he and the others noticed a large scaled creature that looked like a cross between an armadillo and a snapping turtle, or at least that was what it looked like to him since it was similar to a landshark that pulled itself out of the ground, "Huh, a bulette... well, we were hoping for new enemies and one has shown up."
Rain found that there was actually a second bulette hanging out in the area and that they were tougher than the foes they had fought so far, as their scaled hides allowed them to tank more damage than all of the husks they had cut down, not to mention they seemed to push through their spells as well. As such they had to be more careful in how they approached the creatures, since they seemed like getting hit by them could deal some serious damage to them, or at least to all of her friends since her armor seemed to be designed to keep her safe, a gift from the dwarves to their valued savior. With that in mind they carefully moved around the bulettes and cut them down, confirming that it wasn't an easy feat given what they had dealt with before this point, but after taking both out the group made sure to heal their wounds with some of the potions they had gathered. If these things were the guardians of the temple it meant they were on the right track and that they had to be more careful than when they fought the lizardfolk who had been guarding the path to Sess'sth, especially since all of them were convinced that more than two would be disastrous for them.
The challenge came when the bulettes dug into the ground and disappeared for a time, leaving them to guess where the beasts would show up next, though it made Rain wonder what in the world might be waiting inside the Onyx Tower, not to mention making her glad that they were doing this since it would save the people of Baldur's Gate.
As they moved deeper and deeper into the bog, seeking the temple that would allow them to enter the Water Stair, not to mention the Onyx Tower eventually, Rain found that not only was the number of bulettes increasing, but so were some of their sizes, as a few were larger than the ones before them. Such a thing meant that they had to face the larger ones with everyone working together, instead of breaking into groups to deal with their foes, though it was while they were fighting one of them that Rain spotted the temple off in the distance, meaning it was closer that they initially assumed. Of course it had a massive bulette guarding the entrance, which roared and challenged them to battle without delay, causing Rain and her friends to lash out at the beast while avoiding being hit by either it's clawed feet or the teeth that would snap them in half if it grabbed them. Fortunately the guardian beast seemed to be dumber than those that came before it, allowing Rain and the others to deal some great damage to it's body before it even reacted to what they were doing, especially since it collapsed after a few moments and allowed them to relax a little as they stared at the old marble temple.
"If this was the guardian of the temple, I almost don't want to know what's inside it." Vahn remarked, though what really worried him was whatever was guarding the Lady of the Tower, since they were going to be far worse than what might be in the temple, since the difficulty of enemies seemed to grow as he and his friends got further along in their unexpected adventure.
"While I agree with you, we have to deal with them before they're set on their terrible mission." Rain said, which was on her mind at all times right now, that what happened to the dwarves in the Sunset Mountains would happen to the people of Baldur's Gate if they failed to stop the Lady's dark plans.
Adrianna, Vahn, and Kromlech glanced at each other for a moment before nodding their heads as they followed Rain into the temple without delay, where they found that the marble was only for the entrance as the lower level was just carved out of stone, with old pottery around them and a stone head with ruby eyes behind them. It was then that Rain had her first encounter with the minotaurs, tall humanoid bull creatures who didn't seem to wear anything other than loincloths, a fact that made her wonder why the beast races seemed to hate armor, and used it's powerful hands or horns in place of actual weapons. Fighting them seemed to be a simple matter of blocking their attacks and hacking into their body while an opening was exposed, targeting the limbs and chest to be exact while Shadow jumped onto their backs and tore into their exposed necks, which was useful when there were more of them. As they traveled Rain found that the minotaur did have armor in their possession, the silver full plate armor and the black half plate, where she made sure that her friends were outfitted first before adding all of the other pieces to what was inside her bag of holding.
Another thing they had were really good potions, the type that would greatly heal them or restore their mana, which gave them a good reason to collect them as well, though Rain found that her earlier thought about enemies getting tougher was false when thinking about the minotaur, as they were weaker than the bulettes. There were plenty of enchanted gear for them to take, weapons that were incredibly sharp or had elemental powers and armor that either protected them far more than an ordinary piece or had resistances, such as protecting them from poison, frost, or even fire. Adrianna made sure that anything not claimed by her or the others were stored away, sharing Rain's thoughts that once they got back to Baldur's Gate, or any safe haven, they could sell some of the items and obtain some money for the road, since there was no telling what would happen at the end of this journey. Rain was of the opinion that the four of them could continue with their travels, as she was sure that Jherek would have more work for them to do whenever they finally returned to Baldur's Gate and having a stable job with such a group had to come with some sort of benefits.
That earned a chuckle from the others, though they shared her thoughts, they worked well as a team and it didn't make sense to split them up once this adventure was over, though their fun was short lived as they discovered a spiral ramp that went down into the earth, with spikes around the summit, where Rain was sure it lead into an Elemental Plane.
"Your strength is great, as many enemies lie dead... to attack you is to die." a voice said, where they found that Sleyvas was standing nearby, which was odd when they considered the fact that he hadn't been with them throughout the journey to this point, though he held up a hand to stop them before they said anything, "I know of a secret passage to this point, one only my people can use, and knew of your approach due to wards placed on this place. This hole is the door to a world of water... hu-man shamans called it an Element Plane... Plane of Water. There is a similar gate in the Onyx Tower, so using this will allow you to enter the Tower... I have spell to get you in, but not to get back out... you will have to find a way out on your own."
"There's likely an Onyx Gate somewhere we can use." Rain commented, because if the Lady of the Tower was able to talk with the allies they had slain so far, through means that were still unknown to them, it meant there had to be a way for those very beings to leave the Tower safely, where she found that her friends agreed with her.
She did, however, know that this was the end of their journey, the Onyx Tower was within reach, meaning it was time for one last rest before they delved into what was likely the most dangerous place they will ever visit and face who knew what until they found the Lady, and whatever else the future held in store for them.
Once everyone was as rested as they could be, since there was no telling when they'd get another chance to do so, Rain, Vahn, Kromlech, Adrianna, and Shadow walked to the entrance of the Water Stair and let Sleyvas cast his spell on them, a one way ticket into the heart of the Onyx Tower. As soon as everyone was marked, and their ally backed off to watch them leave, the group headed into the spiraling path that was in front of them without delay, allowing the magic to interact with the power of the Water Stair as everyone reached the point of no return. Once that happened Rain found herself moving as if she had walked into an Onyx Gate, as the power of the stair interacted with the spell Sleyvas had put on them and it felt as if they were rushing from one point to another. It explained why this was a one way trip, because the gates only allowed her and her friends to travel one way, meaning that to travel in both directions they likely had to attune themselves to each one, time they didn't have if they wanted to stop the Lady of the Tower.
A few moments later they burst out of the other side of the portal and she discovered that they were in a large chamber that was crafted from the same material as all of the Onyx Gates, where their entry point was partly in the water, though for the time being it seemed like the coast was clear.
"So this is the Onyx Tower... impressive." Kromlech remarked, as the walls, floors, and even the railings looked as if a master had worked on them before the Tower was occupied by the Lady, because it seemed unlikely that it had just sprung up one day, like Sleyvas had said, but it teleporting from one place to another seemed more reasonable.
"Indeed, but we must be careful. Our strongest enemies will no doubt be in this place." Vahn stated, because after what he and his friends had been through he was sure that it was only a matter of time until they discovered the forces that were guarding this place, protecting their mistress from whatever dangers managed to invade it.
It didn't take them long to discover that he was right, or at least in the fact that there were enemies nearby, as they faced a couple of stone gargoyles that happened to be flying around the hallways, annoying creatures who loosed fireballs at their foes if they were able to do so. With that in mind the group tore them to pieces before they could do anything else, though at the same time Rain found that the boxes and wooden containers had plenty of valuables inside them, the best potions they could ask for and plenty of arrows for Vahn to use. Enemies themselves seemed to be containers for weapons, as one of the gargoyles happened to have a battleaxe that held a shock enchantment on it, which Rain added to their collection for when they reached the end of this adventure, which they were getting closer to as time went on. In addition to that the large blue chests also contained a vast amount of riches, plenty of gold and lots of treasure, in the form of enchanted weapons, armor, or even jewelry, all of which Rain added to her ever growing collection of loot that would be divided once they were done with this adventure.
While they explored the basement of the Onyx Tower, however, the group also ran into tall bronze creatures that seemed to less like an actual person and more like a creation, a golem Adrianna remarked, and with four of them attacking at the same time, plus Shadow tearing into the gargoyles to keep them at bay, the golem fell with some difficulty. The reason for that was due to the fact that it tanked most of their attacks, as if Rain and her friends were doing nothing to it, before it collapsed and went still, informing them that they had, against all odds, beaten the creature, though it also informed them that there were likely other types waiting for them in the following levels. Of course that difficulty was cut down as they attacked the rest of the golems from afar, forcing each one to awaken before marching towards them, given Vahn and Adrianna time to deal damage to them before they arrived, leaving the final bits of damage to Kromlech and Rain. Together they were able to take care of their foes as the group continued to progress through the basement of the Tower, which was far larger than any of them expected and it told them that the Onyx Tower was truly massive, meaning finding the way to the Lady was going to take some real time and effort on their part.
By the time they found the stairs leading to the upper level Rain had stored away axes, swords, maces, halberds, chunks of armor, and all sorts of enchanted gear, all from the basement, and that wasn't counting the gold and gems that came from some of the chests, making her wonder how much wealth was inside the structure.
"Sleyvas could have warned us that this place is massive." Kromlech remarked, where he leaned against one of the walls for a moment as everyone paused, mostly to rest a little, since the area was totally clear of enemies, before they worried about whatever dangers might be in the upper levels.
"Considering that he hates the Tower, he probably stayed away from it, so there was no way for him to know anything about this place." Rain said, as while she agreed that some extra aid would have been appreciated, at the very least so she and her friends understood how massive an undertaking this really was, there was no helping the fact that Sleyvas stayed far away from the Onyx Tower and was asking for assistance in bringing it down, "We should keep moving... it seems that the Lady has yet to notice our presence, so the quicker we find her the better."
On the next level they found more of the bronze golems and some minotaurs standing in their way, causing the group to pull back and use the same tactics that allowed them to overwhelm the enemies on the basement level, deal with them in small groups to ensure they weren't overwhelmed. Any loot that wasn't needed was picked up by Rain and Shadow, if the friendly displacer beast wasn't busy, or handed to them after someone determined whether or not they needed it, and if they did they would hand over the old item to take it's place in the bag. Of course they had to worry about traps, showing them that the Lady of the Tower suspected that someone, at some point in time, might invade the Tower and come for her head, or maybe she was just paranoid and wanted to set up something in case the unthinkable happened. Most of the traps were the flame launchers, the arrow throwers, or just gunpowder barrels that got set off by Adrianna's magic, but even though each one was something that the group had seen in the past they remained on guard for anything that might be different.
Still, something that amazed them from time to time was the sheer amount of treasure and enchanted items that were in the various rooms and containers of the Onyx Tower, because it was hard to tell if someone was preparing an army or if these were just leftovers from an army that had perished in the Lady's service. Rain knew that with everything they were collecting they could, in fact, retire from adventuring without too much difficulty, because between the gold and just how expensive some of these items were, in Kromlech's eyes anyway, there was far too much wealth in her bag, something she suspected wouldn't stop until they found the Lady. The potions and arrows, on the other hand, were a welcome addition since it meant they could mend their wounds or restore their mana with ease, while at the same time Vahn found that he had more than enough arrows to fill his quiver for days on end, as if he could enter a battlefield and rain death on those they were fighting. There were even staffs and other magical items that were collected and stored away for later, because as much as Adrianna wanted to check all of them out, to figure out what sort of magical potential they had, she knew that it was better to focus on stopping the Lady and that was what she was doing.
While they did that, however, Rain could hear whispers from the depths of the Tower, as if the souls of the dead were, in fact, trapped here in some manner, and one thing she gleamed from them was the fact that there was a forge, one that held a weapon of power that would help them take down the Lady. Such a thing told her more than what was necessary, as it meant that beating the Lady with their current gear might not be possible, or maybe the spirits wanted to make sure they had every advantage that was possible when they finally tracked down the Lady. With the sheer size of the Tower she had to wonder if they were going to reach her first or would death find them first, though given the strength that she and her friends possessed she suspected that they would, eventually, track their target down and bring an end to this quest of theirs. While she considered that her friends found where the stairs were located and took them to the next level, where they found more of the same enemies were waiting for them, meaning it was unlikely that things would change in the near future and that they had seen everything the Lady could throw at them.
The only difference was the addition of iron golems that had a blade in place of their hands, though they were far too easy to take down, meaning Rain and her friends had grown as adventurers if these things were falling with ease, though she knew that if it was one on one things might be different.
No one stopped to talk, mostly because they were all focused on their mission, and the only words that were passed were to discuss any gear that might be better than what one was currently using at any given moment, leaving Rain to take the time to think about what they were seeing. There was an army inside the Tower itself, meaning if it was capable of being moved the Lady didn't want to expand her own resources to invade Baldur's Gate, instead she was willing to inflict all sorts of pain and suffering on the rest of the world before claiming her prize. Everyone else they had killed so far were either pawns or fodder soldiers in whatever scheme she had been plotting for the city, lives that were wasted for no real reason other than the fact that the Lady didn't want to get her hands dirty, as if she thought herself above everyone else. It just made her angry when she thought about it, that all of those lives were just thrown away like trash, all because of what one person or creature thought about herself, when this all could have been avoided with the Onyx Tower's power.
When they reached the third level of the Tower it was pretty much a repeat of everything they had done until that point, save for the addition of tall dark gray golems who wielded tridents, which had to be steel golems after everything they had seen so far. Sure, the steel golems were tougher to take down than the bronze or iron ones, and seemed to be fewer in number due to how tall they were, but for the most part the group was able to pull them away from the other enemies in their chambers and brought them down in no time. It wasn't until they reached the Forge floor that things got interesting, since there were spiders coming after the group as well, before Rain found what was pulling her to this level, a massive forge that seemed to be spitting out sheets of metal that would be weaved into the form of the golems, and from there she followed the tug for a time. It, in time, brought her right to a massive onyx golem that radiated more power than those who came before it, a monster that would destroy everything in it's path if it was ever unleashed, but instead of fighting it she raised her right hand towards the golem, where a straight black blade, with a winged guard and an elegant handle, emerged from it's chest.
It was a blade forged from the very heart of the Onyx Tower, an onyx blade, which was more lightweight than she thought it would be, while still being incredibly deadly as she slashed through a spider that rushed at her without delay, allowing her and her friends to realize that they had the key to the Lady's downfall.
Of course she couldn't say why the spirits of the Tower granted the weapon to her and not one of the others, or all four of them since they were a team, but this confirmed that they were hoping for them to bring the Lady down, which lifted their spirits as Kromlech found the path to the next floor. This one was just a simple hall between the stairs leading back down to the Forge and another set of stairs that were sealed by some odd magic, the Lady no doubt doing so after discovering that they were here, and that they were coming for her, but Rain found a few walls that were illusions and allowed them to take a moment to explore everything else. It was during their searches that they discovered that spirits did, indeed, walk the halls of the Tower and that one of them wanted to speak with them, who identified himself as Keledon, the first captain of the Westering Sun, before mentioning that they were shackled to the Tower as they waited for Eldrith's demise, who had to be the Lady of the Tower. Keledon named a few of Eldrith's titles, as she was Eldrith the Betrayer, Triatress of Swords, and of the same company he had mentioned, along with delving into her past as a defender of Baldur's Gate who didn't know the definition of defeat, until she disobeyed her orders one day and was barred from the city, who then chased her all the way to the marsh, striking her down from afar because they feared her.
The tale told Rain everything she and her friends needed to know, Eldrith was angry and thought she deserved to rule over Baldur's Gate, to the point that she was willing to bring it all down and start again, though Keledon informed them that the way to the summit was open now, as they knew the group would defeat Eldrith.
"A former champion... this will be a difficult fight." Vahn stated, though after speaking with Keledon, and learning that he was the one that the spirit of the Elfsong Tavern sung for, they knew that Eldrith wasn't going to be an easy opponent to bring down, if the tales were true, and he suspected they were.
Rain and the others nodded as they headed up the stairs, finding that it brought them to the Tower's summit, a flat surface that was ringed with railings to allow one to look out over the marsh, plus there was an Onyx Gate nearby, before they all stopped as they noticed the female figure standing in the center of it all, wearing a unique set of black metal armor while using a sword and a shield as her armaments.
"So, the dogs of Baldur's Gate hound me once again... and this time with an unusual champion." Eldrith said, where she did something interesting, she stabbed her sword into the floor, which was unharmed by her action, and pulled off her helmet so they could speak, which ended up on top of her sword's hilt while showing that she wore chainmail under the helm, an extra layer of protection, "It is a shame, Rain Shine, for you have the potential to be greater than a simple dog... you should break free from the leash they have placed around you. Do whatever you want, take whatever you desire... instead of being enemies, let us be allies, and when I have taken over Baldur's Gate, and have assumed full control over it, I will help you do whatever it is you desire. Want the Sunset Mountains? Take them, as my allies there are dead and have no need for them. Want the entirety of the Marsh of Chelimber? Claim them, as the lizardfolk fear you and will serve you. Want another part of the world? Tell me and I shall help you take it over. Do you just want to go home? I can help you."
"I... I..." Rain replied, as the one thing she desired, above all else, was to find her home and remember who she had been before she arrived in Baldur's Gate, though even with that thought in mind, something that Eldrith could make reality with the power of the Onyx Tower, she knew it would be worth it, not with the price she was asking, "No. As much as I want to know where I came from, and who I used to be, I'm not going to sacrifice anyone to get it."
"A pity. Then you and your fellow dogs will die." Eldrith said, where it almost sounded like she was disappointed in Rain's decision, as if she thought that the power she had, the power that she was slowly unlocking, made her higher than those who were around her, though in that moment she returned her helm to it's resting place and drew her sword.
Rain and her friends moved to confront Eldrith, who parried Vahn's blow, as if he realized that arrows wouldn't work on her and swung at her with his sword, before turning and hurled him at the Onyx Gate, the arch anyway, though the same happened to Adrianna and Kromlech, they challenged her and Eldrith knocked them away like leaves in the wind. Such a thing meant that she might harder to deal with, harder than Rain thought at first, but that didn't stop her from rushing at their foe and swinging at her, forcing the warrior to parry her attack, even though it sure seemed like her attack was far stronger than Rain intended. In that moment she realized exactly what was going on, something she confirmed after just calming her mind and moving her body like her friends had shown her, focused on the battle and nothing else, where she found something interesting, the onyx blade seemed to help her figure out the mistakes in her movements and improve in no time at all. She figured it out, the spirits of the Westering Sun wanted to leave their torment at long last, and since Eldrith held them in their state of undeath, forever chained to her will, so to free themselves from her they were aiding Rain in mastering her movements, sharpening her senses, and making her a match for Eldrith.
Eldrith, as if knowing something was wrong, called upon the power of the Onyx Tower and their clash actually ended up splitting the floor in half, separating Rain and Eldrith from everyone else, a gap that widened by her will as the Betrayer made sure that it was only the two of them. Shadow, however, stayed in the space near the stairs, choosing to watch as Rain clashed with their foe, where the sky erupted with lightning as they danced, though Rain also realized that the power she and Eldrith commanded, both drawn from the Tower itself, was tearing the structure apart. Even if she died, and the weapon to destroy their foe was lost, the blows she was dealing to her, to the Tower, was more than enough to stall her plans for Baldur's Gate, where she used all her strength to stay strong and not fall to Eldrith's incredible power. She now understood why the onyx blade had been created, it was designed to counter the Tower's power, where the advantage started to turn in her favor as the spirits focused on bringing about Eldrith's downfall.
Such a thing allowed her to slip through Eldrith's defenses, surprising the warrior in the process, before driving the blade right into her chest, piercing her armor and her chest as if her armor meant nothing, confirming that the weapon was to bring about her demise, causing the Betrayer to stagger backwards as her chest became bloody.
"Hehe... I must say, you were a worthy foe, Rain Shine." Eldrith said, where it seemed like she was smiling, as if she was happy that someone could prove to her that there was still good in this world, that rage and hatred weren't the only parts still left, and yet the blade still remained, but before anyone could say anything the Tower shuddered, "And so it comes to pass that I shall die my second death, which shall be my last. If you return to Baldur's Gate, tell those who sent you that I shall not rise again."
Rain barely had time to say anything as Eldrith vanished before their eyes, her spirit being laid to rest by their actions, all while the onyx blade remained, a reminder of sorts, but as everyone let that information sink in lightning struck the sides of the tower, causing the already weakened fissures to open before their eyes. One of them struck the center of the area they had been fighting in, blasting open the main chasm and knocking her friends back towards the Onyx Gate, though in that moment Rain felt a shift in the magical energies, which Adrianna noticed as well. If the Tower was starting to fall apart it meant that whatever connection it had to the outside world would go as well, where Rain told her friends to go, as they were closer to the gateway than she was, and while they didn't want to leave her she told them that she would be right behind them. The trio stood there for a moment before entering the Onyx Gate, which was when the Tower trembled and sent Rain to her knees for a few seconds, though she took that opportunity to slip her new weapon into her belt before standing up again, focusing on the shimmering gateway.
Instead of wasting time Rain called Shadow to her side as she rushed towards the gateway, both of them leaping over the chasm that had formed during her battle with Eldrith, and as she landed the Onyx Gate flickered, going dead for a second before returning to normal... where she threw herself into the unknown and hoped that she and Shadow landed near the others, or at least somewhere safe before seeking them out.
Rain moaned for a moment as she finally came to her senses, reminding her of when she first woke up in Baldur's Gate and met her friends, though as she opened her eyes she discovered that she was definitely no longer in the Marsh of Chelimber, as the trees around her were more like a forest's. They were spread further out than what she was used to, like a force had come through and cut down some to make sure the area wasn't overgrown, or a caravan was in need of wood for their fires, but she had landed in an area that was perfectly flat, so she didn't have to worry about any stumps. The sky was blue, like she was far away from the marsh and the storm that had been unleashed to destroy the Onyx Tower, and the air was clear, as while she could smell a fire going it wasn't as bad as what had been inside Eldrith's domain. As she moved herself into a sitting position, however, she found something that was alarming, she was alone, as Vahn, Kromlech, and Adrianna were nowhere to be seen, despite the fact that she had entered the Onyx Gate mere moments after them.
"Shadow? You there?" Rain called, because she and her displacer beast had entered the gateway at the same time and she didn't see her anywhere, which would worry her to no end if she had been dropped in an unknown part of the world, all on her own, before she heard a growl and Shadow emerged from some of the trees, coming to a stop nearby and kicking her face, showing that the cat had been worried about her, "I'm fine girl... just incredibly lost."
It was times like this that she wished she had taken the time to figure out everything that was on her map, or the various key locations that were important to adventurers, though in that moment she sighed as she stood up, finding that her new weapon, the onyx sword, was still around, which she grabbed.
"I don't know where we are, but we should find a road... should be able to find a marker or sign at some point." Rain said, as that was common sense from what she had learned from her friends, or at least when she recalled what they had told her about their own travels, and right now it seemed like pretty good advice to fall back on, at least until she figured out where she was and if her friends were nearby.
Shadow yawned for a moment, no doubt exhausted due to the fact that they had been fighting in the Tower for quite a while, probably an hour or so based on Rain's reckoning, causing her to sigh as she promised her feline friend that she'd find a good place for them to rest, hopefully an inn if one was nearby. Rain scratched the area behind Shadow's ears for a couple of seconds, causing her to purr, and when she was done the two of them departed, hopefully for an area where they could rest, get a meal, and hopefully relax before figuring out where in the world they were. As they walked away from where they had ended up, after making sure that all of her stuff was intact, as she had her armor, weapon, and her bag with all her wealth, she noticed that there were definitely signs of tracks in the ground, people who had cut down the trees no doubt. From what Rain could tell Shadow didn't seem sure that they were getting close to humans or any of the other races that were friendly, the ones she was used to anyway, which meant the tracks might be kobolds, gnolls, or any number of hazards that would need to be cut down.
Her plans were derailed as she heard the sound of combat, something that caused her and Shadow to rush towards the east, the direction they were heading in, and it wasn't long before she found a well worn road, along with a caravan that had been attacked recently, given the dead guards. She found some goblins attacking what seemed to be the last of the guards, a female fighter who had familiar armor on, as the figure reminded her of the spice guard who arrived back in the Elfsong Tavern, who she and her friends had helped out, and it seemed like she was losing. With that in mind Rain moved down the hill that was in front of her and lashed out at the goblins, who were surprised by her sudden arrival and one fell with a swing of her new weapon, where she found that her inherited strength from the spirits of the Westerning Sun had remained, despite the Tower's destruction. Shadow pounced on two of their foes and tore both to shreds without wasting even a second, shocking the guard for a moment, no doubt because a friendly displacer beast was unheard of, or at least uncommon, before she joined Rain in tearing down the rest of the goblins.
A few seconds later she stopped when she found that the goblins were taken care of, the area was secure, where she let out a sigh and relaxed a little as she turned towards the guard, who was staring at her like she knew who she was, but in the next few seconds she recognized her as well.
"Keaira?" Rain asked, because while she was looking for a familiar face, three of them anyway, she wasn't expecting to find someone they had helped before leaving Baldur's Gate through the Onyx Gate to the Sunset Mountains, though Shadow kept her guard up in case more enemies showed up.
"Rain Shine? By the gods, am I glad you're here. Where are the others?" Keaira inquired, where Rain confirmed that it was the same person she and her friends had helped out, which was actually a good thing since she might be able to point her and Shadow in the right direction, before she noticed something, "What in the world are you wearing? And why is there a displacer beast following you?"
As Rain opened her mouth to say something, especially to question Keaira about where they were and what had happened to her, she was interrupted by the sound of new arrivals, five of them to be exact, causing her and Shadow to turn as they observed them for a time. There was a human in the group, a female cleric by the looks of it, along with a dwarf that didn't seem interested in physical combat, rather he seemed like a ranged fighter, another human who carried two weapons in his hands, plus two elves, the male being a moon elf like Adrianna while the female was, shockingly enough, a drow who had no weapons, a monk she guessed. As Rain stared at them she realized that they were adventurers and that this had to be the road they were following to their first assignment, because none of them seemed outfitted enough to pass for seasoned adventurers, though if that was the case she could get directions and be on her way. While they were drawing closer Rain checked on Kearia, making sure her wounds weren't severe, and when she offered a healing potion the lady refused, saying that while her body was sore from the beating she endured at the hands of the goblins, and would likely bruise later, she had no injuries that required a potion.
"Well met fellow travelers. Are either of you in need of aid?" the barbarian asked, which was unusual since Rain assumed the cleric would have been the first one to say something, though she did walk over to where Rain was standing and checked on Kearia anyway, just to be sure everything was alright.
"No, I'm fine, thanks to the timely arrival of Rain Shine and her companion." Kearia replied, taking a moment to gesture to the pair, where Rain found that the others were glancing at Shadow, worried about the fact that there was a displacer beast near them, a friendly one to be exact, before she focused on the group, "Who are you people?"
"Allessia Faithhammer, at your service." the cleric answered, where she nodded her head and stepped away from Keaira, satisfied with the fact that her life wasn't in danger, only to gesture to the rest of the group as she focused on the barbarian first and moved down the line her companions had formed, "Allow me to introduce Dorn Redbear, Borador Goldhand, Vhaidra Uoswiir, and Ysuran Auondril. We're on our way to Baldur's Gate, to join the many adventurers who are preparing for their various journeys, especially with the rumors going around that Eldrith is still around... some of us are seeking our fortunes or glory, or the greater good in my case."
"Eldrith? She's become a common name now?" Rain inquired, because based on what she was able to figure out the lady had been forgotten by everyone, though if her name was being uttered now it meant that the Harpers likely found out about the Onyx Tower and put the pieces together, though not before someone spread rumors about it and it's Lady, "That shouldn't be possible, since my friends... those being Adrianna, a moon elf sorceress, Vah, a human arcane archer, and Kromlech Bruenghor, a shield dwarf... and I fought and killed her not a few hours ago."
"Rain, you and the others have been missing for six months... Jherek was worried that all of you had died." Kearia stated, which was a statement Rain wasn't expecting to hear during this conversation, causing her to realize that the flickering gateway had been disconnected from where it was supposed to send those who used it, though it only confirmed that the others were somewhere else, "My caravan and I were traveling down the Trade Way when we were ambushed... most of the guards were killed by the Red Fang Marauders, and the prisoners, including the caravan leader, were taken into the Trollbark Forest, which is to the southwest of our current position."
Dorn informed her that they had been talking for days without incident and that he was 'bored as all the hells', whatever that meant, before readying his weapons as he continued down the path, which seemed to be the south direction based on Kearia's statement. causing the others to follow after him. Rain sighed as she decided to follow them, mostly to make sure the new adventurers were capable of holding their own and didn't get in over their heads, though the guard told her that she'd meet all of them in Wayfork Village later, which seemed to be further down the road. With that information in hand, and Kearia told her that she would be alright, Rain and Shadow followed the group down the road, finding more slain guards and dead goblins, all from the ambush based on what she was seeing, before she spotted some goblins that were ahead of them. Dorn used an axe and a sword to cut down his foes, as if he didn't care about taking damage, while Allessia carried a mace and shield into battle, Borador used a weapon that he called a crossbow to deal with foes from afar, Vhaidra used only her fists and movements to crush her opponents, even though she carried a special dagger just in case of emergencies, and Ysuran used a dagger and spells that drained the life of his enemies.
Despite their lack of armor and weapons, which Rain was used to seeing with her friends, they were strong, their skills in combat were good, and the few abilities she could see right now made it look like they could become a good group with enough time and effort.
"So, where did you get that armor? It looks expensive." Borador commented, all while readying a bolt in his crossbow and let it fly, striking down a goblin before it could get the others, allowing Allessia and Dorn to crush the foes that were right in front of them.
"My friends and I killed the dragon Ciraxis in the Sunset Mountains, and the dwarves we aided thanked us by forging this set of armor." Rain explained, though as she said that, but before Vhaidra could say anything, she pulled the onyx blade out and slashed through a goblin who had jumped into the air to take her down, splitting it in half before it could even do anything to her, while Shadow ripped her foe's apart, "It helped that we lit their signal fire and I literally tore the heart out of a drow priestess, who was behind the attack on the dwarven settlement... they felt like they owed me something, hence the armor."
Borador huffed as he and Rain focused on the battle, as there were more goblins coming out of the trees and standing on the road, causing her to swing her blade at those who came at her while channeling a bit of her own magic into small bolts of lightning that struck her opponents. Thanks to her time with Adrianna and the others she had learned greater control over her powers, even though they were uncertain as to what her ultimate potential was, surprising the others as all five of them joined her on the other side of the wreckage of the caravan. She did note that all of the supplies had been left on the wagons, meaning the Red Fang Marauders were only interested in people and left the rest of the loot for anyone who came along later, like a trap that kept on giving in a sense, though she made sure the crates were untouched and left in a safe area for Kearia to collect. What was different between her old group and her new companions was the fact that all of them explored far more than the path that lead towards their destination, as Borador climbed a small hill and found some goblins that he brought down with his crossbow, which brought him to a large blue chest.
Rain found that the items that the others were picking up right now were nothing compared to what she had claimed from the Onyx Tower, where she mentally debated whether or not to actually hand some of it over to make them prepared for whatever else might be ahead of them, but decided not to, since it might ruin their experience of learning and adapting to the dangers of the world.
The interesting thing about the goblins was that they had warriors and shamans, the latter blessing their forces to make everyone else stronger, though Shadow stalked and killed them while Rain and her new companions dealt with the rest of the goblins that were standing in their way. Sure, there were more goblins than what she was expecting to find, but with five other combatants fighting beside her she knew the number advantage that the goblins had was next to nothing, since they couldn't circle around one of them and stab them to death. She also found out that the enemies had a few gold coins between them, as one would have two and another had five, while the potions they carried, which she was sure that none of the goblins could use, were the minor ones, far smaller and less effective than the ones she had claimed from all of the containers in the Onyx Tower. As such she claimed nothing for herself, leaving Borador to collect the meager treasure that was being dropped by their slain enemies so it could be divided when they were somewhere safe, meaning he had a bag of holding, likely made in case he joined an assault on Eldrith's Tower.
After clearing out a few more goblins, and discovering more containers that were still intact, Rain discovered that the path was heading into a much darker part of the forest, which had to be the Trollbark Forest, meaning they were closer to the Red Fang Marauders, the captives, and whatever their immediate futures held for them.
Rain found that the Trollbark Forest was definitely darker than the Trade Way, almost as if night had fallen already despite the position of the sun before they entered this area, not that it mattered since they had some small lights attached to their belts, magical ones that wouldn't burn them. In addition to their own lights there were also some torches set up to point the way forward, no doubt left behind by the goblins they were hunting down, though it did reveal some other enemies for all of them to fight, like vampiric bats that traveled in groups of four. Since there were more people in her group this time around they didn't have to worry about being outnumbered by bats, especially since each one went down in just a few hits, but that didn't stop her from keeping her eyes open for the more challenging foes. If her last adventure had been any indication each area or region they would be visiting over the course of their quest, whatever that might be this time, would have some weak foes and some really strong ones, hence her watch for those foes.
They were able to confirm that there were definitely goblins in this region, as there were some guarding a small pond that was likely used for drinking water, at least for their targets anyway, though while they cut down their foes Vhaidra took a moment to remark how shoddy some of the goblins' weapons were. It really made her wonder how in the world they had been able to ambush and take down a caravan that had guards trained for this, where Rain said that these goblins were likely just scouts or fodder soldiers, so they wouldn't have great gear, rather the force that attacked Kearia's group likely had the better gear to survive the encounter. Of course, even if that was true, it made one wonder where these goblins were getting all of the equipment in the first place, though Rain wasn't too surprised to see her new companions collecting bits and pieces of new gear, switching out their basic weapons for the rare ones that were superior to what they had, while also putting on new armor as well. That was the part that interested her, that the armor was all stuffed inside the chests that were in the camps they discovered, instead of being located in the main area that the goblins commanded, but she figured it made sense to the creatures and moved on with their exploration.
Rain also had to admit that the goblins were smarter than the kobolds she was used to fighting, as they used shields in an attempt to keep themselves alive, for a time anyway since Rain and her new companions were able to bring them down, and those who tried to flee were torn apart by Shadow.
There were also white wolves who tried to bite them, either because they were broken by the goblins or they figured that this was a good time to intrude and get some food for themselves, but a couple of swings were enough to bring them down as well, making Rain wonder if she had grown too strong over the course of her last adventure. The other thing she noticed was all the slain bodies that lined the path they were following, slain guards and even members of the caravan, since some were more like the citizens of Baldur's Gate based on what she was seeing, so it made her wonder if anyone had survived the ambush. Allessia shared her worries, that this much death could only mean that most of the caravan was dead, despite Kearia telling them that many were carried off into the forest, meaning if there were any survivors they were running out of time to prevent their deaths. Of course most of the others were focused on their own objectives, Dorn on the battles and glory, Borador on whatever wealth they might find, Vhaidra on the power this might give her, and Ysuran, well, just looked like he was totally lost, as if he had no idea why he was doing this.
It made her miss her friends, those who fought simply for the greater good and not for the wealth that the adventure would give them if they survived everything that was thrown their way, making her wonder where in the world they had been sent by the Onyx Gate, before pushing on once more.
For a while it seemed like they were making no real progress, just killing goblins to make the road safer, before Rain and the others found a path leading to what appeared to be a large cave entrance, which seemed to be their destination due to all of the goblins hanging out in front of it, plus the banners they had. After clearing out the entrance Rain found that it was more like a diagonal entrance leading down into an underground area, which appeared to be cavernous based on all of the stones that they could see, though it also meant that they were now entering the domain of their foes. What came as a surprise was that there were no guards right at the entrance, at least on this side anyway, meaning they were able to move without any resistance, though she did find a small statue of a red dragon that seemed to be made out of fine stone, with gems for eyes. She had no idea what sort of purpose it held for the goblins, or if they were even knew what it was, but with how well crafted it was she decided to take it as well, since there was a chance it might be part of the items that were taken from the caravan and the leader might be grateful to have it back.
With the statue in her bag, and everyone was sure that the entry area was clear, the group continued deeper into the cave as they sought out the captives, finding more goblins waiting for them that were using boxes to try and keep themselves safe from harm while using bows to try and take them down.
"So, what are you exactly?" Ysuran inquired, though as he said that he took down one of the goblins as the others did the same thing, showing that each of them were capable of speaking and fighting when they wanted to, especially since she could see that the others were interested in what she had to say.
"Honestly? I have no idea." Rain stated, where she approached some goblin shamans, who tried to flee from the group so they could bless their allies with power to survive the battle, and cut them down as Shadow tore another one apart, but as she did so she noticed that some of the others had raised their eyebrows, "No, seriously, I have no idea. All I know is what Adrianna told me: that I suddenly teleported into Baldur's Gate right before she and the others arrived... I don't know how I did it, but the process seems to have wiped my memory. That's all I know."
"So were the same: we're both trying to find ourselves." Ysuran said, though as he said that Shadow leapt out of a corner and tore into a wolf that was about to bite him, telling Rain that her previous thought might not be accurate, that he and the others needed time before they could split their focus like she did, "What's the cat's story?"
"Found her in the Sunset Mountains, before Ciraxis, and she bonded with me before turning on her kind," Rain replied, a fact that brought a smile to her face as she recalled that moment, since Shadow was a valuable member of her team and it was nice to have the displacer beast around, since she liked to target the enemy magic users, "Trust me on this, she was a great ally in the fights leading up to Eldrith, so treat her well."
The others said nothing to that as they reached an area that had two passages, one on the left and the other on the right, that had wooden barricades with doors in the center, locked doors as they discovered, to which they followed the main path deeper into the cave and kept an eye out for any keys. Following that there was another locked door, meaning they had to curve down another path to keep moving, making her wonder why the goblins would do such a thing since their domain was so far away from the main road, but decided not to question it too much. After that the group discovered an area that had tables and chairs, all no doubt stolen from one of the caravans that the goblins had attacked, that they were using as defenses to keep themselves safe and attack from behind cover, not that it mattered since Rain and the others cut and hacked their way through their defenses. While they were doing that Rain found a chest on a table that happened to have the key they were looking for, something she collected after cutting down the two goblins that were in her way, and once everyone was sure that the area was cleared she showed them their prize.
Of course they had to wait for Borador to loot all of the chests that there in the area, as there were a few more in addition to the one Rain found the key on, before they backtracked to the three doors and went through the one on the left, which brought them to an area that some goblins were worshiping three red dragon statues.
Sure enough the shamans in command of everyone decreed that they had to die and the goblins attacked, where Shadow used her vanishing power and stalked the couple of shamans while Rain, Allessia, Dorn, and the others dealt with the rest of the goblins that were around them. It amazed her that there were so many inside this cave, even if she believed that this was where they reproduced, though even their numbers meant nothing to her and her companions as they wiped the group out and Shadow cleared out the shamans. Once more they quickly looted the rest of the area, with Rain claiming the statues in case her thoughts about them were right, while everyone else equipped any new items that would help out with the rest of the cave, since there was no telling what else might be in this place. With that done she focused on taking out all of the goblins that were in the other chambers, as she was more interested in finding the survivors that had to be somewhere in this place, while her companions tore down most of their foes, but she did find some poison jellyfish in one of the bodies of water.
It was another thing that surprised her, but at this point she was done questioning why things were like this, before they found a section of the cavern that was devoted entirely to the bats, which were easy to take care of given everything that they had faced so far, though after a few moments in there they returned to the main cavern.
Eventually they found another chest that contained a more solid looking key, which Allessia said had to be a prison key, so they had to be near the survivors, and as Rain followed them she made sure to take the rest of the dragon statues as well, before discovering that there were iron barred cells deep in the cave. After that they found that there were some people in all of the cells, all members of the caravan, who were surprised to see the group and praised all of them for the rescue, where Rain had Shadow escort them back to the entrance of the cave, because once the area was cleared they were going to leave and that seemed to be the best place to hide. Of course most of them were a little worried about following a displacer beast anywhere, even though she was only interested in killing goblins, but a few of them recognized Rain from all of the stories about her and decided to trust her and her pet, especially since she and the others had cleared out all of the goblins before this point. Once they were done clearing out the immediate area the group continued to explore the rest of the cave and found some additional cells, where Allessia pointed out the path for them to take before learning that the caravan leader was being held by the master of the marauders.
As such the group found their way to the chamber in question and discovered that the leader was a goblin on a spider that was larger than the small ones walking around the area, who seemed to think this was funny, but Rain found that her new companions dispatched him, his shaman, and his spiders in seconds, showing her that they were improving fast and that they'd be on her level in no time at all.
"Hello? Is anyone out there?" a feminine voice asked, where it sounded like it came from deeper in the cave, causing the group to quickly loot everything else that was in the room before tracking down the cell, and as they opened the door Rain found a lady wearing a red shirt under a leather chest piece that showed off her midriff and brown pants that had a belt that a dagger was attached to, "Praise Waukeen, I've been set free! I am Randalla Brasshorn, adventurers, and I am the owner of the ambushed caravan that you no doubt discovered on your way here... allow me to express my gratitude for the rescue. No way... Rain Shine?"
"Wait, you know her as well?" Dorn inquired, though as Rain thought about what was going on, and everyone turned their heads towards her for a moment, she noticed that the lady shifted part of her chest armor and she noticed a golden pin that looked like a harp, cluing her in within seconds.
"Not quite. I work with one of her colleagues, who likely told Randalla about me." Rain replied, where she was surprised to find a Harper in a place like this, just a little anyway when she recalled the dwarf they saved from the drow priestess, but it told her that Jherek had told many of his fellows about her, no doubt to get information about her species or to spread the word that she was missing, "It's nice to finally meet you. Were you on your way to Baldur's Gate?"
"Indeed I was. Since you disposed of the goblins with ease, might I hire all of you on as bodyguards for the caravan, at least until we reach the city?" Randalla asked, showing Rain that, while she wanted to speak with her about the events of Eldrith's Tower, and all of the tales revolving around it, she was focused on being a merchant, which she likely was based on what she had seen so far, before she glanced at the others, "I am a merchant of no small wealth, so I can compensate all of you for your time."
Rain found that her companions agreed, some for the coin and Allessia because it was for the common good, especially since merchants were good for the entirety of Baldur's Gate, to which they started to walk out of the cave so they could meet up with the rest of the survivors and get on their way towards greater things.
While there was much that Rain wanted to ask Randalla, and the secret Harper no doubt wanted to do the same after discovering that she was alive and well, neither of them said anything about their organization or her mission that ended with Eldrith's defeat. Randalla's immediate worry was those who had been part of the caravan and was relieved to see that there were more survivors than what she expected, meaning she fully expected their attackers to have killed far more than they did, giving her another reason to be in debt to the heroes. With all of the extra hands they were able to carry the various crates back to where Kearia was waiting, who was also surprised to see that so many had survived the assault, but she wasn't about to complain as they got to work putting the caravan back together. Rain found that many were surprised by Shadow's presence, but for the most part they were fine since she was stalking the shadows surrounding where they were working, making sure that no goblins got close to them so they could focus on leaving for Baldur's Gate.
Rain did take the opportunity to ask about the dragon statues she had recovered and was surprised to find that none of them were part of Randalla's goods, in fact she had never seen them before and bought one for a few hundred gold to see if she could sell it when they reached the city. The merchant leader told them that they were heading to Wayfork Village, the last stop before getting to the open road that would bring them to Baldur's Gate, meaning they were likely going to pick up some items or even some other people before heading for their true destination. After that she got everyone underway so they could make up the time they spent being held captive by the Red Fang Marauders, where Rain's new companions took their positions as she stood off to the right of the caravan, keeping an eye out for danger while Shadow carefully stalked the darkness for enemies. With all the dead goblins she was sure they would be able to leave the Trade Way without incident, which would be nice after everything they had just done to ensure the safety of the caravan, but she knew that things might not be that easy and wondered what might bother them next.
It took some time for them to reach Wayfork Village, where they found that things were already going wrong as Rain and the others found that houses were on fire, there were dead people in the street, and there were more marauders going around without a care in the world.
"This is horrible... the marauders are killing everyone!" Randalla stated, where the other caravan members seemed totally terrified of what was going on right now, though many were already rushing towards the houses, something that caused her to glance at Rain as her new companions joined her without delay, "Rain, you and the others should make your way to the Wayfork Inn, which is the safest place in the entire village, and make sure the villagers are alright... my caravan and I will stay behind and see if we can't save anyone from the houses."
"Good, more glory to be had." Dorn remarked, though before the others could say anything he lifted his weapon up and charged down the worn road without much delay, tracking down some goblins to behead with a quick swing before Rain or their companions could even do anything.
As he started his rampage, cutting down the enemies in the surrounding area, Rain and the others caught up with him and joined the battle, where they found that some of the people were being herded around by goblins with their spears, which they stopped by cutting the creatures down. Rain stood back as Borador and Ysuran dealt with their foes from a distance while Allessia and Vhaidra fought them in melee range, where the monk continued to impress her by using her reflexes to get around attacks while crushing her foes with her powerful fists and legs. She, on the other hand, made sure that those they rescued were escorted back to Randalla by Shadow, finding that the villagers were more than willing to follow the cat despite her appearance, likely due to the shock of the attack that was going on. In addition to that Rain used her blade to cut down those who dared to come at her, where she used her own newfound grace to get around attacks and deal fatal damage to her foes, though she knew that many would question her abilities and decided to focus on the goblins, since there would be time to talk on the way to Baldur's Gate.
All of this just reminded her of what she found back in the Sunset Mountains, dead dwarves and their drow attackers, but this time around she didn't get as angry as before, rather she focused her mind on taking down all of her foes and goblins fell while she did so. The villagers fled as they were rescued, seeking safety so they could survive to see another day, and each one thanked them for the rescue, which Dorn claimed was good for everyone, as the more they saved the more they would be remembered by the people of the world. Rain wasn't too worried about her reputation, like her new companions seemed to be, mostly because she would always do the right thing, though she knew that many of those she had helped with Adrianna, Vahn, and Kromlech will have spread tales about them, so she likely had one of some kind. Of course she found that some of the villagers seemed to recognize her, no doubt from whatever stories were told about her and her friends, where she smiled at them and focused on cutting down the goblins, only blasting others with magic when she was sure no one else was in the area.
Other than that it didn't seem there was too much else for her to worry about, rather the goblins rushed at them and felt the sting of their weaponry, or Shadow's fangs whenever she wasn't busy escorting the villagers back to Randalla, which allowed them to reach the inn.
When they entered the structure they discovered that the last of the villagers were being held captive by some goblins and a tall figure that seemed to be an advanced goblin with armor and a shield, one who seemed to be eager to spill the blood of the innocent, or just in general. As such he rushed at them and swung his curved blade at them, where Dorn went on the offensive as Allessia moved around him and called upon the power of her god, Helm as Rain recalled, to heal those who were injured so they could move out of the way. Rain found that his shield was stronger than the gear that the rest of the goblins wore, plus his reflexes seemed far greater than those of the lesser goblins, though while it was able to block and drive back the others she found that there were gaps in it's defenses, due to Vhaidra striking it several times while Ysuran used his spells to weaken it. Borador did his best to aid them, using a dagger to hit the creature's legs while it was focused on Dorn, while Rain discovered that she became it's target after staring at her blade, where she defended herself and allowed the others to weaken it a little before taking it's head clean off.
Randalla and Kearia, plus the innkeeper, were pleased by their efforts and promised many things, the spreading of their glory and worshiping of Helm, plus they got a bit of a reward from the innkeeper, though once the villagers claimed that they would be fine Randalla got them underway once more, leaving Rain to her thoughts as she waited for them to arrive in Baldur's Gate.
"My Lord, the interrogation of the prisoners is finally complete." a man said, one who wore a black set of armor with a red trim, while carrying a large sword on his back and a large shield on his left arm, though for the time being his right hand was in front of him, a bow to give his master whenever they talked, "They know... little."
The area they were in was a black keep, one that was built to house his master and his servants, creatures of shadow to be exact, while his master was a pale skinned human, in appearance since he was a vampire, who wore a white robe with small skulls on his belt, complete with intricate bones and spikes added in certain spots, plus he even had a rapier that he was incredibly skilled with.
"Nonetheless, I would hear what you learned from them." the vampire, Mordoc SeLanmere, replied, because he had been interested in the adventurers that had stepped out of his hidden Onyx Gate, as he had supplied Eldrith with supplies and even troops, though it was for his own reasons and his own plans.
"The adventurers claim that Eldrith used the Onyx Tower to make 'Shadow Gates', or 'Onyx Gates' as their missing friend, Rain Shine, called them," the man, Xanhast, answered, which interested Mordoc greatly, that both he and the mysterious figure who had been reported to be with the trio called the large magical archways by the same name, but he remained silent as he waited for his general to continue with his important report, "this allowed her to move her troops across the Western Heartlands without anyone realizing what they were up to until it was almost too late... they also claim that when she was slain, facing her 'second death' as she called it, the Tower crumpled. Just as we were informed."
"Good. With the Tower destroyed, and Eldrith dead, we can begin our own plans." Mordoc said, as the information that was just confirmed was good for him, not to mention with his own allies getting anxious to set their own plans in motion, though at the same time he suspected that if he asked the prisoners directly they would tell him more about this strange ally of theirs, who had simply disappeared after Eldrith's defeat, "The Zhentarim, the organization that hired Kharne, will no start their quest to restore the power of the Onyx Tower and bring it's wonder back to Toril for themselves... though it would better serve me and my allies in the east. While not part of their original plans, they no doubt used those three and Rain Shine to wrest it from Eldrith's grasp... I must have it!"
"We will start implementing your plans at once, my Lord." Xanhast stated, because his master had sought to bring down Eldrith for a long time, as they had spoken about his plans and ironed out every detail to make sure he was successful, to the point where only Rain Shine was a variable they hadn't been able to foresee, before noticing that his master knew he had something else to say and prompted him to speak again, "It's about Kharne: the adventurers claim that when they invaded Xantam's Guild, to recover what had been stolen from them, Rain Shine called upon the power of shadows and destroyed him... crushed him into a fine red paste."
"Even with the tales of her power reaching my ears, even I doubt that she killed him, as Kharne is known for his reputation of being exceedingly difficult to kill." Mordoc remarked, where he walked over to the piano that was in this section of the keep and inspected it, mostly so he could consider what he knew and what had been said in the past, plus his own fight with the assassin that he thought he had killed during his invasion of his private keep, "He must have feigned his death the moment he sensed her inner power, figuring that she and her companions would help him bring down Xantam, as he was never truly working for the beholder... rather his employers likely asked him to eliminate the creature, which was only possible due to our guests."
"I understand now, my Lord. On the matter of our 'guests'; should I dispose of them?" Xanhast inquired, which was part of the reason that Mordoc had taken him as his general, he was smart enough to think for himself and usually spoke when he either had something to say or he was commanded to speak, though there were times where he had to remind him of his place as his thrall.
"No, keep them alive for now." Mordoc commanded, because while he would normally kill those who had outlived their usefulness, in terms of sources of information, he knew that these adventurers had one more use for him and he needed to prepare his trap for Rain Shine, even if it took some time to set everything up, "I suspect you'll tell me that the guests said that she's not corruptible, that nothing I do can turn her to our side, but you would be forgetting something, my dear Xanhast: we have her precious companions. The ball is in our court, so all we need to do now is set a trap for her and turn her into one of my thralls when she's not expecting an attack... if her power is as great as the rumors claim, yet burdened by her righteous mind, we just need to liberate her by enslaving her."
He knew that if her power was great enough to take down Eldrith, as the adventurers claimed, that it would be a waste to kill Rain Shine, causing him to smirk for a moment as he imagined what would happen in the near future and the trap he would set, before he and Xanhast went out to put their plans into motion.
Rain spent part of the journey to Baldur's Gate talking to Randalla about everything that had happened since she, Vahn, Kromlech, and Adrianna went into the Guild's hideout, even though there wasn't a whole lot for her to share right now, as she had been heading to the city to report to their superiors. Based on what they knew the Red Fang Marauders had a camp somewhere in the world, close to the city based on all of the attacks that happened on the road, but they were unable to pinpoint where it was located, so sending adventurers to deal with them was out of the question. Randalla informed her that when they reached the city she'd be able to get more information from their superiors, at which point she would be able to employ her, and possibly her new companions, in a number of jobs to grow their glory and power, before sending them to deal with the other threats that might be in the darkness. Rain suspected that her fellow guild member was talking about another Dark Alliance, one formed in the void left behind by the destruction of Eldrith's alliance, but, much like the first one, they had no confirmation if that was happening or not, hence all of the Harpers being sent out to gather information on the various regions of the world.
She also spent some time talking with Allessia and the others, only to find that most of them had no desire to speak of their past, rather they were focused on their own objectives, despite being focused on protecting the caravan and making sure they reached Baldur's Gate.
When they finally reached the city Rain smiled as soon as they saw it, because while she recognized the walls she was glad to see the city during the day, instead of trapped in the middle of a storm or the night like what she had seen previously, and the rest of the caravan were pleased to reach their destination. From what she could tell they were entering from another direction, so she would be entering another part of the city, where she found a decent sized church, a manor that had at least three floors, maybe a lone tower, and all sorts of buildings that Randalla said were houses and shops. They would be able to sell a good amount of the loot they had claimed from the Red Fang Marauders, even the shoddy gear was worth a fair bit since the merchants could break them down and use most of the materials to make something else. It reminded her of the man she and her friends had talked to quite a lot during their time in the Elfsong Tavern, who bought everything that was offered to him while offering them 'many fine deals', which were actually fine when she thought about it, making her wonder if they'd meet him again.
"Ah, Baldur's Gate... I am glad that we got here so quickly, without any additional ambushes." Randalla commented, though at the same time she climbed off the wagon she had been riding on and let her workers start to take everything to the area they stored their merchandise in, before handing over a few pouches for Rain and her new friends to take, "So, now that we have reached our destination, and you have been rewarded for your efforts in keeping us safe, might I ask what each of you will be doing next?"
"We have heard that there is adventure to be had here, and I intend to find it." Dorn stated, which was true to his nature as a seeker of glory, while Rain knew that the others were more interested in their own personal goals, though he also glanced back at the group for a moment, almost as if he was speaking to them, or maybe to her since her skills were better than any of them had heard, "I would also like to continue traveling as a group, as we could all benefit from the glory that can be gained from completing the quests that can be found here."
"I see. Well, I will be busy for an hour or so, informing the relatives of the slain guards and ensuring the safety of the rest of our goods," Randalla said, though Rain knew that she would be doing more than that, since the Harpers had to be told that she had returned to Baldur's Gate, making her wonder if she'd run into Jherek again or if he had been replaced for the foreseeable future, "but should you need my help again, or if you're looking for work to aid the people of the city, you can find either Kearia or myself in the Purple Wyrm Inn down the road... I have associates that can use a group of people that have your set of skills, and the gold you could earn would be well worth your time, not to mention the treasure that could be recovered along the way. Farewell for now, friends."
Rain watched as Randalla and Kearia disappeared into the city, to do exactly what she had said and what Rain thought of, before she and her new companions walked down the street and took in the sights, even though she discovered all sorts of people were wandering around. Sure enough her reputation proceeded her, as people knew the tales of her and her friends, her old friends anyway, and came up to talk with her about her travels with Adrianna, Vahn, and Kromlech, which was interesting for her since she wasn't expecting such a thing. Many wanted to know one thing from her, whether the tales of her adventures were true, and she was able to confirm that they had traveled throughout the city, smiting the evils that were beneath the streets, before heading into the Sunset Mountains and even the Marsh of Chelimber. While she did that, confirming that all of the stories were true, she found that Borador bought some lanterns from one of the shops that they walked by, which he claimed were cheap and worth every gold coin he had spent on them, meaning they were very popular with adventurers.
She even encountered another familiar face, Bartley the trader, the very one who get her and her friends started after the Guild had assaulted them when they discovered that she was being surrounded by the thieves, which meant he must have either moved his shop or was working with someone in this area.
"By the gods... Rain Shine?!" Bartley inquired, where he stepped forward for a moment, leaving the indented area that he had set up a shop in, which seemed to be near someone's workshop, meaning he had to selling to adventurers that were passing through the city, and glanced over her form before hugging her, "It is you! When we heard that you and the others had disappeared we were worried that the Guild had done something to all of you... imagine our surprise when we heard that you killed the Guild and were off doing great things, before disappearing again for six months. This is some marvelous armor you've got... who made it?"
"The dwarves of Clan Bruenghor made it, after we saved them from the drow and a white dragon." Rain replied, where she was more than happy to return the gesture as the others observed what was going on, before Bartley let go of her and took a moment to pat Shadow on her head, which she seemed to enjoy, "I found Shadow on the way to the dragon... no, I have no idea how we bonded, but she'd an excellent traveling companion and a wonderful addition to the team."
"I believe you, as taming a displacer beast is unheard of." Bartley remarked, though he was surprised by how well the cat was behaving in the city, despite the fact that some people were weary of it's presence, causing him to focus on Rain's new weapon, since it wasn't what she had when she left the tavern the last time he saw her, "It looks like you picked up a brand new sword during your long travels."
"Oh, this? I recovered it from the heart of the Onyx Tower, before it was destroyed." Rain said, though to give him a good view of the weapon she pulled it out, not that it had a scabbard since the spirits didn't give her one, something she wasn't even worried about despite how sharp it was at times.
Bartley, as if sensing something was amiss, asked to see the blade for a time and took some measurements, where he told her to come back in an hour or so and he'd have something for her, likely a scabbard, when she considered what she had just thought about, and after handing over the information to another person in the shop he turned to others. He explained that he was no longer just a simple buyer and seller of weapons and armor, but he had expanded into the department of magical gear, meaning it was now possible for them to bring him the components and have him, or his new workers, put all of it together to create new gear. After Dorn and the others sold off all of their excess loot, reminding Rain that Bartley was probably one of the more wealthy merchants in Baldur's Gate, since he had enough gold to buy what adventurers had and still, somehow, made more than he bought the items for, they started to explore the rest of the city. Rain discovered that Allessia walked into the Church of Helm, finding that the person who sent her on her quest was there, while Ysuran found his way to the lone tower, where an old man in white robes talked to him for a short time, as he could restore the long lost memories, for a price.
With that in mind, and Rain suspected that all five of her companions had people they could talk to to further their goals, as in their personal goals, they headed to the Purple Wyrm Inn and found that Randalla was already standing near the bar with Kearia, no doubt to calm their nerves, while she found a few other important figures waiting in the corners.
"Ah, Rain, over here." Randalla said, gesturing to the group as they entered the inn, causing them to walk over to her while many of the other silent important figures glanced up before returning to their own problems, where Rain assumed that her companions would talk to them when they had the time to do so, "I haven't spoken to my associates yet, but I do have some work for all of you if you want it: the Captain of the Guard has heard of your return and wants to speak to you, about the sewers as he told me."
"The sewers? Vahn, Adrianna, Kromlech, and I cleared them out before we destroyed the Guild... why would the Captain of the Guard want to talk to me about it?" Rain asked, because while she understood that the sewers might be vast, since the city was massive as well, the area they had passed through was self contained and not connected to the rest of the network of tunnels, hence her confusion on the matter.
"I do not know. All I know is that Sollus Duncric wants to speak with you." Randalla replied, where Rain could tell that even she was a little surprised by the Captain's request to converse with her for a time, even though she had been in the city for all of a couple of minutes, ten at the very least, causing her to sigh as she glanced at the others, "I can guarantee you that he'll have some sort of work for you, meaning you'll be able to get some gold and some glory by helping him out, and by the time you finish helping him out I should have some information for you."
Rain sighed as she headed outside, though this time it was because the future was looking brighter for her and the others, now that they had finally reached the city, and it only made her wonder what sort of jobs Randalla might have for them in the very near future.
After departing from the Purple Wyrm Inn, and returning to the main streets of the city, Rain found that it was wasn't hard to track down the Captain of the Guard, because the man was standing near the entrance they had passed through earlier, wearing a set of steel armor with a tabard that was black with a red trim.
"Sollus Duncirc, right?" Rain asked, speaking the moment they got close to where the man was standing, which was with a few other guards standing near his station, who moved out with a gesture from him so they could make sure the people and traders were welcomed, and inspected, upon entering Baldur's Gate, before he nodded to her, "Randalla Brasshorn told me that you wanted a word with me."
"Yes, I did. While many are pleased with your actions, and the actions of your friends, in dealing with the alliance that was poised to strike at us, I am not." Sollus stated, confirming what Randalla had told them not a few moments ago, about how he was annoyed that Rain and her friends had tore their way through the sewers to complete their goals, "You and your fellow adventurers tore through the sewers, slaughtered all manner of creatures, and unsealed a vast number of portals in your efforts to destroy the old Thieves Guild... you also opened the way for more vermin, carrion beasts that I want you to eliminate. You owe the city for allowing such a thing to happen, but, despite my personal opinions, my superiors are willing to pay well for the eradication of the new vermin."
"Just so we're clear, this is a weak claim you have: you have pests in the sewers and your first action is to blame those who saved the city." Rain replied, though while Sollus was one of Randalla's allies, someone who fed her information so she could track down adventurers to either aid the city or clear out the roads, she wasn't too pleased with him disliking her due to her past actions, before she held a hand up to stop him from talking, "However, know that I, at the very least, will go down and deal with the vermin that's down there, though I won't be alone, I can tell you that."
She said that because some of her new friends would do it for the glory and good of the city, while others were going to do it for the gold that was being offered for the job, and she was also doing it because there might be a slim chance that this was the fault of her and her friends. With that in mind they headed up the street and turned after the inn, as Sollus informed the group that the entrance that was in this portion of the city was on the way to the small tower Ysuran had stopped in for a time, something that they found without much delay. Once they found it Rain opened the lid and they headed down into the new section of the sewers, though before they even reached the bottom of the stairs she discovered that one of the new creatures was hanging out in the chamber just beyond their chamber, roaches that could flutter their wings and lift up into the air for a few seconds. With that in mind she made sure Allessia and the others were ready before lashing out at the new enemy, finding that, while the roaches seemed to outnumber them, it was far too easy to actually take them down, as a few hits was more than enough to take them down.
Rain knew that there would be more foes down in the sewers, as the ones she had dealt with were kobolds, bugbears, and slimes, so it made her wonder what else might be down here and if any of it might be dangerous, though she also found that this portion of the sewers were darker than the one she had been in.
"So the tales about you fighting your way through the sewers, to get into the crypt and the Guild's hideout, were true... a fact that's becoming more and more real as time goes on." Ysuran commented, because while he and his friends might have thought that some of Rain's tales were exaggerated, that tall tales of travelers who didn't know what they were talking about or had made up, the more they traveled with her the more they realized that the tales were totally accurate.
"Ah yes, the early days where I knew nothing... good times." Rain said, taking a moment to cut two roaches apart before they could touch her, while at the same time Shadow pounced on a group and tore them apart, though it was nice to think about the days leading up to her battle with Eldrith, since she had enjoyed her time with her friends, "Trust me, all the tales you've heard about me and my friends are likely true... unless they're trashing us, then those ones are just jealous people trying to make us look bad."
Alessia said nothing to that as she and Dorn found the path forward, which involved walking through some ankle high sewer water and cutting down some rats, even a few large ones that required multiple people to take down, but for Rain this was nothing compared to her first time in this part of the city. There were chests filled with next to nothing but gold, which the others found to be acceptable, but for the most part it didn't seem like there was anything of importance down here, until what she had discovered over the course of her first adventure. Of course Rain had to correct herself as they ran into a number of green round slimes, causing her to warn them of the blue cube slimes that were far tougher, since the two seemed to go hand in hand in the sewers, or at least based on what she had seen so far. The others listened to her for a time, as she was the most experienced adventurer in their group, with Borador being a close second with most of the knowledge of traps and other useful items, especially since they were using his lanterns to light up the rest of the area so they could see whatever was around them.
In fact Borador found some explosive barrels around the area and made sure to use them to blow up some of the rats, as there were no slimes or roaches near any of them, which allowed them to clear out packs of the vermin with ease, which allowed them to reach an area with a chest in the center of some water.
As Rain and Shadow followed their new companions through the sewer, taking down the rest of the vile vermin, she just had to wonder why Sollus didn't just ask some guards to deal with the critters, as they were easy to take down and didn't come in groups that were more than five at a time. She even pulled out the weapon she had been using before finding the onyx blade and found that it cut through their foes with ease as well, so it wasn't like her gear was the reason, meaning she had learned quite a lot since her first outing and that her skills were more advanced than she thought. Shadow did her part in eliminating the enemies that were further away from them, making sure they could focus on the groups of critters that were scattered throughout the sewers, but it did allow Dorn and the others to agree with Rain. None of this seemed like a direct result of her actions half a year ago, Sollus was just targeting her because she and her friends went through the sewers, before they focused on a tall round figure that had what appeared to be blades for hands, an ineffective style since it's arms were more like tendrils.
Such a thing allowed them to burn it's body and kill it before it could really do anything to them, though it seemed unlike all of the enemies Rain had seen in the past, plus her new companions were confused by what it was, though while they looted one of the chambers they discovered a recall potion. Rain, again, explained the item to them while they continued to walk through the sewers, letting them know the usage of the potion and how her friends had used them during their previous adventure, either to rest up or sell stuff because they were overloaded with treasure. While doing that Dorn and the others slaughtered the remainder of the vermin that were down in the sewers, all while Rain and Shadow kept an eye out for anything that might explain where all of these monsters came from, only to discover that this portion of the sewers was totally cut off from the rest of the network. In addition to that there were no other creatures like the mutant, meaning everything else was a walk in the park in comparison to what Rain experienced six months ago, where Rain fell back just to watch and observe the others once more, helping each one master their forms and techniques to the best of her ability, as some were just outside of her existing experience.
Eventually they circled back to the start of the sewers, the very entrance they had used to get down here, causing them to return to the surface and track down Sollus, who congratulated them on taking down the vermin and handed over a few small sacks of gold to each of them, before Rain returned to Randalla.
"Did you have a chance to speak with your associates?" Rain asked, because while it was good that they cleared out the vermin of the sewers, since there were well over a hundred foes down there, her focus right now as on taking down any of the main threats that the city was facing, since one of them might lead to another shadowy alliance, all while the others came to a stop behind her and Shadow.
"Yes, I did, and they're very eager to have you on the job... and Jherek might be stopping by soon." Randalla replied, as she knew that both Rain and Jherek would be eager to see each other again, to catch up and go over Rain's mission in greater detail, before she turned her focus towards the jobs she had learned of not that long ago, "I have two jobs that you and your friends are suitable for: firstly, there have been a string of kidnappings, from all walks of life, as there are some from the beggars, some from the working class, and even a few wealthy individuals, and my associates are certain that death is in store for them if the ransoms aren't paid... or if they aren't rescued in time. The second is a series of murders, most of which are mysterious, without any suspects, and grisly, especially since some of them are mutilated beyond belief."
"I see. What do you guys think?" Rain inquired, turning to look at the others for a moment, even though she was sure that both tasks were linked together in some manner, where she found that each one thought about it for a few seconds, as it was an important decision to make, before voicing their decision, "We are in agreement: everyone wants to tackle the series of kidnappings."
Randalla nodded her head and informed them of the Hands of Glory, the newest thieves guild in Baldur's Gate, who had ridiculous demands, often beyond what anyone can afford, and that rumor had it that there was an entrance in the alley near the church, to which Rain smiled, as it was time to take down some thieves, save some people, and figure out what was going on in the city this time around.
After speaking to Randalla for a time, getting some more information on the Hands of Glory, along with the fact that they had filled the void left behind by the disappearance of the Guild Rain was familiar with, Rain and her companions headed down the path that was to the left of the Church of Helm. Her friend had told her that the warehouse that was rumored to be an entry point for the Hands rested there, an area that they could hide out in and fortify against attack, while the rest of the guild was likely below ground, below the sewers and crypts that Rain had gone through last time. Their mission was to invade the hideout, free any and all captives that were being held against their will, kill the Leader, if at all possible since he or she might not be present, and gather any information that they could, since it might help the guards in dealing with any other events they might be linked to. Rain hoped the Leader was present during their invasion, because it would allow them to cripple their target's operations, or even flat out terminate them, and allow everyone to focus on other matters, such as the murders that were happening inside another part of the city.
Once they reached the outside of the warehouse, finding that none of the people bothered to go near it, either out of fear or because none of them cared about such a place to begin with, Rain drew her weapon as the others got ready, since there was no telling what might be on the other side.
"Hey! None of you are supposed to be in here!" a voice shouted as they entered the warehouse, where Rain discovered that there were humans in dark blue clothing, armed with daggers and clubs, who seemed to be guarding the area and, more importantly, they were hostile towards them as soon as they laid eyes on them.
Rain wasted no time in striking down one of the thieves, slashing the speaker in half as the others focused on the rest of their enemies, dealing with them like they had done to the goblins before this point, before discovering that the first group was only three foes and that each of them were dead in moments. With that done Dorn smashed his way through a couple of large crates that were in the way and found a hidden path leading deeper into the warehouse, where he spotted more thieves and rushed at them without delay, cutting them down as Rain and the others caught up with him. Rain would have thought that their foes would have been smarter than basic goblins or kobolds, as in gathering around them with superior numbers and attacking while their defenses were lowered, but, for some strange reason, they preferred to rush at them in packs of one or two. Such a thing made her think about the Guild she had brought down with her friends, about how smart they were in terms of dealing with intruders or even visitors to the city, even though they had beaten all of them in no time, and it made her long for the days before she discovered the alliance that was poised to bring down the city, before she shook her head and continued deeper into the warehouse.
In addition to the thieves there were some black hounds that were trained to deal with intruders, since they rushed at her and her companions, but none of them got close to the group as Shadow sprung out of the darkness and tore into each of her targets, allowing Rain to focus on the thieves.
During their assault on the thieves, earning them a good deal of coin and lesser gear in the process, Borador recovered a crowbar from one of their foes, which meant that the thieves had used it to steal from any merchants who stored their items inside this building. Allessia asked him why he even cared for such a thing, since it made it look like he might use it to steal some items to sell later on, and he informed her, along with everyone else, that it was enchanted, meaning it was a key to the hideout they were looking for. Rain chuckled as she heard that, as it was interesting to use an ordinary item like this as a key, especially since most people didn't have the critical eye for loot that Borador had, so another adventurer might have simply seen it as an ordinary crowbar and would have left it behind. With the item in hand the group went back to what they had been doing previously, cutting down the rest of the thieves, looting any chests that they had set up to hoard their treasure, and take down the hounds, the latter being a task left to Shadow like always.
The fact that surprised Rain the most about the Hands of Glory was that there were no traps in the warehouse, just in the off chance enemies came in while they were away or something, but it made things much easier for everyone as they kept tearing their way through the structure.
Eventually they found what they were looking for, a door that seemed to be more important than anything else that was in the area, since it had two heavily armed guards in front of it, which just so happened to be where the crowbar went, but even though it let them into a small chamber they found a staircase leading down into the earth. As Rain suspected it lead right to the hideout of the Hands of Glory, a structure that was well built and well maintained based on what she and her companions were seeing right now, though, unlike the Guild, the Hands didn't have anyone guarding the staircase, a flaw in her mind. The thieves that were beyond the entry point were clad in black leather armor and threw small knives at the group, why Rain had no idea, but they were fairly easy to take down and allowed the group to move deeper into the vast network that was the hideout of the Hands. While they started to travel through the hideout Vhaidra asked her about the old Guild, the one that held the city in such a state of fear that not even the guards dared to do anything, least they end up dead elsewhere in the city, where Rain informed her that she didn't know a lot about them, other than the fact that she and her friends tore them down for their various crimes.
There was also the fact that they were being controlled by a beholder, one Rain was able to bring down, though she was interrupted as Borador pointed out a statue that released fireballs in the direction that someone was standing in, where he approached it and touched it for a few seconds, before the weapon turned off.
"What did you do to it?" Rain asked, because this was the first time she had seen something like this, though at the same time it seemed like something that would have been useful during her first adventure, given the amount of traps she and the others had encountered.
"I'm a rogue, meaning I can take out traps and make things easier for us." Borador replied, though at the same time, as his companions started to get close to him, he pulled out his newest crossbow, a gift from some of their foes from the upper level, and fired a bolt into the chest of a thief, killing him in seconds.
Rain nodded as they continued to move through the rest of the hideout, leaving any traps that were present to Borador to deal with, collecting better weapons and armor that went to her new companions so they could catch up with her, a feat that might be impossible since her gear was made for someone like her, not to mention her blade being special. She did find that there were all sorts of statues and sections prepared for intruders, though there didn't seem to be anything like the falling platforms that the previous Guild had to throw at them, making their trek through this place even easier than before. There was one member of the Hands that happened to have a ring of black keys that, in actuality, went to several locked doors near one end of the hideout, holding rooms for several of the citizens who had been kidnapped before the group's arrival in the city, to which Rain made sure they followed Shadow back to the entrance. It was similar to what had happened in the cave that the Red Fang Marauders had set up their home in, escorting the prisoners to safety, though as she did that, after all the doors were opened, Rain and her companions continued deeper into the hideout as they sought out more prisoners and the guild's dark Leader.
After some time they discovered a bridge leading into a more earthen section of the hideout, complete with bats, but the group simply continued to move through their foes, leaving the Hands dead in their wake, before coming to an area that had a few cages full of people. With another claimed ring of keys they were able to open them up and Shadow escorted the rest of the prisoners back to safety, even though Rain was focused on finding where the Leader was located so they could put an end to this, since the Hands were simply a lesser version of the previous Guild, despite the rumors she had heard before taking on this assignment. There was a sunken area, one that Rain couldn't figure out why it was even there since there were no holes in the walls to flood them with, that she and her companions breezed through without being slowed down in the slightest, leading to a bench area that was similar to what she found in the Guild's hideout. After that they pushed into a room that had a much larger door on the other side, similar to what had lead Rain and her friends to the beholder's lair in the old Guild's sanctuary, though this one was smaller than that, but she started to sneak as she and Dorn opened the doors, allowing them to enter the last room of the hideout.
Everyone spotted some barrels and hid behind them without wasting time, where Rain carefully glanced around the edge of their hiding spot and found several of the beings that were in the village inn not that long ago, without shields, before she spotted a taller brutish figure that was bald and wore the clothing of the Hands, meaning he had to be the Leader they were looking for.
"You stinking wrench... what were you thinking?! You were supposed to guard the hostages, not harm them!" the brutish figure stated, speaking to a third slightly smaller figure that was shaking in fear, all while Rain spotted what appeared to be a fist weapon in the figure's right hand, bladed based on what she was seeing, "Was I unclear with my instructions... or were you, perhaps, trying to anger me in some manner? Perhaps I should send you to Mistress Luvia... what do you think of that: being hacked up for spare parts? Makes me shudder to think that any part of your pitiful kind might have been used in my making..."
In that moment the brute, who Rain gathered was called 'Argesh' based on the unfortunate hobgoblin's last words, slew the one he was speaking to and started to inform another that he was in charge of keeping the prisoners safe, but that was the moment he realized they were there and she signaled for the others to attack. Argesh himself moved faster than Rain assumed he would, based on his body, so their first order of business was the downfall of the remaining hobgoblins, as some were ranged fighters and they wanted to minimize the amount of danger they were in. Since they didn't have any shields it was far too easy for the group to take the hobgoblins down, allowing them to focus on the brute, who turned his focus on Rain, not that she was surprised by that fact since everyone in this world was interested in her, as her race was an unknown one and her power enticed far too many beings for her liking. With that in mind she baited him into attacking her, so while he was in the middle of his motions her companions lashed out at him before disappearing after striking him in rapid succession, causing her to play defensive while allowing the others to do most of the work, eventually ending with her removing Argesh's head.
The brute had a map and key on his person, causing them to collect them before leading the hideout through the secret entrance that was in the chamber beyond where he had been standing, allowing them to rescue one more citizen as Rain wonder what they had discovered and what might be uncovered when they investigated the murders.
With Argesh slain, and the Hands of Glory utterly destroyed, Rain and her companions made sure that the captives were fine before releasing them back into the city, no doubt spreading tales of their triumph and heroism while doing so, causing her to head towards the inn, but before reaching it her companions stopped at the shop to sell off some items.
"Word of your success travels fast, Rain, and soon the whole of Baldur's Gate will be singing your praises." Randalla said, as she glanced at the adventurers who were behind Rain right now, who were pleased that their success was becoming known to the rest of this great city, especially since she had a few sacks of gold waiting for them and passed them out without even wasting time, "The families sent me a reward, to help me find worthy adventurers to find their missing kin, but just know that once they get over having their abducted loved ones back there will likely be a larger reward to be had."
"You need not worry about the Hands of Glory, as they have been destroyed and their master, a monster of some kind, has been killed as well." Rain replied, where she pocketed her part of the reward, while overhearing that the others would be using part of theirs to help fuel their personal quests, before she pulled out the map that had been recovered and showed it to Randalla, who raised her eyebrow for a moment, "We found on Argesh's body when we finished him off... it looks like it might be a map to the main camp of the Red Fang Marauders."
"I see. I'll pass this onto Sollus and come up with a plan." Randalla commented, to which Rain handed it over without even wasting a second, allowing her to slip it into her own pouch so it would remain safe and sound, before she focused on the group once more as they gathered themselves, as they knew she had more work for them, "Since you dealt with the Hands, maybe you can look into the murders now? I've gone over the reports and it seems like those that have been slain so far have been mutilated beyond recognition, but some witnesses have reported seeing misshapen and contorted figures when they investigated the sites... we've also gotten reports of similar sightings around Bloodmire Manor, which rests on the northeastern side of Baldur's Gate."
Rain listened to Randalla for a few moments as she explained what she knew about the manor, that it was owned by one Luvia Bloodmire, the sole heiress to a vast fortune who actually turned away suitors seeking her hand, though the most important thing was that Argesh was tied to her in some manner. Randalla seemed surprised by that information, as if the very idea that someone like Luvia would be involved in the vile crimes that were plaguing the city, but, at the same time, she believed what Rain was saying, as she wasn't known for lying, even if it seemed strange to think about. Once they were done talking, and they knew the exact location of Bloodmire Manor, Rain and her companions departed without delay, as none of them were exhausted from their time in the hideout and they were eager to see what sort of trouble might be in the manor. From the outside it looked like a well preserved place, well tended to, though the citizens must have heard the rumors and were steering clear of it, though at the same time Rain noticed something odd, there were no workers outside and no one to welcome them when they knocked on the door, to the point where Borador was able to open it with far too much ease.
"I don't like this. Everyone keep your weapons at the ready... I smell danger." Borador stated, something Rain agreed with, because after discovering that Luvia was tied to the Hands of Glory in some manner, what they still didn't know, it told her that there might be danger in her private manor.
What they discovered was that there was nothing waiting for them in the foray of the manor, save for some statues and a harpsichord that Borador quickly investigated, though Rain and the others focused on three sets of stairs that lead to an upper walkway, while Shadow sniffed out some danger lurking in the various hallways. The dwarf informed them that the piano was linked to some sort of hidden passage, that much he could tell at a glimpse, and if he was right a certain tone had to be played so they could track it down and open it, since it might lead to proving Luvia's guilt. With that in mind the group started to explore the rest of the manor, where they discovered the misshapen creatures wandering the halls, in addition to flesh hounds that looked like they had wicked claws and stinger tails, which allowed them to fire off poison barb at their foes. Either someone wanted to frame Luvia for the crime of being associated with the Hands of Glory, to lose whoever might be on their tail, or she was one of the leaders of the new dark alliance that Rain had assumed had formed to attack the city, but for the time being the group lashed out at all of the flesh monsters.
Ysuran was the one who called these foes by that name, having read about the topic in one of his books, meaning they had flesh hounds and flesh soldiers to deal with, and while they were tougher than a thief they were weaker than Argesh, allowing them to eliminate the first group with some ease.
As they moved Rain discovered that there were cobwebs in corners, on the marble statues, and even on some of the bits of furniture that they walked by, causing her to ask Borador if the harpsichord had any and he told her it was pristine, which just confirmed it's use in opening a hidden passage of some kind. She also looked around for a time and realized how gloomy the manor looked, especially since it looked like most, if not all of, the work staff had been captured by their boss at some point, twisted into the monsters that the citizens of Baldur's Gate reported to Randalla's associates. They found doors that were unlocked, leading to other parts of the manor for them to explore and fight through, though Allessia discovered an item of great importance, one of the music sheets they were looking for, which just so happened to have a specific note circled with a number over it. Such a thing was ridiculous, that Luvia actually left the keys to her hideout scattered all over the manor, though while she could understand that it might be a way to get intruders killed it was just plain foolish for one to leave this sort of information out in the open.
There was an uncomfortable amount of flesh monsters for them to fight through, confirming her thoughts that the staff of this place had been hacked into pieces and sown together to form what they were currently tearing down, something that made Rain mad when she considered just how many lives had been lost. What came as a pleasant surprise was that there were still a few servants still alive inside the manor, who confirmed that their mistress had gone insane, though Rain had Shadow escort them to safety so they could seek out Randalla and the guards, to let them know what was going on right now. There were even secret passages in the walls for them to worry about, accessed through the bookshelves based on what Borador told them, as he was able to track each one down and opened the way so they could investigate what was behind them, often leading to more treasure and, occasionally, more music sheets. In addition to that there were stairs leading down into the basement, up into the second floor, and even up into the attic, where they found more monsters, not to mention beetles, rats, and bats, as if this place had been abandoned entirely and over served as a front for Luvia's unknown twisted plans.
While the flesh monsters proved to be good practice for the others, they eventually ran out of them and were forced, at long last, to return to the harpsichord, where Vhaidra shuffled the sheets before performing a short sequence on the lone instrument, something that lowered a section of the nearby wall and revealed a staircase leading downward.
Such a thing lead them to what appeared to be a laboratory of some kind, with smooth stone walls, whitish floors, and a fair amount of blood all over the place, though there were closed vents in the walls that seemed to be waiting for a lever or switch to be activated. There were cells in some of the walls, most of them having been opened while a number of flesh monsters were wandering around the secret basement, where Rain grew sad as she realized that everyone who had been brought down here had been slain in one way or another before their arrival. She did, however, uncover a letter resting on a table in the first chamber, one that was addressed to a 'Lady F' and was labeled 'faithfully yours', where it was signed by Luvia and mentioned that she had created Argesh, the 'pinnacle of her creations', confirming Rain's beliefs. Once they had a chance to read the letter, allowing everyone to understand that Luvia was a bad apple, she pocketed the item and made sure it was perfectly safe in her pack, though once that was done they pushed deeper into the laboratory, slaughtering all of the flesh monsters that happened to be in their way.
What was disturbing was that some of the cells were locked and, from what they could tell, there were people inside them, not to mention flesh monsters who tore them apart without the group being able to find a lever to open the doors, as if they was only one way to open them, a secret known only to Luvia herself.
With that in mind Rain turned her blade on the locked doors and slashed through them, showing that the onyx blade was far stronger than whatever metal was used in making all of these doors, allowing a few more servants to go free as Rain's companions dealt with the flesh monsters. There weren't too many people for them to save, given the state of the rest of the cells that they walked by, though it amazed them that Luvia was able to pour so much into making such a space for all of her dark experiments, almost as if someone had warped a team into this place for her to work before warping them out when the job was done. Eventually they discovered a wide open chamber that had a two headed flesh hound, a larger one than anything they had seen so far, who rushed at them and actually breathed a foul poison gas in their general direction, a beast called 'Atrocious' by a soft feminine voice. Luvia was watching them, that much they could tell, but it mattered little as Rain stepped back and watched as her companions literally hacked the two headed beast into a thousand pieces, as it was far weaker than what they expected, plus Rain knew her new friends had improved greatly since she met them.
Once Atrocious was dead, and the lesser flesh hounds that were released after that were slain as well, the group moved deeper into the laboratory without delay, finding their way to a final chamber where a young woman stood in front of two massive flesh brutes, a figure who wore a black corset and a white blood stained dress.
"Welcome, guests. I do hope my creations haven't given you too much trouble." Luvia stated, though since she didn't even bother to introduce herself, like some of the other foes Rain had faced in the past, it confirmed that she had taken a bit of her time to watch them before their arrival, "They are quite lovely, aren't they? It took me years to perfect the technique of transferring limbs and organs from one creature to another... I couldn't even hope to calculate how many were sacrificed for me to discover this information. It could be hundreds for all I know, but I don't care, really, because there is so much I could do now..."
In that moment Rain, having heard enough from the woman, shifted her stance and readied herself, where she used her newfound power to rush over the gap that was between them and Luvia, almost as if she was lightning, though instead of hitting Luvia she found that the lady threw herself towards an open door and that her attack had only cut into the side of her dress. As she landed Luvia locked the door behind her, to stop pursuers from following her, though in that moment Dorn and the others called out that the brutes were advancing on her position, only to find that Rain didn't need help as she just turned and slashed at them a few times, hacking them apart with ease. Luvia, seeing her do that, flipped a switch while she fled from her own laboratory, where the vents started to spew poison into the entire sanctuary, causing her to rush back to where her friends were standing as everyone started to rush out of the underground laboratory before the poison killed any of them. They weren't the only ones fleeing from the poison, as the very few flesh monsters that were still alive, likely in an area that Luvia had sealed off so they didn't kill everything she had made, though Rain slew as many of them as she could, determined to stop the insane lady's creations from seeing the light of day.
In the end, as they emerged from the laboratory, a few of the flesh monsters actually escaped and the majority were slain by a few guards who came to arrest Luvia, if she was there, while around four or five got out of the city, causing Rain to sigh as she and the others headed back to Randalla to take a break before their next mission.
As soon as Rain was sure that the cleanup of the flesh monsters was complete, even if some had escaped, she and her new friends returned to the Purple Wyrm Inn to check in with Randalla, who happened to be chatting with a few people before she waved them over, allowing the guards to return to their duties.
"I'm glad you guys are unscathed, as I've heard reports of malformed creatures fleeing Bloodmire Manor." Randalla said, a fact that allowed them to understand that she cared for their safety, since she was no longer addressing them as the title of adventurers, though Rain knew it wouldn't be long before someone mentioned it again, "Did you discover anything while you were inside the manor?"
"Yes, we did: it would seem that Luvia is, in fact, in league with the Red Fang Marauders and the Hands of Glory, and has been using the bodies of the slain in her experiments." Allessia replied, though she was disgusted by what they had seen in the laboratory, how people were cut into pieces and reassembled into a new form that served the twisted mind that made them, based on what they had seen previously, to which Rain produced the letter she had claimed, "We have confirmation that she's working for someone, a 'Lady F', but to what end we don't know... all we know is that someone wants her work for some reason, enough to invest a good amount of gold into her dark work. When we found her in her laboratory, however, she decided to flood the place with poison gas and flee."
"I see. I'll present this to the others," Randalla stated, where she took the letter and looked over it for a moment, just to see what it said for herself, before slipping it into her pack so it could be handed to the Harpers, or whoever she felt needed to see it, which was when she let out a sigh for a few seconds, "It is a shame that you were unable to capture the evil woman, but maybe you'll be able to put and end to her schemes in the near future. Now, I have some news for all of you: Captain Sollus has completed his investigation of the map you brought him and should be able to direct your efforts for a time, so I would speak to him without delay."
Randalla also had a map to sell them, to a ruin somewhere in the Wood of Sharp Teeth, which Dorn purchased without even hesitating, though after that everyone headed outside to speak to the merchant once more, selling off the items they didn't need, before tracking down Sollus once more.
"Ah, adventurers, I'm glad you could make it... I assumed you would be resting at the inn or something," Sollus stated, as most people in this profession usually took breaks between missions, or adventures in their case, before seeking to take on another one, before he pulled out his map and let them look at it, plus the one they had recovered, "Thanks to you we now know the resting place of the main base that the Red Fang Marauders call home, as they are camped in the Cloak Wood, an area where an army would be detected easily and routed easily... so I asked Randalla to send you to me as soon as you were available, as she told me you could deal with all sorts of dangers and hazards."
"Considering whose part of our group, that shouldn't be too hard." Vhaidra remarked, though as she said that she and the others glanced at the map for a few more seconds, where Sollus pointed out the path he suspected would give them an advantage over their enemies, approach from the east and hit where the resistance should be light.
"Indeed. To be sure you're well prepared for this venture, I've even called for a cart to take you to the area in question, so you can rest for a time." Sollus said, which Rain found to be a good move, as they had been running around the city with next to no stops since they got their first mission from Randalla, so this would allow her and her new friends to recover before their next mission.
After getting the information for their new quest, they were to find and destroy the Red Fangs, and anyone who might be their leader, Rain and her friends made one last check with the merchant before heading out of the city by using the gate they had entered through earlier, finding that one of the guards was ready with a cart. From there they began the trek to the Lower Cliffs of the Cloak Woods, which was as far as he would take them since any further would allow the Red Fangs to know that they were under attack, so this would allow them to keep an element of surprise. The guard mentioned that there was a fairly nice reward in store for them if they succeeded, no doubt a sneaky way for Sollus' higher ups to make sure they stayed true to the city's wishes or something, but Rain wasn't focused on that, rather she was more interested in taking down the Red Fangs. The others talked about what they would do with their portion of the reward, as Allessia was going to donate to her church and god, Dorn would seek out Randalla's help, Borador had a clan member he wished to lend his aid to, Vhaidra had need of an ally to hunt down a target, and Ysuran wanted to recover more of his memories, a feat near impossible without the local wizard's aid.
Rain's thoughts were focused on tracking down the other Onyx Gate, the one her first friends had emerged from while she and Shadow had emerged elsewhere, because she knew they were out there, somewhere, looking for her so they could reunite and face the dangers of this world, though she made sure to rest over the course of their trip.
When they finally reached the edge of their destination the guard came to a stop and let them off at long last, where Rain and her new friends focused on the area that was in front of them, cliffs with minimal area to hid in or use as cover, so the goblins would no doubt notice their arrival in no time. With that in mind she readied her weapon, now having a scabbard thanks to the merchant having completed the metallic container, while the others did the same without delay, before they marched forward, keeping their eyes and ears open as Shadow searched for trouble. Sure enough Rain found that some goblins and wolf riders were guarding the area they had been delivered to, which was understandable since they had to guard the entirety of the area that their base was in, though instead of wasting time, and allowing a horn to be blown, the group smashed them into goblins and cut them down. Rain had to frown as she heard a horn blow in a nearby area and found that more foes had been on their way to reinforce this location, no doubt the Red Fang Leader realized that this was a weak spot and sent them to keep it safe, but now everyone knew that they were here.
Normally Rain would consider this mission to be a failure, their enemy would know that they were here in no time, but she did discover something that caused her not to make that judgement call too early, the Red Fangs were coming after them in greater numbers, the entire army wanted them all dead. Their Leader had made a dangerous miscalculation, that she and her friends would be easy to take down and that the city would be without it's defenders, though such a thing meant it was time for her to stop holding back, causing her to focus on one direction while the others continued to move on their own. She recalled the lessons that Adrianna gave her on magic and loosed balls of lightning at the large force that was on it's way to where she was standing, surprising the goblins in the process since they weren't expecting her to know such a spell, though as it shocked her foes to death, like her friend's had done before, Rain continued to move as Shadow leapt out and tore the wolf riders apart. In addition to that she called forth two other elements to her side, summoning balls of fire and spikes of ice that she rained down on the goblins who came at her, where she found herself fortunate that she had a pack full of potent magicka potions from her time in the Onyx Tower, because if she needed to restore her mana all she needed was one of them.
It was a different pace than what she used in the past, staying by her friends and fighting by their side, though right now it seemed like the best plan, since there were so many goblins coming after them, or her since her presence caused many of them to rush at her position, but it allowed the others to track down the main camp's entrance.
Of course when Dorn and the others found it Allessia loosed a bit of holy magic into the air, a beacon, that called Rain and Shadow over to their side, allowing all of them to head into the cave in question, even though she knew it would only be a matter of time until the rest of the Red Fangs caught up to them. While they moved through the cave, Borador discovering a number of traps that were triggered by the arrival of intruders and disabling them so the others could keep moving, Rain focused on breaking the path behind them, creating pitfalls that the goblins fell into. There was an area that happened to have a decent drop, so once everyone was on the other side Rain gathered some of her power and slammed a hoof down on the stone walkway without delay, channeling her power into the earth and breaking everything around her, creating a new chasm between them and the entrance. The Red Fangs were surprised by this and some of them tumbled into the depths of the cavern, falling to their deaths in the process, causing her to huff as she backed away and rejoined the others, as this gave them time to figure out where the Leader was waiting, though while the others were worried about her using a great deal of energy she focused on their mission.
There were also hobgoblins and the weird arm monsters resting in the cavern as well, though they were in small groups of one or two, allowing them to take them down and move deeper without wasting too much time, before they found what appeared to be the final section of the cavern, with a humanoid creature, feminine, standing there in red armor that just looked like a dragon's body, or maybe an ant queen as Rain looked at it.
The Red Queen, as Rain decided to call her, lifted her left arm and made a gesture at them, showing that she wasn't very happy with them taking down her army and invading her base of operations, before lifting a longsword that seemed to be her personal weapon. With the challenge silently issued the group rushed at her first, finding that there were a few more goblins hanging out area her chamber and let Rain issue Shadow the command to hunt them down, since she wasn't even worried about the rest of the marauders catching up to them, given all of the collapsing sounds behind them. Rain found that the Queen's power was decent, far more than what most of the humanoid foes she had fought recently had used in their battles against her, though in that moment, as she damaged part of her armor, Rain discovered flesh that looked like Argesh's, meaning this was another of Luvia's flesh monsters. In the next few seconds she and her friends discovered the truth behind this creature, that while she was strong, thanks to Luvia's experiments, there was nothing incredibly special about her, something that caused them to lash out at her and deal some impressive damage to her body, as it was hard to tell if it was armor or an exoskeleton.
As the Red Queen staggered backwards, however, she dropped her weapon, gripped her wounded right arm, and, in an incredible display of cowardice, opened a secret passage behind her throne before escaping, something that caused Rain to grin, as now they could deal with the Red Fangs and their mysterious ally at the same time, and maybe uncover more information while they were at it.
With the Red Queen fleeing from their might, leaving a bloody trail through the secret passage she had foolishly opened to escape, Rain and her friends followed after her without delay, as while the Red Fangs were no longer a threat, as Rain was sure almost all of them were dead, taking out their Leader was important to their quest. For the time being Borador and Shadow took the lead, the former checking for traps and clearing the way while the latter focused on following the trail of blood and tearing a few rats and bats that happened to be in this portion of the tunnel. Rain, Dorn, and the others kept their guards up as they moved through the passage, since there was no telling what might be waiting for them at the end of the Red Queen's passage, even though there were a few treasure chests as well, which Vhaidra claimed as they followed the trail their foe had left. It was like the Red Queen had started to steal from her own clan or something, given what Rain spotted as they walked through the hidden passage, though she was more interested in what they might discover at the end of this, due to her belief that their foe was just another flesh construct and not an advanced goblin of some kind.
Eventually the tunnel came to a stop as they reached what appeared to be a cellar of some kind, due to the barrels of wine and fine walls that were around them, though as they emerged from the passage she heard an echo of a large body hitting the ground, rather forcefully based on what she heard.
"It would seem that our mysterious foe just took out the Red Queen... we should be careful." Rain whispered, since she had no idea where the figure in question was lurking, but if they had the power to instantly take out a wounded flesh creature it meant that none of them should take this lightly, something that her new friends agreed with as they started to explore the rest of the cellar.
Sure enough they found some enemies guarding this part of the manor, and Rain was sure it was a manor based on what went into making everything that was around them, though they were mostly just the hounds and hobgoblins from before, nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things. Borador even found a few false walls that lead to where a couple of treasure chests were resting, as each one had about two or three in the chamber he discovered, though Rain found that the secret chambers of this adventure were richer than the ones from her previous adventure, not that she overly cared since she was more interested in completing their mission. Still, they could use the treasure to finance the allies that were waiting in Baldur's Gate, allowing her friends to grow each of their skills and possibly unlock new ones, in time, especially since she knew that Helm definitely responded to Allessia's prayers and likely granted her abilities to fulfill her own goals. Other than that nothing important happened until they discovered the body of the Red Queen, where Rain confirmed that something or someone had snapped her next rather violently, breaking even Luvia's reinforced creation with ease, meaning they were in danger if the culprit was the one in charge of everything.
Such a thing actually worried her, as while her sword was enough to deal with the reinforced armor, due to what they had seen during their fight with the Red Queen, it looked like something had slashed their foe's neck with ease, far more than what she could do with her blade, making her wonder if someone had a blade made from a dragon's talon, or maybe it was a dragon they were currently heading towards.
Of course the others, having less experience than her in the field of dragons, didn't share her opinion on the matter and assumed that whoever owned this place likely killed the Red Queen when she reported on her failure, to take out a pawn that was totally worthless. Rain decided it was best not to argue with them, even if she felt that she was right, and quickly resumed searching the rest of the cellar for anything and everything of importance, since there might be something that would tell them what was going on and who this place belonged to. She found more hounds and hobgoblins wandering around, avoiding the traps that had been set up in the off chance that someone made it this far into the hideout, but that idea was dashed as she discovered something odd, none of the barrels or containers had anything inside them, as there was no food or even drink for the occupants of the area. That stuck her as odd, especially since a lot of effort went into the construction of this place and one would have assumed someone would stock it to keep up appearances, or at least feed their minions, but whoever owned this place seemed to be willing to starve the hobgoblins and hounds while getting their food from somewhere else.
Eventually they opened a door and walked into a chamber where they found a beautiful lady, far more than Luvia based on what Rain was seeing, who wore a fine red satin dress that reached the floor, to the point where it was almost touching the stone, that had a wide collar that showed off the tops of her breasts, while also having a black corset and red pieces on the shoulders that looked like small spikes.
"Welcome to Firewind Manor, adventurers... and Rain Shine, what an unexpected surprise." the redhaired lady said, which was due to the fact that Rain got a good look at her short hair as they stepped into the light, though at this point, after all of her encounters, she wasn't surprised that people knew her name, especially villains, "I hope you enjoy the drop."
As soon as the words left her mouth the floor below them opened and the group fell into the abyss, for a very short time since they landed in what appeared to be some ancient dungeons, no doubt an attempt to get rid of them all, though she and her friends got up, dusted themselves off, and started to look for the way out. Allessia quickly informed Rain that the lady of the manor had to be Arogazia Firewind, another well known figure in the city, making her wonder if two rather high ranking ladies were members of the new unholy alliance that was plotting to bring down Baldur's Gate. At the same time she mauled over the name as they burst out of the area they had been dropped into, as it sounded too much like what a dragon would be called, so either it was a mere coincidence or her group had just encountered a dragon that could turn into a human whenever she wanted. The enemies that happened to be guarding the area were skeletons, which made all of them happy that Allessia was with them since her holy power was a natural weakness to the undead, something Rain almost wished she had back during her first adventure, but she focused as Allessia lead the way out.
Borador found a number of treasure chests along the way, all of which having shoddy and low quality items while having a few pieces of gold in each one, no doubt because Arogazia didn't want to arm adventurers that were sent down here, but it was hardly a problem as the group smashed their way through the undead. The others agreed with Rain on this matter, Allessia's powers made things much easier for them as the holy power burned each one and even caused some to flee so someone else could smash it to pieces, before discovering that rats were down here as well, no doubt to feast on those who perished down here. It was an interesting combination, as all of the vermin disposed of the adventurers and the dark power that happened to be in this area revived the fallen to serve Arogazia's will, but against Rain and her friends it was nothing in the grand scheme of things as both foes fell before their might. Other than that there wasn't too much for her to even worry about, they were simply too strong for the undead to deal with, especially since Shadow hunted many down and tore them apart in a matter of seconds, crushing whatever magic held them together.
They did, however, find some stairs that lead them up into what appeared to be some catacombs, instead of the cellar all of them were expecting to find, though as they emerged from the dungeon Rain found a ghost floating in front of them with an angry look on his face.
"You have gazed upon the crypts of House Felldane, living fools, and so your lives are forfeit." the ghost stated, though as he said that he paused as he looked at Rain and Shadow, a common thing considering that Rain was the only one of her kind in this world and it was odd to see a friendly displacer beast.
"House 'Felldane'... don't you mean House Firewind, or Firewind Manor?" Rain asked, because this was the best chance to calm the spirit down and figure out what was going on in the area, as there was a chance the manor had been built on a site of some kind that was supposed to be off limits and he might desire their help.
The Ghost of Felldane revealed that a great conflagration had destroyed the manor that his people called home, the type that only a dragon could wield, and 'Firewind Manor' was built on top of it's ruin, which actually caused the Ghost to curse Arogazia's soul with every fiber of his spectral form. The Ghost explained that his clan had fallen into a corrupting spiral in decades past, mentioning hedonistic decadence, sadism, incest, drug abuse, and even cannibalism, all of which was now poised to be revealed to the public thanks to Arogazia's actions. It got worse when he mentioned that the slain were being revived as ghouls, while he, himself, was trapped as a ghost, unable to do anything but watch as everything unfolded in rapid succession, and with the threat of their dark secret being revealed once more he had nothing but curses for the one behind his outrage. Rain came up with an idea that might work for him, as she was convinced that Arogazia was a dragon, disguised as a human, and if they could get her to transform and drag her into a fight there was a chance that they could burn down Firewind Manor, something that seemed to appease the Ghost as he backed off.
To ensure their success the Ghost used part of his own power to point them in the right direction, where Rain chuckled as she weaved her power into the walls, because the risen undead would still be evidence of Felldane's shame and there was a chance she could push some of the flames into the catacombs. If she was right the entire place would be engulfed in the flames that the spirit wanted to see, burning everything and everyone that happened to be in the catacombs, and the rest of the manor, erasing the shame that the Ghost wanted to hide from the rest of the world. This time around the others simply followed after her, slightly concerned about her mind if she was willing to burn away everything they would pass by in the very near future, but none of them wanted to be caught in what she was planning and kept pace with her while she marked the walls with her magic. Of course the undead and rats were surprised by the fact that they just ran by them, or at least Rain assumed so since she wasn't paying too much attention to them, and it wasn't long before she found the way back up into the manor itself, causing her to head up as the others followed after her.
As they entered the manor, however, Rain found a path leading to a large chamber and heard two voices talking, to which she directed her friends into a section that would allow them to eavesdrop on the conversation, since this would grant all of them some worthwhile information.
"This is grave news indeed, Lady Arogazia, but it matters little: the four Foundations are within the grasp of my patrons." a male voice said, one that caused Rain to pause for a moment, because it was impossible for the person to be speaking at the moment considering she had crushed Kharne with her power back during her assault on the previous Guild, before finding that his boss had been a beholder, "When the Tower is theirs, and victory has been claimed, the reward for your aid will make what the Red Fangs were providing you seem like a paltry sum."
"I should hope so, Kharne, as your schemes have become more tiresome than looting forgotten tombs or stealing from the others of other dragons." Arogazia replied, though this gave Rain everything she needed to know, she was surprised to find that the figure she had killed was still alive and well, while at the same time getting confirmation that the lady was, in fact, a dragon in disguise.
"Fear not, the Zhentarim leave no debt unpaid, which is why I work for them. Now, about these meddlers?" Kharne asked, though as Rain turned her head a little, to see around a gap in the wall, she was able to confirm that it was, in fact, the same person she had thought he was when she heard his voice, making her wonder how in the world he had escaped in the first place.
"They shall not escape the catacombs... except Rain Shine, of course." Arogazia stated, showing that she might appreciate a good challenge, especially from one that had such a unique form and power like Rain did, all while the mention of her caused Kharne to stiffen a little, as if recalling what happened the last time they fought, "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the False Dragon is almost upon us... I should put my plan into motion soon."
Instead of wasting time Rain gathered herself as she rushed out and launched herself at the disguised dragon, drawing her blade in the process and found that her first swing was blocked by Arogazia's left arm, where the skin quickly turned into red dragon scales as she blocked the attack. Kharne took one look at her before retreating from the manor, though he was low on her list of targets, because it sounded like there was something the 'Zhentarim' might want from the lady in front of her and she knew it would piss them off if she removed her here and now. In the next instant Arogazia turned her body and Rain shifted her stance, pushing her foe's arm away as she altered the blade's course, using the edge to block an incoming attack from the disguised dragon's thick tail, all while scales started to ripple over the lady's face as she started to change before her eyes. The lady identified her true form as 'Aizagora', the 'Red Death', while she engulfed herself in a torrent of flames, something that gave way to a large red dragon, far larger than the white one Rain had ended a long time ago, and, as she expected, the dragon loosed a massive burst of flames into the surrounding area, setting the manor on fire as some of it traveled down Rain's spell, setting the catacombs ablaze.
To Rain's annoyance the dragon burst through the ceiling and fled, instead of facing a challenger like her, to which she and her friends quickly regrouped before utilizing a recall potion to get to safety, though as they did so Rain was sure that the Ghost was pleased with their efforts and hoped that Baldur's Gate would be as well.
After taking a few moments to make sure everyone was fine, even if they were a little shaken by the fact that they had just discovered that a noblewoman was actually a dragon in disguise, along with the fact that Rain figured it out first, Rain found that many of the citizens were talking about the burning of Firewind Manor. Apparently news of their mission had spread, a fact that meant it was a good thing they had left when they did since it would have spread to Aziagora, which would have also ruined the surprise attack on the Red Fang Marauders, but they had completed it without losing the advantage. It was interesting to listen to them talk about their venture, even if no one knew all of the details, and she noticed that most of her new friends couldn't help but walk with a slight change in their step, as they were pleased with their efforts and knew that the people would hail them as heroes. Rain lightly chuckled as she watched all of them for a moment, as it was interesting to see the difference between her first group of friends and this one, especially in personalities and mannerisms, but she said nothing and let them do what they desired, as they had lived through a dragon's attempt to kill them and it seemed to boost their morale somewhat.
While they did that, however, Rain sought out Captain Sollus to tell him the good news, that they would no longer have to worry about the Red Fang Marauders, because they had been decimated and now all of their leaders were either dead or had fled for someplace else.
"You left as mere sell-swords and have returned as heroes... perhaps I've misjudged all of you." Sollus commented, because while he had been annoyed with Rain's actions in the Sewers, back when she and her first group of friends tore through them to get ride of the dangers the city faced, it appeared that his opinion of them had changed in no time, "My scouts have told me of your success: the Red Fangs have been scattered completely and utterly, and a dragon has been driven off, who I am assuming was one of the masterminds of the marauders. I must say, the tales about you, Rain, are all true and it seems that you five are worthy of being heroes of Baldur's Gate as well... with that in mind, here, your payment for dealing with the Red Fangs."
"Our thanks. We were glad to be of service." Dorn stated, where he claimed his own sack, as the reward had been divided into six portions, one for each of them, before the others stepped up and collected their payment for destroying the group of marauders that had been plaguing the city for some time now, before he considered something, "Is there any more work to be done?"
"For the city? No, dealing with the Red Fangs will restore our trade routes in due time, and that means the other troubles will be dealt with by lesser adventurers." Sollus replied, though as he said that he noticed how disappointed Rain's friends were, while Rain herself was already planning out who to visit next so they could continue to do good for the land, just like the tales of what she had done before her supposed disappearance, "I would suggest speaking to Randalla again, as she might be able to point you in the right direction."
"I figured as much. She's more connected than I thought she was." Rain said, which was partly true, as while she knew that a Harper was well connected to the rest of the land, so they could make sure everything was in order, the lady's merchant statue really gave her more openings than she had assumed when they first met, so there was a chance she might have some more work for them.
Once they were done talking to Sollus, and Borador was pleased with their reward, the group walked down the street and found that many of the people were happy to see them, causing everyone else to nod their heads with a smile on their faces, before Rain found that Randalla was still hanging out in the inn, who smiled as she noticed their arrival.
"Oh, is that a swagger I see in your stride? Shall I bow before you now, destroyers of the Red Fang Marauders?" Randalla remarked, though it was easy to see that she was messing with them and didn't mean anything by her words, rather she seemed happy to see that they had survived the mission that Sollus had sent them on earlier, especially since it meant that Rain's new friends could handle anything else that might be thrown at them, "In all honesty, it's good to see that you returned from your important mission. So tell me, what happened while you were fighting the Red Fangs?"
"We discovered that the Red Fangs' true leader was a red dragon, Aizagora the 'Red Death', who used some magic to take on the guise of a noblewoman." Rain replied, though at the same time she turned to the owner of the inn and got a couple of rooms for them, as it was time to take a short break before worrying about whatever might happen next, plus she and the others needed some food as well, "In addition to that she was funding Luvia's work, so, in a way, she was in control of the Hands of Glory as well... we ended up taking two of her toys away, though when confronted Aizagora decided to take on her true form and burn down the manor."
"I see, she set a death trap and you escaped. She was avaricious, slothful, and arrogant." Randalla said, which just made her see all of them in a new light, as they were still growing in might and she was sure that, in due time, they would bring down the dragon that had fled, even if the dragon really was Aizagora, a powerful dragon based on the tales, "You'll be happy to know that there's been a development: news of your success and reputation has spread like wildfire, as you might have guessed based on how people have been acting recently, and one of my friends has asked to meet you. His name is Jherek and he has some very powerful friends... trust me on this, if you want some truly exciting work he'll no doubt offer you some of the greatest jobs imaginable. He's scheduled to arrive in a couple of hours, so you have plenty of time to rest and relax before meeting him in the side chamber of the warehouse you visited earlier."
That came as a surprise to Rain, that Jherek was back in the city and that he wanted to meet them, though it made her all the more interested in what he wanted them to do for him, not to mention the Harpers since those were the friends that Randalla was talking about, though as she thought about that the others decided to enjoy themselves. As such she took the time to chat with the lady as she waited for time to pass, discussing the other potential quests that she might want the group to do, but for the most part she wanted them to speak with Jherek, meaning the others she likely had would go to any other adventurers she encountered. When talking about Aizagora, however, Rain mentioned the Foundations, which her friend informed her were likely part of the four Elemental Planes and was outside her area of experience, which she also mentioned the dragon's title for her, that of the 'False Dragon'. Randalla laughed at that and claimed that Aizagora was no doubt referring to her armor, hence why she used the word 'false' in the title, but she made sure Rain understood that there was no reason to focus on it and just focus on what her future jobs would be.
Once the conversation was done she joined the others for a time, simply relaxing as Dorn and Borador had a mug of ale, though Randalla's statement about the time they had to wait was accurate, as two hours later they were walking over to the warehouse, where Rain discovered a familiar figure waiting in the side room, while the passage leading towards the hideout of the Hands of Glory had been completely sealed.
"Rain Shine?! So the tales were true, you have returned!" Jherek stated, where he embraced her without wasting time, as he had missed having her around Baldur's Gate and that told her that he was looking for information on the others, since they were likely missing as well, before he broke the gesture and she moved back to where the others were standing at the moment, "Forgive me, I knew her and the adventurers that took down Eldrith and had feared I would never see any of them again, so my emotions got the best of me. You must be the heroes that Randalla spoke so highly of, so allow me to cut right to the chase: there are a number of artifacts that are scattered around the Western Heartlands that I intend to collect, all of which are located in dangerous places and require strong adventurers to recover them. You would be fairly compensated for your time and any artifacts you recover. Are you interested?"
"You don't have to ask us twice." Borador replied, speaking for everyone as he stepped up, though Rain was sure that his inner greed was showing, instead of the desire to do good for the rest of the land, since she was sure that Jherek had a very good reason behind wanting a number of artifacts brought to him.
"I'm pleased to hear that. Now, there are four artifacts I wish to recover, the first of which is the Orb of Thunder, which is an engraved copper sphere studded with enormous topazes." Jherek said, something that surprised Rain, as she figured there were no massive gemstones in the world, something she mentally corrected after hearing about the artifact, while the others were focused on what else he had to tell them, "Based on what I was able to discover it was used to power a weather machine in an observatory in Lyran's Hold, a fell and haunted place located in the Forest of Wyrms... I have next to no idea what you might find there. Also, please be assured that I don't want them for some nefarious purposes, as Rain would have run me through in the past if I was working against innocent people."
The others glanced at each other before agreeing to the job, causing them to depart for the inn so they could get some additional information from Randalla, since she might know something, giving Rain a chance to speak with Jherek without the others bothering her, though she would tell them about this later. Jherek handed her a pin that was just like what the merchant lady had, to show that she was a Harper as well, before they discussed what was on her mind, namely the facts she had learned while listening in on Aizagora and Kharne's conversation earlier. He was surprised that the Zhentarim were interested in the Elemental Foundations, which was why the Harpers were gathering four Elemental Keys, which he would tell the others about once all four artifacts had been claimed, even though it was interesting to learn that Kharne was still alive, as Jherek was sure he had been slain during her last adventure. When Rain asked why the Harper wanted to activate the Elemental Foundations her superior informed her that they were seeking to restore the Onyx Tower and then completely destroy it, so it could never be restored by anyone in the future, but he asked her to keep that to herself, as he would tell the others once he was ready to do so.
As she left, however, Jherek told her there was a chance that she might run into a drow ranger, who fought on the side of good, called Drizzt Do'Urden, someone she might meet during her travels, causing her to nod as she wondered what she and the others would discover when they reached Lyran's Hold.
After talking with Jherek, and getting a bit of rest after making sure their supplies were ready for whatever they might find in Lyran's Hold, or the surrounding area for that matter, Rain and her friends departed from Baldur's Gate under the cover of darkness, since there was no telling how many enemies might be watching them. In order to get to their destination they had been provided with horses and supplies, since the caravans were a bad idea considering how many watched those people, and while Rain had no idea how to ride one she knew that she would learn in time, due to how quickly she had done so in the past. With the Forest of Wyrms being a fair distance away from Baldur's Gate, roughly five days riding at a good speed that didn't wreck havoc on their steeds, they got underway without wasting time and Dorn found that, despite Rain's odd body, she was able to follow what he and the others did. It was good, since they didn't want to leave anyone behind, not that it mattered since she happened to be the best fighter of them all and if she was left behind, and attacked, he knew that her attackers would be dead in no time, be it from her skills or Shadow's assistance.
While they traveled, however, Rain kept her eyes and ears open for anything that might interfere with their mission, since the Zhentarim would be seeking to delay them so they could get their hands on the Orb of Thunder, not to mention any other artifacts Jherek wanted them to claim.
When Rain and her friends finally arrived at the Forest of Wyrms, as they were the ones leading the way, she found that an ambush was, in fact, waiting for them, where a good number of hobgoblins stood ready to kill them, in addition to giant humanoid creatures who had two heads and carried two clubs into battle. The ettins, as her friends called them, were an interesting change of pace as they moved quicker than their allies, swinging their weapons far faster as well, but where they were lacking seemed to be in the mental capacity, as Rain ran circles around one and confused it. With that in mind it was far too easy for them to get away with killing the ettins, because all they had to do was figure out how to confuse one before bringing their target down, even using one to hurt another one that ended with the pair killing each other. As for the hobgoblins, however, they were nothing new and the group knew how to deal with these sorts of enemies, meaning it wasn't long before the first ambush group was taken care of and everyone kept their guards up in case more happened to appear in their path.
"Hopefully they do better than that." Rain remarked, mostly to herself since the others might think she was cursing them with bad luck, though she wanted to see what the Zhentarim had to throw against them, mostly so she could deprive the organization of their toys, making it easier for jherek and the other Harpers to move and investigate the areas that they watched over.
As they moved through the forest, carefully approaching the tower that was Lyran's Hold, the group found several more hobgoblins and a few ettin standing in their way, all spread out for some odd reason, allowing them and their horses to make their towards their final destination. Rain was convinced that there was some dark power inside the tower, it just screamed that as she stared up at it's seemingly dark marble walls, and she could tell that the others were eager to see all of the dangers that had to be inside the structure, even though they could spy the peak from down here. She was also a tad bit interested in the fact that there was a machine that allowed one to either study the weather or control it, where it had to be the latter given what Jherek had told them about it, though it made her eager to see what sort of device was up there and the artifact they were here for. The only shocking part was that they were able to get through the rest of the forest without more enemies closing in on them, meaning there were either fewer enemies here than she thought, or the darkness in the tower caused other creatures to steer clear of it, something that was confirmed as their horses started to panic after a certain point.
With that discovery Rain found a good hiding place for them, just in the off chance that the Zhentarim showed up while they were inside the tower, though once their steeds were hidden she and the others approached the door and entered Lyran's Hold, find that the floor was made out of tiles in a grid pattern, the walls were made out of marble, and there were a few bits of furniture around them.
"So this is Lyran's Hold... interesting." Allessia remarked, which was true, all of them found the place to be interesting, or at least to some degree, before she found a suit of what appeared to be brass armor come to life before marching towards the area that they were currently standing in.
As her friends took down the first animated armor, however, Rain found that there were more further ahead and prepared for battle, even though this told her that either the owner of the tower was powerful enough to animate the various suits of armor or there was a dark force here doing the deed. The animated armors weren't very tough, as it took three blows to take one of them down, though even with that in mind everyone stayed close, keeping an eye out for additional tricks or even any traps that might have been left in the distant past. Borador came to their rescue once more as he used his focused eyes to locate the various traps that happened to be all over the power, as in small spike traps from the ground, fireball launchers on top of pedestals, and even spinning blades from some of the walls. Of course such a thing meant that they had to move at a slower pace than they were used to, but Rain thought it was a good thing since there was no telling what might be in the depths of this place and going too fast would just harm them in the end.
One of the paths they could take brought them right to a raised walkway that ended in a sealed bronze door, with a lone pedestal in front of it, which seemed to need a specific key for them to open the way, to which the group turned back and went down another path so they could find the key, since Rain was sure that was their true destination. Doing that also revealed a new foe to them, as in animated furniture, as the benches, chairs, and even books came to life to attack them, meaning someone really didn't want them here, but Rain wanted them to show up so they could have a conversation, as a brief chat might set everything right. Her reasoning for that was because it was clear that whoever was in control of these animated creatures just wanted to be left alone, meaning there might be a chance for them to talk, convince them to let them take the Orb of Thunder, and leave whoever was here to their business. Of course if it was someone plotting to do all sorts of harm to Baldur's Gate, or the rest of the land, that idea would fail in the end, but even then she was hoping for a chance to converse with whoever was here, before rushing blindly into more danger.
The only thing that was different between this fight and their previous ones was the fact that Shadow was mostly looking for the path forward, instead of actually fighting, as Rain had discovered that her claws and teeth didn't do much in the grand scheme of things and changed her role for the time being.
Eventually they found a path leading to the second floor, in a totally different area than the sealed door they had found not that long ago, though as Rain and her friends discovered it was identical to the one below them, as there was nothing different for them to worry about. It was almost a disappointment, given that each new area seemed to have new foes or obstacles to overcome, causing Rain to resist the urge to sigh as they continued to move through the floor, since new and interesting challenges were an enjoyable part of their various adventures. The others were fine with this sort of thing since there were a fair amount of chests for them to loot, giving them more treasure and even a few better weapons, though it was the furthest thing from her mind as Rain focused on another being that was lurking on this level. It wasn't the armor or the furniture that was coming after them, rather it seemed to be the puppeteer that was controlling them, likely a mage of some incredible skill, which only made her wonder why she hadn't been approached yet, given that everyone seemed to be after her power.
It took a bit of time for them to discover anything interesting, but when they did Rain found that it was a study that had to be where she felt the remnants of the one who owned the tower in the past, full of scrolls, books, and all sorts of tomes on a variety of subjects, though as Ysuran touched a scroll, and Borador opened the other door, Rain turned and found a floating robed figure, an undead of sorts, had appeared out of thing air.
"Congratulations, intruders, on reaching this point in my home, for I am Lyran." the undead stated, where it sounded like he was both pleased with their progress and annoyed that they had reached this area, one that he had secured heavily in the past by Rain's guess, while everyone else turned to focus on him as they kept themselves at the ready, "You are the first, and only, intruders to have found my private sanctum... a shame that it will be the last great accomplishment that all of you will every make."
"Look, we don't want any trouble. We just came for the Orb of Thunder." Rain said, because if she could convince him of their intentions, that they weren't here to harm him or his research, or whatever it was Lyran was trying to do, she might be able to save them some time and get out of here with only the item they were looking for, "Maybe we can make some sort of deal?"
"...No..." Lyran replied, where Rain was sure that it sounded like he had considered it, instead of refusing outright, but as he said that he called forth a staff and two spheres, showing that he was going to attack them until they were dead and gone, though in that instant, as the others started to flee, she made her move as well.
Her first move was to parry the staff and Lyran's spheres, using her magic to keep them at bay while the onyx blade kept his staff in place, surprising him in the process as he focused on the fact that she was a unique being, though Rain was grateful for the powerful blade, since it was helping her once again. Once Rain heard a signal, coming from Shadow to tell her that they were a fair enough distance away, she broke the engagement and rushed out of the study, tracking down the others as Ysuran told them that they had to find the basement, as he was sure one existed. In that moment she came to understand what was on the scrolls that had set Lyran off, it contained the information to destroy him, as there was a part of his still living body somewhere in the basement and, if they could destroy his phylactery, since he was a lich, they could destroy him. He was also positive that what they were looking for, the key to the locked door, might be contained in the very urn that would be the phylactery, causing Rain to briefly wonder how he knew this before deciding not to bother with this right now, they had a creature to destroy before claiming their prize.
All of them were, of course, annoyed that Lyran didn't want to bargain with them, since they were only here for the Orb of Thunder, but now that he knew what they were after he made a number of attempts to kill them all, forcing them to slash and blast their way through the various enemies that were in their way, until they came to what appeared to be the lowest level of Lyran's Hold.
"You have gone too far, mortals, and so your lives will end here, just as mine did!" Lyran stated, his tone telling them that he was annoyed with them evading his attempts to kill them, all while Rain found that there were a number of urns resting all over the basement cellar, or whatever he called this part of his domain, meaning his phylactery could be anywhere and they would waste time looking for it.
"Look, before you mention that you want us all dead, wouldn't it benefit you to study something entirely new?" Rain asked, as her unique nature was her ultimate bargaining tool with certain people, because there was no one like her in the entire world, as far as she and everyone else could tell, where she found that Lyran paused in his movements as he glared at her for a time, "I'm an unknown species... wouldn't it be worth your while to keep someone like me alive so you can study my origins, possibly even find out where I'm from, instead of ending my life?"
Lyran floated over to where she was standing, taking a moment to actually look at Shadow this time around, where it was hard to tell if he was surprised or not that there was a friendly displacer beast with Rain, before he focused on her, truly studying her form as he raised a hand to his bony chin. In that moment he agreed with her remark, she was far to unique to simply destroy, so to study her he decided to make a phylactery that could be moved without being seen, hence why he removed the barriers around most of the jars and beckoned down one of the paths, telling one of them to find a jar with a more golden inlay. Ysuran found it not a few seconds later and returned with it, where Lyran weaved his magic around it and transformed it into a signet ring, with a symbol representing a crescent moon and staff, that he gifted to Rain and let her place it on her right pointer finger as he explained that he'd have a ghostly form for a long time as he studied her, but, more importantly, it was a new key to the door. As they started to make their way back to the sealed door he explained that the lock was keyed to his hand, or rather it had been until his spell, so now it would open and close according to the key's bearer, meaning they could now recover the Orb of Thunder and then seal this place so no one else could enter it in the future.
Sure enough Rain found that the door opened when she used the new key on it, allowing them to walk up a long set of stairs before reaching the peak of the tower, where it only took them a few moments to locate the Orb of Thunder, an orb that was the size of the undead one Rain had crushed, and that it had enormous topazes in it.
"So the dog of the Harpers has claimed the Orb. Hand it over." a familiar voice stated, where Rain turned and found that Sleyvas, of all people, was now standing in the center of the peak of the tower, flanked by two dark guards that seemed to be members of the Zhentarim, before he paused as he realized who he was speaking to, "You?! You died with the Tower!"
"Reports of my death have been highly exaggerated... but you know, it's a shame that you're a member of the Zhentarim, Sleyvas, because that means your dead." Rain said, where she walked down the steps for a moment and drew her blade before flashing through the air, allowing the others to watch as she slashed through the two dark knights as she turned on the lizardman, only for her to stop nearby as her foes were reduced to a pile of limbs, "A pity. Come on, let's get back to Jherek and tell him the news."
The discovery that the Zhentarim were hot on their tail, in the search for the four important artifacts, told her that they needed to move faster than before, least their foes find and recover something that Jherek wanted, though it also made her eager for whatever might happen next..
It took Rain and the others some time to get back to Baldur's Gate, giving them plenty of time to discuss what they had seen in Lyran's Hold, as in the arrival of Sleyvas and his guards, which required her telling her friends about the lizardman and her brief encounters with them. She informed them of what she knew, about how he helped her and her first friends by using his power to divert their path before setting all of them down the correct path, and using a path through the Plane of Water to enter the Onyx Tower, but now she knew better. Sleyvas had been using them to get what he, and his superiors, wanted, the death of Eldrith and the utter destruction of her powerful tower, all so someone else could come in, pick up the pieces, and restore the tower for another purpose, as while she didn't know the Zhentarim's true goal she knew that they were evil, or at least a lesser evil. Of course she knew that the others wondered if she was right, since Rain had slain him and both of his guards without getting too much out of him, but so far her instincts on certain things had been right and there was a fair chance that she was accurate in her statements, though Lyran agreed with her, based on what little he knew about the situation they were in.
She also knew it would take some time getting used to having the spirit of a lich following them, though Rain felt that he was just a seeker of knowledge and this was his way of prolonging his life to do just that, but she forced herself to focus when they reached the city, quickly discovering that Jherek was inside the warehouse still.
"You've returned! Does this mean what I think it means?" Jherek asked, because with Rain involved he was sure that nearly anything was possible, given her vast power and apparent luck in certain fields, as there was no other way to describe some of the things he had heard since she and her first group of friends left the city.
"We have recovered the Orb of Thunder." Rain replied, where she stood to the side as Dorn produced the artifact from his pack, as he had been picked to carry it, and held it out for the Harper to take, who smiled as he took it from him, as it was one more thing that the Zhentarim couldn't use against them, "Also, we found some agents of the Zhentarim, as there were two black armored knights escorting a lizardman, Sleyvas to be exact, to the peak of Lyran's Hold, who demanded that we hand over the Orb."
"Damn it. I thought we would be moving too fast for them to catch up... I should have known better." Jherek said, once more showing the others that he believed Rain's statement, even though they had been worried that she did away with someone who might have been an ally, but, based on his reaction, the black armored guards were definitely evil and that meant Rain was, once more, correct, "Very well, now you have a greater understanding of what is going on... I will, of course, raise the reward for the other three artifacts, to reflect the potential risk you might face if you decide to continue helping me."
With the Orb in hand Jherek opened a chest nearby and Rain found that it contained four slots, for the artifacts he and the Harpers wanted to collect, where he slipped the first inside before withdrawing the bags that contained their reward for this mission, which pleased the rest of her group.
"I don't see why not, if the reward is as good as this." Borador stated, reminding Rain that, of them all, he was the one that was far more interested in all of the gold that could be earned from this, because it would go towards paying back a large debt that his clan owed to a group of elves, which seemed to be his focus right now, "Out of curiosity, can you tell us anything else about the Zhentarim?"
"The Black Network began as a group of powerful merchants, but now their ranks include assassins, spies, and even an army, plus their backed by the Church of Bane, the god of strife and hatred." Jherek replied, though it was far too easy for them to tell that he was displeased with such a thing, especially since the organization seemed to work towards taking over the rest of the land, before he sighed as he focused on Rain and her friends once more, "They are always looking to gather artifacts of power and use them for their own foul purposes, so taking these artifacts from them will benefit the rest of the land, not just Baldur's Gate."
"You mentioned that you were looking to gather four artifacts, one of which was the Orb of Thunder. Can you tell us about the other three?" Allessia inquired, because if it would help keep the city safe, and deprive the dark organization of their prizes, she agreed with helping the Harpers out, regardless of whatever reward might be offered.
"In addition to the Orb of Thunder I am seeking the recovery of the Jade Octahedron, the Brazier of Eternal Flame, and the Oceanic Urn." Jherek answered, where Rain realized that they were, in fact, the Elemental Keys to awaken the Elemental Foundations, as he was looking for an artifact containing the power of earth, fire, and water, combined with air in the form of the artifact they had just delivered to him, "From what I've been able to determine the Jade Octahedron, a eight sided rune stone the size of a troll's fist, was last seen in the Halls of the Hammer, an abandoned dwarven stronghold located in the High Moor; the Brazier of Eternal Flame is a bronze firepot studded in sparkling jacinth, which was one located in the treasury of Dragonspear Castle, but now it's somewhere in the monster infested depths; and the Oceanic Urn is a golden urn that is studded in aquamarine, last seen in the hands of some pirates operating out of Seer's Cave, though I can ask Randalla to arrange for passage if you chose to chase it first."
Rain knew that tracking all three of them down was incredibly important, especially since the Zhentarim were after them as well, but staying together might be the best course of action, since they seemed to be guarded by powerful guards or monsters, to which she pulled back for a moment and glanced at her friends as they debated what to do. From what she was able to tell Borador wanted to head to the Halls of the Hammer, because of the fact that it was a place that his people had worked in before being driven out, while Dorn wanted to go to Dragonspear Castle, since the idea on a monster filled area excited him to no end. Allessia, Vhaidra, and Ysuran, on the other hand, really didn't care where they went, because all of them seemed important in the grand scheme of things, where it seemed to come down to Rain, which was strange since she expected the others to have more of an opinion on the matter. In her mind the Oceanic Urn should be last, due to the fact that it didn't seem to be anywhere too dangerous or in the hands of anyone that would abuse it, in fact it really seemed like it was in a treasure trove, so that left a den of monsters or an abandoned stronghold.
"Very well then, we'll head out for the Jade Octahedron first, then the Brazier of Eternal Flame, and finally the Oceanic Urn to round the collection off." Rain said, because it would appease Borador, then Dorn, before everyone else could focus on the last artifact, because if they worked fast enough they could get ahead of the Zhentarim, activate the Foundations, and find a way to seal the Onyx Tower, where her blade might be the key.
"As you wish. I will speak to Randalla and see if she can get a private ship ready for when you're prepared to head out for Seer's Cave, and I'll make the other locations down for you." Jherek replied, where Rain held out her map and he marked down the locations of the Halls of the Hammer and Dragonspear Castle, the former confirmed by Borador as he looked at it for a few seconds, though she trusted Jherek's knowledge, and she found that the Harper smiled at them, "I'll be here, safeguarding the Orb of Thunder and preparing for the next stage of our operation, which I'll tell you about once we have all four important artifacts."
With that done the group returned to the inn for a time, allowing them to eat and get some rest so they could be ready for the next leg of their adventure, something that the others appreciated and flocked to as she spoke to Randalla, who told her that passage to their final destination would be available in two weeks time. Such a thing told her that they had to get the other two artifacts before that point, which might be hard to do given that they had to go to two different places first, but she was sure that, with her friends and their abilities, that they might make it in due time. Of course she also took the rest of the afternoon off as well, to rest after everything they had been through, but her focus was on why the Zhentarim wanted to gain control of the Onyx Tower and, more importantly, if there was anything she could do with it. There had to be more to the blade she carried, since it came from the heart of the tower, but there was no real way for her to tell since the structure was gone, for the time being anyway, hence another reason to get to it before their foes did.
When morning arrived the group departed before anyone else got up, starting on the road to reach the High Moor so they could find the dwarven stronghold that held the second artifact they were after, though just like before they were stopped by an ambush in the High Moor. This time it appeared that a new breed of lizardmen, with brown scales, wanted them all dead and attacked them on sight, causing everyone to get off their horses and engage them without delay, slashing and blasting their way through the ranks with ease. Rain wasn't too sure she was even needed, though she cut through those who came at her as she noticed something odd, there happened to be some wrecks off in the distance, like someone else had come through the area and got attacked by these odd enemies. With that in mind she focused on tracking down the people that were injured, finding that only one person was left, left in a state like how they found Kearia some time ago, with a drow warrior standing near him, one who wore mithril armor and carried two special blades with him.
Due to her past experience with drow part of her felt like striking him down, though Rain determined that this was, in fact, Drizzt Do'Urden, who took one look at her and informed her that troglodytes had attacked and ran off with someone of importance, something that caused Rain to join him as she told the others to move towards their destination.
Their destination was Brigand Hold, where Lady Cadmere was behind held, which was near their position and happened to be home to more troglodytes, though with her skills, Shadow's ability to pounce on her foes, and Drizzt's own abilities, as he moved like a god given form with his quick reflexes, the upper level enemies were nothing. Even the troglodytes in the lower levels of the ruins, the dungeons to be exact, weren't anything to worry about as the pair slashed through their opponents as Shadow wandered around, gathering gold and treasure for Rain to collect later on, as she determined that she wasn't needed. Even Rain realized that having just her and Drizzt was overkill, as these foes were less than the goblins and hobgoblins she had fought so far, to the point that she was thankful that she had told the others to continue onto the Halls of the Hammer, otherwise they would have overrun this place in no time at all. Still, it gave her a chance to see the mythical Drizzt Do'Urden in combat, how he moved with a level of grace that was beyond anything that the rest of his kind had used against her, and he, in turn, studied her as she fought, as both of them wanted to see if the tales of the other were true and found that each tale was true.
In the end they were able to rescue Lady Cadmere in no time at all, where Drizzt informed her that he'd escort her back to her destination, so she wouldn't have to worry about any harm befalling her, though as the lady got ahead of them, eager to get out of here, Rain found that her temporary companion had something to say.
"You fight well, Rain Shine, and you have a good heart." Drizzt remarked, as he sheathed his blades as he walked, which Rain did as well as Shadow returned with the loot she had collected while they were fighting, which the drow turned down when she offered some of it to him, as he didn't require wealth like some adventurers, "Maybe we'll fight side by side again in the future."
As Rain nodded her head Drizzt smiled before rejoining the lady, where they departed for her destination, Waterdeep, to which she chuckled a little as she and Shadow headed out to rejoin the others, as she was eager to see what sort of brand new dangers might be in the Halls of the Hammer.
After dealing with the troglodytes, and Drizzt departed to escort Lady Cadmere back to Waterdeep, Rain left as well and returned to the path that she and her friends had been using before the ambush, where she found that it took her no time to catch up with them, as they had been coming her way.
"We decided to come and aid you, but it looks like you and Drizzt don't need help." Allessia remarked, in fact she was a tiny bit surprised by the scene that they had discovered, all of the slain enemies that had stood in Rain's way after discovering that a lady was in danger, not to mention those who fell before the might of the drow ranger's weapons, "Where's Drizzt?"
"Gone. He's escorting Lady Cadmere back to Waterdeep." Rain replied, where she fell in with the others as they resumed their journey to the Halls of the Hammer, as there was an artifact that needed to be recovered and a Zhentarim plot that had to be wiped out, or at least their minions if they were waiting in the Halls.
The others processed that information as they continued along the road that Borador was leading them along, since he had more knowledge and information on their destination than anyone else, and it wasn't long before they reached what looked to be an opening in the side of the mountain they had been moving towards. He informed them that this was the one they were after, to which everyone dismounted, making sure their horses were well hidden to avoid drawing attention to this place, before readying their weapons as they headed into the opening that brought them to the beginnings of the Halls of the Hammer. At first glance Rain didn't see anything that confirmed they were in the right place, meaning they had to trust Borador on this matter, as everything seemed to have bee roughly carved from the mountain itself and there were slimes guarding the path forward, nothing too difficult for them to deal with. In addition to slimes the group found that a couple of trolls, large brutish warriors who seemed to have an active regeneration effect going on, so some of their wounds mended themselves over the span of a few moments, but by inflicting serious damage to them they were able to bring them down in no time.
After clearing out the first group of enemies Rain found that the path forward was over two stone paths that rested over a pit, likely a defensive mechanism for the dwarves to drop their attackers to their deaths, in case the Halls were attacked, but it looked like it failed in the end, given all of the monsters they had found so far.
Following that they found a group of armored orcs who seemed to be guarding the area, either because this was their new home as well or someone, like the Zhentarim, had gathered them as temporary guards to ensure their commanders were able to claim the artifacts without having to worry about troublesome adventurers. Truthfully Rain found the orcs to be one of the more interesting foes since they were actually good warriors, even for enemies, as they fought like their lives depended on it and used their shields to protect themselves from potential danger, which made some fights last longer in the grand scheme of things. In the end, unfortunately, she found ways to overcome their defenses and brought down the foes that were in front of her, while the others did the same thing on their own, though they did have to be careful of a few orc shamans who launched fireballs at them. Rain noted something as she looked over the bodies that were around them, none of them seemed to have any icons or jewelry that indicated that they were, in fact, members of the guild that the Harpers were fighting, meaning they were just random monsters who set up shop in the dwarven stronghold that held one of the artifacts they were looking to recover.
With that in mind she glanced at the others as they finished checking out the rest of the stuff that happened to be in the small camps that the orcs had set up, collect any treasure that had been gathered so far and any weapons that might be good for selling later, since some weren't as good as what they were using.
Once everyone was ready to go Borador was elevated to being the leader of the group for this venture, since he knew the place better than Rain or their friends, though before they were allowed to enter the actual Halls of the Hammer they had to cross a more treacherous defensible position than the one they had passed earlier. Rain's reasoning for that was due to all of the orcs that were guarding the walkways and sections that allowed one to fire arrows or spells at invaders, though while Allessia, Dorn, and Vhaidra rushed across to do battle with them Rain, Borador, and Ysuran attacked the orcs from the side they had entered through. It gave Rain a chance to use a few different type of spells she had thought of after all her lessons with Adrianna, and watching everyone else using their magical powers in battle, to which she channeled some of her power into a crackling bolt that she sent flying through the air, which slammed into an orc and branched out into the pair near her target. Together the three orcs were slain, either by her spell, since her magic was stronger than what she had thought it was in the past, or by the fall into the darkness, since it was hard to see if the dwarves had left anything in the depths, but in the end she figured it didn't matter as she dealt with their enemies.
It actually took them a decent amount of time to take care of the orcs that were guarding this portion of the entrance, as there were more than Rain was expecting to find, but eventually Borador and the others were able to reach the end and beckoned for Rain's group to cross as well, allowing them to catch up without delay.
"Careful, from here on out there's a chance that some of the chests we discover might be mimics in disguise." Borador said, something that confirmed that they were now moving into the main portion of the Halls, given the change in all the walls that were around them, though while most of the team knew what he was talking about Rain tilted her head as she followed him into the Halls.
"Mimics?" Rain asked, as this was the first time she had heard of such a thing, in fact none of her friends had mentioned such a thing during her first adventure, meaning they must have suspected that they wouldn't run into them and would be safe to loot all the chests they came across.
"Vicious monsters that take the form of chests, usually to ambush and eat adventurers." Allessia replied, though she was a little surprised Rain didn't know about the creatures in question, before realizing that she had missed plenty during her first adventure and learned more about all of the other monsters after joining her and the others, "Plenty of adventurers have lost their lives to the creatures, while some are fortunate and have only lost an arm or a leg, depending on what the people were doing when they opened the chest. Hard to tell them apart from a normal chest, but with Borador's skill I'm sure we'll be able to pick them out."
Rain thought about it as they moved by some well chiseled stone pillars, showing the craftsmanship that went into the true domain of the dwarves who lived in this area, before something either chased everyone out or killed them, before she found that their newest foe were more animated suits of armor. Borador explained that these were enchanted by the previous inhabitants of the Halls to protect their domain and, more importantly, there was a keystone to deactivate them, since they could, in fact, attack dwarves on sight, despite them being their creators. Unfortunately he had learned that the keystone had been crushed to pieces after the animated soldiers had been awakened from their slumber, either because of the Halls being overrun or someone did it out of spite to prevent the dwarves from retaking this place. Such a thing told Rain all she needed to know as she attacked the animated soldiers, all of them were enemies and that meant taking down each one that stood in their way, since it might be smart to leave the rest here to ensure that the Halls were safe until the dwarves could craft another keystone to shut them down.
Along the way, however, Borador also loosed some of his more powerful bolts at a couple of the chests they passed, the ones that happened to be mimics, which totally looked like chests with mouths on the inside, though his attacks did most of the work before Rain moved in and used her blade to silence them.
One thing Rain was able to confirm was that the Halls were rich with gold, gems, and even incredible weapons, which were the property of Borador's clan and thus were collected by him so he could deliver them to his clan, since they would know what to do with everything that was in this place. Despite the fact, however, he handed pieces out to his friends to make sure their arsenal was stronger than before, as he had a feeling that whatever was in here was worth arming them so they could take it down, while the majority of everything would be collected for his people. Borador also warned everyone that there was supposedly a treasury that had an extra layer of protection that he would like to loot as well, since the treasure would be beneficial to his clan's recovery, and he was sure that his clan member in the inn would grant them a reward for securing all of this. The layer of protection, as he informed them, was an enchanted weapon that was eternal, though he had no true information of it or it's special abilities, so he was entrusting it to Rain, as her onyx blade was able to stall the weapon of an invulnerable lich, so her job was to stall it while they looted the treasury.
She discovered that the weapon was a floating hammer that looked to be one of the two-handed types, though it wasn't hard to keep it contained in one area, as she grabbed onto it's handle and it struggled to pull itself from her grasp, before it stopped and she let go of it, causing the weapon to hang there in defeat.
Once the treasury was looted, and Borador assured them that they had everything, they started to move deeper into the Halls, where Rain found that the enchanted weapon turned into pure energy and surged into her chest, though instead of it doing any damage the group discovered that it seemed to be more of a power boost. Of course Vhaidra remarked that Rain didn't need it, as with her magic, her fighting skills, and her blade she was already an unstoppable force on her own, to the point that she assumed that Rain was getting close to being a walking god, even if they had no idea what the odd weapon had given her. With all of that in mind they continued down the path in front of them, following Borador again as he sought out the inner sanctum, where he discovered the source of his clan's demise, a three headed beast that had a large body and a pair of leathery wings. This, as Rain quickly found out, was a chimera and it was incredibly powerful, since it had taken out the entirety of those who remained to defend the Halls of the Hammer, which seemed to have the head of a bird, a lion, and a snake, each one desiring the end of them.
Rain made the first move as the chimera started to lift itself into the air, as she rushed through the space between them and got a fair bit into the air before swinging her empty hand down at the beast, knocking it down into the ground with a burst of wind, and once that was done she swung her blade, hacking it's wings clean off. With it grounded her friends did as she expected of them, they moved in on the wounded creature without delay, where Dorn took the lion head, Vhaidra punched the bird head, and Allessia took on it's snake head. That left Borador to hack into it's side, avoiding it's claws and body while he did everything he could to avenge his slain clan members, while Ysuran used his magic to deal whatever damage, leaving Rain standing nearby as she observed it, as she wanted to make sure it didn't try to flee. Sure enough she didn't have to do much after crippling the chimera, as her friends were more than able to hack two of it's head off before dealing some massive damage to the rest of it's body, before Borador hacked open it's side and cut it's guts open, where they found the Jade Octahedron mixed in with the blood.
With their prize in hand, and cleaned off so it was nice and shiny, Rain and her friends pocketed the artifact and headed out so they could return to their horses, as their next stop was Dragonspear Castle and the monster filled depths that held their next target, causing her to wonder what might be waiting for them in their next destination.
With their business in the Halls of the Hammer concluded, and Borador was quite pleased with their feat since it meant he had great news to share when he next talked to his clan brother in the inn that Randalla was no doubt relaxing in, Rain and her friends departed without delay. Their next destination was Dragonspear Castle so they could track down the Brazier of Eternal Flame, so they could return it and the Jade Octahedron to Jherek before heading out to claim the Oceanic Urn, as it seemed to be the best course of action in her mind and the others agreed. Of course she expected to find some of the Zhentarim this time around, given that they were hunting for artifacts as well, and would be disappointed if they didn't run into them, as taking them down meant that there was a greater chance of the Harpers succeeding. Her friends felt that it would be best if they never ran into the Zhentarim again, showing her that all of them wanted to be two or three steps ahead of their enemies, something she did agree with even though it wasn't a realistic thought.
During the journey, however, they were ambushed by creatures from the Trollclaws, more orcs and trolls based on what Rain was able to discover, but instead of wasting time on them she gathered her power as her friends continued on the path they were following. Allessia turned her head back and watched as Rain froze their enemies in a flash, leaving ice statues in her wake, brittle ones that shattered after receiving a quick jab, meaning she cleared the entire ambush with ease and left a bunch of ice fragments behind that would melt into puddles of water. Of course Rain was surprised by this turn of events as well, where she had to place the blame on the energy she gained back in the Halls of the Hammer, and even from Lyran as she thought about it, since having a powerful lich so close to her, thanks to her new ring, might be influencing her power in some manner. This just confirmed that she was far stronger than she originally believed when she first started traveling with her friends, in fact it was surprising to see just how far she had come since those days, but it meant that when the time came to fight with the Zhentarim Rain would be the key to their victory.
After that they continued on their way and found the large ruined castle in due time, where this time Rain made sure that the horses were kept far from whatever monsters were inside it, since there was a chance they might sniff them out and come to eat them, before they drew their weapons and advanced inside, causing Rain to frown.
"Really? That's all that's in here? Bugbears and goblins?" Rain remarked, as the two types of enemies weren't even worth a lot in her eyes, not after her and her friends had broken through both since she first encountered them, and she could tell that the others were disappointed in this development as well, "Oh well, at least we won't have to waste time worrying about any powerful foes... at least not until we head underground."
The others discovered why she was so disappointed not a few seconds later, the goblins were slain in a single well placed hit and all of the bugbears went down in two, in fact they were far weaker than anything they had seen before, meaning it was possible for them to find the Brazier without wasting too much time. The weapons and armor they found were weak in comparison to those they had recovered from the Halls of the Hammer, which were stashed into each of their bags for later, to be sold to the merchant when they returned to Baldur's Gate. Rain discovered that there were a fair number of slain innocents that were scattered around the place, which looked to be cultists for a god given their robes, though which one she had no idea since she no true knowledge on the gods of this world. Allessia seemed to have some idea as to who they might have been worshipers of, but since they were in the middle of battle she focused on aiding them in tearing all of the goblins and bugbears that happened to be above ground, allowing them to reach a raised area that seemed to be important, more than everything else.
Rain found that a priest happened to be standing between what appeared to be the entrance into the lower sections of the area, the dungeons to be exact, and an area that appeared to be on fire, likely a bonfire to burn bodies, though most of them were more interested in the priest, who carried a battleaxe that rested on his shoulder.
"Greetings, travelers, I am Felleth, cleric of Tempus. I assume all of you are here to challenge the dungeons and danger that rests below Dragonspear Castle?" the priest, now cleric, inquired, though Rain found that he focused on her, out of all of them, because she was the most unique one out of them no matter how someone looked at her, based on her armor, her appearance, or even her weapon.
"Indeed. We come seeking an artifact and heard that it rests below the ruined castle." Rain replied, because she felt that Felleth really didn't care about their quest, rather he had his own reasons for being here and would allow them to go on without much resistance, though he did utter a prayer of sorts for them, one for many victories and a swift death, as if he was saying this place would be their grave without actually saying it, "Why are you here, Felleth?"
"There is a shrine to Tempus here, one that has existed for many, many years, as the church wishes to maintain their gaze on the cursed halls below us." Felleth stated, showing Rain that he was more than willing to share the information with her and her companions, all while glancing at the others and quickly found that they were interested in anything else he might be willing to share with them before they headed into the dungeons, "When the hero Daeros Dragonspear fell his home became home to all sorts of monsters and beasts, to the point that a fiendish gate to the very hells opened in the bowels of the castle... a path into the Underdark itself. We priests set up this shrine and welcome any adventurers who come in search of treasure, which they are allowed to keep if they can survive what lies below us... speaking of, there is one piece I would like returned to me: a holy symbol of Tempus, taken into the dungeons by a young priest who never returned. I will, of course, reward you if you can find it and bring it back to me."
Rain found that some of the others were interested by the treasure aspect, though she did ask him about the Zhentarim, to which he confirmed that a band of black armored men had entered the ruins, but had yet to return, meaning they were as good as dead, to which she thanked him before rejoining her friends. They were able to enter the dungeons with ease, finding that some of the doors were locked by levers that were conveniently resting nearby, while the enemies were more of the goblins and bugbears, nothing for them to worry about as they hacked, slashed, and blasted through the enemies that were in front of them. It really reminded Rain of how powerful she and her first group of friends had become after all of their adventures, as by the time they reached the Marsh of Chelimber they were mowing down the enemies without pause, and now it was happening all over again. She really hoped that the monsters of the Underdark were stronger than what they were facing right now, otherwise this entire venture, save for recovering the artifact, would be disappointing, as she wasn't expecting to find any boss level monsters during their venture.
Sure, there was treasure to find and recover, but Rain wasn't too interested in that, rather she was focused on the rest of the dungeon, including taking out some flaming hounds that went down in a single hit, because there was no telling what else they might discover down here. Allessia found some cells that happened to be where a medallion of Tempus rested, the very one that Felleth had asked them to recover, something she pocketed so they could deliver it to the cleric later on, as she was sure they would survive this place and cripple the forces in this place. Eventually the group found their way into the lower section of the dungeons and found more of the same, the same enemies that died easily and levers needing to be moved so certain doors opened, which was boring as Rain continued to move through their enemies. Such a thing let them into the very tomb of the ancient hero whose death caused the decline of this area, allowing Borador to collect all of the ancient loot that was in this area, before they found their way into the caverns that existed below the castle, which caused everyone to raise their guards.
There were poison jellyfish, like those found in the first Red Fang Marauder camp, and pillars of stone that seemed to spit poison at whoever drew close to them, but the latter were easy to deal with, before finding something Rain frowned at, a clan of drow and their male counterparts, where the lower bodies of the men were fused with the bodies of spiders, as in a drider as Vhaidra told them.
"So, surface dwellers have reached this point at long last... good, that means we can leave this place and claim everything that has been promised to us." one of the female drow said, reminding Rain of the first drow leader she had encountered, while the rest of her group eyed up Rain and her friends as they waited for a command, likely to attack, though just listening to her talk annoyed Rain greatly as she started to step towards her, "I've heard of this one, killed a female six months ago, up in the Sunset Mountains... stabbed her chest and pulled her still beating heart out like it was nothing... I can only imagine the pain she must have been in before her demise..."
Rain's aura flared for a moment as she approached the drow, surprising the others for a moment as the males got ready to attack her, before stabbing the speaker's chest with her empty hand, something that came as a surprise to everyone, both her new friends and their enemies. As she pulled her hand out, however, Allessia found that it looked like her fingers had become more like claws, as if her energy had caused an illusion to wash over her dragon armor and make it look like something else entirely, before she growled at the other enemies. Dorn and the others watched as she carved her way through the drow, in fact it surprised Vhaidra as she realized that Rain had a problem with her kind, those who cared only on their own goals and didn't care for the damage they did to the rest of the world. One thing all of them agreed on was that her aura really made it look like a small humanoid dragon was tearing through the enemies that were blocking the way forward, something they knew would only grow her legend among the people and adventurers of the world, based on what they had heard before meeting her.
Her path of destruction lead to what appeared to be the end chamber of the cavern, where they found a mind flayer, one of the alien octopus faced fiends of the Underdark, a powerful being that loved to dominate everyone they came near to fulfill their dark purpose. Such a thing allowed them to see some Zhentarim soldiers standing behind the creature, which meant they had been dominated, and Rain slowed for a moment as the fiend turned it's focus onto her, but that was the moment that everyone found that her will was far stronger than even a mind flayer. She broke through the mental attack that was sent her way, much to the shock of the fiend that wanted to dominate all of them, and before it could even raise an arm in defense Rain severed her head and burned the body with a burst of flame from her bloody hand. The couple of Zhentarim didn't stand much of a chance as she cut them down as well, though while she did that Borador found where the Brazier of Eternal Flame was located, allowing them to claim it as Rain calmed down, but Allessia made sure she was ready to go before they left through another opening.
It happened to lead them back to the surface, where they quickly handed Felleth the medallion they had found earlier, a fact that caused him to remain true to his word as he handed them a reward, though once that was done they started to head back to Baldur's Gate to hand over the artifacts they had before worrying about the Oceanic Urn and whatever else Jherek needed from them.
Rain and her friends found that they made great time getting back to Baldur's Gate, where Jherek was surprised to find that they returned with both the Jade Octahedron and the Brazier of Eternal Flame, though he informed them that they had an entire day to relax before departing for Seer's Cove. While Dorn and Borador drank to their success, after informing their own allies about their good fortunes and passing along some gold that helped both causes out, Allessia and the others did the same thing, helping each of their allies out while they had time. Jherek had been generous with his rewards after Rain had discovered that they were working to stop the Zhentarim from reforming the Onyx Tower, allowing each of her friends to fulfill their desires, earning them more reputation with the people and even new powers. She was happy for them, she really was, though while they did that Rain remained in her room, spending her time in a mental state with Lyran backing her, as she was 'mental training', the art of imaging fights and one's reactions to them, along with meditation to control her anger.
It was good for her to do this, since the uncaring drow were the ones who usually drew out her anger, and by the time they were supposed to depart from the city she was ready to go, where Randalla escorted them to the ship that would take all of them to Seer's Cove. The ship would take them most of the way to their destination, though since most sailors were either superstitious or afraid of pirate attacks, or even both in some cases, they would have to use a rowboat to get to the shore that would take them into their final destination. Randalla noted that one or two of her crew seemed far more jumpy than usual, almost as if they were expecting something terrible happen before they reached their destination, which was why she made sure the rowboat was ready for them, even if Rain suspected potential treachery. It would be a brazen move for the Zhentarim to place a lesser member right in the domain of a Harper agent, especially when she was nearby, though she turned her attention to their target, figuring she could flush out any traitors later.
Once they were close enough Randalla lowered the rowboat and the group got in it, where they rowed towards the cave that was their destination and breached the land without wasting too much time, causing Rain, Dorn, and the others to climb out and pull their vessel ashore so it didn't get taken by the tide.
"Keep an eye out, as there are supposed to be pirates here." Allessia stated, reminding them of the foes that should be in this area, not that anyone needed any real reminder since the crew members of the ship had talked about it the majority of the trip to this area, but her words did cause everyone to ready their weapons once more.
Rain said nothing as they entered the cave that their friend had pointed them to, as this one held the pirate crew that had come into possession of the Oceanic Urn, only to discover that the pirates in question were no longer living, rather they were undead, recently since their flesh was still decaying. She found that their skills were still intact, as the pirates still had the ability to swing their weapons with ease, and their defenses were far more intact than what she and her friends were expecting, especially given the state of their bodies. Despite that fact the group moved through the small groups with the familiar ease that they were growing used to, especially since it appeared that the undead pirates lacked some common sense or the ability to plan their attacks, though they kept their guard up since there was no telling what might be lurking in the shadows. Another type of monster had to be waiting for intruders, based on everything Rain had seen so far, and had been confirmed based on the areas they had explored so far, so the others knew that she was right and followed her with their defenses at the ready.
What surprised them was that this time around it didn't seem like there were any other enemies to deal with, just taking out all of the undead pirates, though instead of relaxing they searched the various sections and camps that the pirates had set up, allowing Borador to loot everything that had been stolen by their enemies. Most of it was just gold, gems, and jewelry, as everything else must have been sold before their arrival, so there was no point in trying to return anything to Randalla so the other merchants could potentially recover some of their losses from the various attacks. She found that her friends were okay with this change of pace after a time, as this was too hard and it offered them a fair amount of loot for their individual tasks, before they found what appeared to be the final section of the cavern, which happened to have a captain level undead pirate, likely the captain himself, and the rest of his crew. That, however, wasn't the oddest thing in this area, as there appeared to be a deep green colored temple behind them, likely one that had some connection to the element of water, though based on Rain's discoveries before this point she had the feeling they were only part of the way done with their assignment.
The only challenging aspect of the fight was that the Captain was able to raise more of his crew to fight for him, though as Rain struck him down he seemed to retain some life as he fell to his knees, where it seemed like he had something he had to say before he perished, while his crew finally perished.
"Oceanic Urn... is... inside the... temple." the Captain stated, where it was clear that he wasn't long for this world and had to get the message out before his demise, though as soon as the words left his mouth the undead pirate collapsed not even a second later, dissolving into moss that left some treasure behind.
"Of course it couldn't be that easy." Vhaidra remarked, as she had been hoping for an easy mission, that the pirates they had been fighting still had the urn that Jherek wanted them to recover, but now it appeared that they were heading into a temple to take the relic that had clearly been taken by another group, "You don't think the pirate was a Zhentarim agent and lied to lure us into a trap, while the artifact is on it's way to a secret destination?"
"No... I can feel it inside the temple." Rain said, something she chalked up to her unique nature, or maybe she was getting used to her magical powers thanks to what she and Lyran did in the inn, but she could tell that the Oceanic Urn was right where the Captain had said it was.
The others glanced at her for a moment as she stepped inside the temple, where the inside was made out of the same odd materials that the outside was made out of, almost as if it had been pulled up from the depths of the sea, along with a few faces etched out of stone that looked like a humanoid frog's. Around one of the corners they discovered a group that had four green humanoid fish people, the kuo-toa as Ysuran informed those who had no idea who was in front of them, a race that actually invented their own gods, as they were utterly insane. While they were unobserved, as the kuo-toa hadn't seen them yet, Lyran appeared in his spectral form and informed them that this race were mentally unstable, seeing gods who didn't exist, at least until they believed in such a thing hard enough to bring them into existence. He also warned the group that there was a chance that things might go smoothly for them, because with how unique Rain was they might see her as either a newly formed deity or a rival one that has come to destroy their way of life, with them as her retainers, her enforcers to put it simply.
With that in mind Rain readied herself, by making sure Lyran was back inside the ring while her weapon was sheathed, a fact her friends echoed after seeing that she wanted to try the peaceful approach, before emerging from where they had been hiding for the last few moments. Sure enough the kuo-toa noticed them without delay and paused, one even walked up to where she was standing and studied her while holding onto it's weapons, just in case she was a threat or her friends did anything funny, before he seemed to dance and cheer for some reason. His movements seemed to draw the others to his side, where the group realized that Lyran had been correct in his statement, the kuo-toa were focused on Rain and her unique nature, no doubt believing her to be some sort of benevolent dragon or something, due to her armor and form, all while believing that her friends were followers. Following that came exactly what Lyran had briefly mentioned before Rain decided to try the peaceful route, the kuo-toa beckoned for her to follow and lead them deeper into the temple, though that only caused more to fall in with Rain's escorts, who were no doubt talking about her in some manner.
She caught the word 'dragon' more often than not, confirming that they viewed her armor as her actual skin and that her true nature was being hidden from them, meaning, if one believed Lyran's information, they would likely weave together a new form in their minds and link it to her.
Eventually they reached what appeared to be the main chamber of the entire temple, where Rain found an altar that had the very artifact she and her friends were looking for, along with a kuo-toa that seemed to be a priest of some sort, due to his staff, which looked like it was from the depths. The Priest, whose named escaped Rain since it seemed like a weird one to her, seemed displeased with the rest of his clan deciding to focus on her, instead of their actual god, some creature that went by the name Blibdoolpoolp, no doubt one that a number of kuo-toa brought into reality. Her escorts, however, were firm in standing on her side, even if it meant defying their own god in the process, and Rain felt some sort of power wash over her as the kuo-toa discussed their opinions in what had to be their own strange tongue. Apparently enough of them agreed with the first group she and her friends had encountered that they were already starting to worship her for some odd reason, though she reminded herself that the kuo-toa were quite insane and didn't need a reason to do anything and kept her mouth quiet.
When the greater rush of energy washed over her, however, she found that her armor seemed to replace her body, as if she actually had scales, her hands and hooves jutted out into claws, while finding that her tail morphed into a dragon's in no time, large leathery wings grew out of her back, and she gained a dragon's muzzle, making her look like a humanoid dragon warrior with icy blue scales.
Her friends were stunned by the transformation, in fact she was feeling the same thing at the moment, before all of them found that there was one last thing to be added before everything was totally done, a silver gown appeared over her new body, while she also gained the information on how to transform between this form, her base form, and a full dragon form. The Priest submitted to her after witnessing the power of the rest of his kind in willing new power upon her, just as Lyran had warned when he realized who they were going to come into contact with, though while Rain was sure that she would be getting a weird new name at some point, given their naming scheme, she focused on the kuo-toa. One asked if there was anything they could do to appease her, before spreading her existence to the rest of their kind to place her on the pantheon that their kind worshiped, and she got an idea as she pointed at the Oceanic Urn and asked for it to be an offering to their new goddess. She honestly couldn't believe her eyes when they removed the artifact from the alter in no time at all and offered it to her with their heads bowed, to which she informed all of them that she was pleased as she had Allessia take it, going along with the viewpoint that they were her first followers, before dismissing them, causing the vast group of kuo-toa to disperse so they could spread her glory.
With the Oceanic Urn in hand the group departed from the temple, retraced their steps to the rowboat, and returned to the main ship, where Rain forced herself back into her base form as she took the urn, as it would be safe with her, at least until it was time to hand it over to Jherek, and she was looking forward to whatever he had next for them.
Jherek was surprised and overjoyed to discover that they had recovered the Oceanic Urn, more in the sense that he heard of the spies that Randalla had found on their ship and feared that it had been stolen from them before she got them back to Baldur's Gate, but he was glad to have it in their possession.
"With this artifact in our possession we are ready to move onto the next stage of our plan." Jherek stated, which Rain knew had to deal with the Elemental Foundations that had been mentioned during the conversation that they had eavesdropped on, back in Firewind Manor, meaning they would no doubt be heading into all four of the Elemental Planes, "However, now is not the time to discuss such matters, as I need to check in with Omduil and make sure he's ready for the next stage... you are free to rest and recover your strength. I will send for you when the time is right."
As Jherek departed from the warehouse, with the container that held all four artifacts they had recovered, Ysuran told them that he had been speaking to Omduil as well, in fact he was the one that he was funneling most of his rewards into to help him out, earning him more skills and more of his memories. Rain figured that this might be the best time for them to deal with whatever problems were plaguing their friends, those who received money from her friends and granted each one new powers and skills as time went on, since they had time before Jherek summoned them. Dorn discovered that Randalla had a request for him, as a druid by the name of Allana was calling on him for assistance, while Vhaidra learned from her family member, who sat in the corner, of the whereabouts of those who murdered her family and the scrolls that would boost her power. Borador, on the other hand, learned of the existence of Gandam's Hold, apparently a special place for dwarves due to what Rain could tell, that was being guarded by a basilisk of all things, but if they could claim the Hold their clan would be able to actually pay off their debts, causing her friend to smile as he talked with his clan brother.
Allessia and Ysuran also had unique quests to undertake, the former being directed to an ancient mausoleum that rested at the foot of the Sunset Mountains, to deal with a cleric of Cyric, while the latter was told by Omduil that he had made for the Clock Tower of the Clock Woods some time ago, as he claimed Ysuran had trained under him and wrote the book that he carried.
"It seems like you guys have some exciting quests to go on." Rain remarked, which was the truth as she thought about what they had learned when each of their friends had talked to the person they had been helping so far, but even as she took a moment to think about this information she knew her friends would want to tackle their quests alone.
"What will you do while we're gone?" Allessia asked, confirming Rain's thoughts on the matter, they would be separating for a time to deal with their individual quests, which she wasn't annoyed by since she knew that each of them could handle the dangers that were currently waiting for them in their destinations.
"Probably stay at the inn and meditate for a time... help calm my mind for the next stage of Jherek's plan." Rain said, which made her wonder if he might have another mission for her to do while her friends were busy, though she highly doubted it since he would have mentioned it before they left the warehouse, "Don't worry about me, as I have faith that you guys can complete the quests that have been presented to you by your allies and connections."
Her friends stared at her for a few more moments before nodding their heads as they headed down the street that lead out of Baldur's Gate, where their horses were waiting for them, allowing Rain to see each of them off as they headed out to claim glory for themselves and their respective allies. Once they were gone, however, Rain headed back to Omduil's so she could meditate and be close by in case Jherek needed her to get something for the next stage of their plan, where she found the elderly wizard and her Harper friend discussing what to do next. There were components Omduil required so he could teleport the heroes to the four Elemental Planes, but based on what she could see neither of them needed any additional help in making sure everything was accounted for, especially since they had the Elemental Keys that would let them activate the Elemental Foundations. One thing that all three of them agreed on was that the Zhentarim would have guardians in place to keep the four key components of the Onyx Tower's revival under their control, so they could reform the tower when it was time for them to do so, and with Rain's power Jherek was sure they could figure out how to seal the structure completely.
As Rain sat down, however, she realized that her meditation would have to wait, because while she knew that Jherek had faith in her skills she had no idea why he felt that she had the power to seal the Onyx Tower, though that was when she glanced at the blade she had used to end Eldritch a lifetime ago.
"Of course, the Onyx Blade... a weapon forged in the heart of the tower itself." Rain remarked, something that caused the pair to glance at her for a moment, though she found that Jherek nodded his head, because after hearing all the tales on what happened, and getting Rain's take on the battle, he suspected that it might be the key to ending the threat of the Onyx Tower, once and for all, "If we can track down the core of the tower, that which keeps it intact despite Eldrith's final demise, I can pierce it with the sword, after combining it with my own powers, and maybe, just maybe, seal the tower so no one can use it against the Western Heartlands."
"That is our hope as well, provided we beat the Zhentarim to the tower itself." Jherek said, because while there were likely guardians protecting the Elemental Foundations, which made sense considering that they were in the hands of their foes, he suspected that Kharne or one of the higher ranking members might be lurking near where the tower last stood, likely to get inside it before anyone else did.
"And to ensure our success, I will restore your memories as well." Omduil stated, where he turned a hand towards Rain for a moment and magic danced around his palm for a few seconds, something that caused her to pause as she felt an odd feeling in her mind, likely the magic doing exactly what the wizard had told her, "Jherek told me that you were searching for a way to recover your memories, like Ysuran before you, so allow me to speed up the process... maybe whatever lies in your past will help us seal the Onyx Tower."
As Rain sat there she felt her memories, those she had hunted for so she could rediscover who she was, surged out of the darkness that they had been trapped in since her arrival in Baldur's Gate some time ago, giving her a chance to observe and relive what happened before she came to this world. She took the opportunity to meditate as Omduil returned to his preparations, allowing her to go over her memories without drawing too much attention to what she was doing, finding that she wasn't from this planet at all, much less the various Elemental Planes that Adrianna had told her about ages ago, rather it appeared that she was from a world called Equus. There she lived as the ruler of the Kirin, though it was hard to tell what her official rank had been, where she discovered that her previous race had been a four legged one, like a horse but with some of the unique features that blessed her current form. She did consider the fact that she had been a terrible leader, as her kind apparently had the power to be engulfed in flames, their 'Nirik' forms, after being angered, so to make sure no one got angry over what someone else said she had every Kirin step through a spring to silence themselves, which had been broken fairly recently according to her memories.
There was also something that lead her to being brought to this world, one of her kind had gone missing and she had, of course, gone out to find her, before something happened and she teleported to this world, with no memories and a brand new body, but the experience had been well worth it.
After a couple of days her friends returned with news of their various successes, as Allessia had slain the cleric of Cyris and stopped his foul plans, Dorn had aided the druid in preserving nature while taking out a dragon, Borador claimed the long lost Hold for his clan, Vhaidra brought news of the downfall of her targets, and Ysuran had pieced together the last bits of his memories. All five of them were far stronger than they had been the last time she saw them, in fact each one told her and their allies of their quests, where Rain smiled as each one recounted their private adventures, utilizing their talents to get the job done, as it was nice to hear that they were successful. Jherek was also pleased to hear of their progress, due to the fact that taking out dragons and stopping dark clerics from raising armies of the undead were things that the Harpers did, or at least would hire capable adventurers to do, so some of their deeds actually freed up some of his organization's resources. At the same time Omduil was also glad to hear this, as it meant that nothing would stop them from heading into the Elemental Planes and claiming the Elemental Foundations that were linked to the Onyx Tower, though while he got ready Rain told them that she'd share her discoveries with them later, once this quest was done.
She knew that once everyone was rested and ready to go they would delve into four dangerous realms and clash with the residents of each place, causing her to wonder just what sort of guardians the Zhentarim had enlisted to defend the four Foundations as she looked forward to what the future held in store for them.
Once Rain and her friends were done chatting about what they had done, and some even suggested that there was no way for some of the others to have completed their special quests, all in good fun she realized, Jherek approached them, which told everyone that it was time to get down to business.
"As you no doubt know by now, Randalla, Omduil, Rain and I are members of the Harpers," Jherek stated, as he suspected that one or two of them might have forgotten that piece of information, so he was covering old information before adding new bits for everyone to understand the situation they were being hired to join again, "and we, along with the rest of our order, have dedicated our lives to the safety of the Realms and the people who calls this land home... some of us work like this, finding adventurers like you to hire for a number of jobs, while others, like Rain, will head out to deal with the various dangers directly. We seek to protect the Realms when they cannot protect themselves, something you have proven to be quite well at, and you have done us a service by recovering the four artifacts... however, with them in hand, it's time that I told you about the threat of the Onyx Tower."
"You mean Eldrith's tower, which crumbled when Rain and her friends slew the Betrayer?" Borador inquired, because after everything that they had been told so far he assumed that the tower was no longer something for anyone to worry about, though now it looked like they would have to reevaluate what was going on.
"Indeed I do, but the tower is more than that: it is, in fact, a massive gate, a powerful construct that can move anywhere in Faerun with each new moon," Jherek said, something that made Rain wonder why Eldritch hadn't done so when she was in control of the tower, since she was sure that she had spent a lot of time building her army, but decided that it wasn't worth worrying about at this point in time, "and, thanks to the efforts of Rain and her friends, we learned about how one could forge gateways made out of onyx that linked two points of the world together... it was how Eldrith planned to bring about the end of Baldur's Gate, using the Onyx Gates to move her army in right under our nose."
"So the Zhentarim are seeking to use it's power to spread their influence, right?" Vhaidra remarked, which made sense as she thought about it, because the traits that came with such a structure seemed interesting and worth collecting, though at the same time she knew that some of her companions would seek the tower's destruction.
"Yes, which we cannot allow. The Harpers must claim it, either to seal it or destroy it." Jherek stated, as crippling the vast network of the Zhentarim would help keep the lands safe for some time, even though he knew they would come back into power with a new plan in no time at all, they were annoying like that, before he focused on the heroes once more as they listened to the information he was sharing with them, "This is why we sought four special artifacts to serve as Elemental Keys, so we could reactivate the tower's four Elemental Foundations, restoring it's physical form so we can send you in to either seal it... or destroy it. We're positive that Rain holds the key to doing so, the very blade that she pulled from it back when she fought Eldrith with her friends, so we just need to restore it long enough for her to do her job."
As Jherek went on to explain that the cause was just, the rewards would be staggering, and that the tale would be one of legends, all of which Rain knew would interest her friends greatly, she could see that all of them were going to take down the Zhentarim and stay by her side, causing them to smile as they informed Jherek that they'd help him.
"Excellent. Now, Omduil's magic can take you to any of the four Elemental Planes, so I'll leave the decision to you as to which one you want to take on first." Jherek said, though he was pleased with this piece of information, because while he knew that he could trust of Rain to do all four tasks on her own, and maybe in record time, having the heroes meant that whatever guards the Zhentarim had selected were doomed no matter what.
Rain focused on her friends for a moment as they briefly discussed which Elemental Plane to tackle first, where she found that they were thinking about the Plane of Air first, causing Jherek to nod as he handed over the Orb of Thunder, which she tucked away for safe keeping. With the decision made Omduil called forth his power for a few moments, allowing him to focus on moving them from this Plane to the one of their choosing, and it wasn't long before they disappeared from the manor that they had gathered in while he worked. When the world around them reformed, as in Rain and her friends had been dropped in the outskirts of the area that happened to contain the Air Foundation, everyone found that the ground was made up of sections of earth that had been brought together by the very power of the structure they were after, with no railings to speak of. As such it meant all of them had to be careful, since falling off the edge would result in a death that was very painful, though Rain reminded her friends of the blessing she had gotten when they recovered the Oceanic Urn, so she should be able to catch them if something happened.
"Everyone alright?" Rain asked, because she wanted to make sure the others were fine after teleporting to a new area, as she and her first group of friends had gotten used to it rather quickly, while making note of the fact that parts of the area were already full of holes, more hazards they had to deal with, especially since they appeared to be high in the air and had some strong wind to deal with.
"We're fine. Let's find that Foundation." Allessia stated, though at the same time she and the others readied their gear as Rain started to walk away from the dead end they had been teleported to, which seemed to be the edge of the Plane, as there was no telling where their target was located or how long it would take to find it.
This time around it was only Rain and her friends, as Shadow was resting with Jherek and Omduil, as they had told her the Planes would be too dangerous for the displacer beast, or maybe it was to make sure her focus was on their objective and not having to divert her attention every now and then to make sure she was safe. Rain was fine with this, as this was far more important than what she and the others had done during her first adventure, so it allowed her to focus on the area that was around them, where it was easy to find floating rocks that, when broken, dropped some gemstones that were swiftly claimed by Borador. Everyone agreed that this place seemed to be a rather peaceful Plane, save for the occasional ball of lightning that floated around the area, which Ysuran took down with ease thanks to his newfound powers, but, at the same time, they kept their guards up. There were also beings that took the form of dust devils that tried to attack the group, where Rain discovered that the enchanted weapons that her friends possessed, giving them more power to keep themselves alive, allowed them to smash their enemies apart with ease.
Rain quickly found that this time around her friends didn't need her to step in and help them, rather they had grown into their various roles by completing their personal quests, something that caused her to smile as she glanced out at the rest of the Plane of Air. She noted that it looked like they were above the clouds, once more making her wonder if the force of the Foundation had pulled pieces of earth out of the ground and brought it up here to form a path in case someone came to access the structure that was connected to the Onyx Tower. While they walked she imagined that the Planes of Fire and Water would be far more dangerous than this one, especially the former once Rain remembered the fact that a dragon was guarding the Fire Foundation, thanks to the conversation that they had overheard, and knew that it was only a matter of time until she was proven right or wrong. Her friends, however, tore through the balls of lightning and the dust devils in no time at all, allowing them to make excellent time in getting through the rest of the section of the Plane of Air as Rain felt the draw of the Air Foundation, allowing her to direct them to a large area.
As they walked into the area, however, a decent sized creature flew down and Rain found that it seemed to be a winged lion of some kind, a manticore according to Allessia, and on it's back rested a short bald figure who seemed to be a mage, likely the Guardian they were here to kill.
"Tremble in fear, adventurers, for you now face the terrifying might of the all powerful Habdazar Doomwing, skymage of the Zhentarim!" the figure stated as his steed landed in front of them, confirming that he worked for the organization that the Harpers opposed, though at the same time Rain found that he sounded arrogant, before glancing behind him at an obelisk that radiated elemental energy, the Air Foundation she realized, "You many now pray to whatever deities you worship, for whatever protection you think they can offer you, but know that it will not matter: you will die here, by my hand."
Rain found that she really didn't have to do anything this time around, as Dorn leapt at the manticore before it could move back into the air and severed one of it's wings with his axe, causing Habdazar to curse them as he raised blasts of ice down on them, though it was purely his fault this had happened. Had he remained in the air Rain knew that it would have been a far more impressive battle, but his arrogance seemed to be his undoing since he seemed to be making some questionable decisions after seeing Dorn harm his steed like that. He kept attacking the heroes as some black guards, the same that had come for the Orb of Thunder, rushed in to join the fight, though they failed to do anything as Vhaidra crushed their chests with a powerful punch and kick that slipped through their defenses. Ysuran and Borador used their ranged attacks to bring down the manticore, allowing Allessia to finishing it off since she had been careful not to let it bite her, though as the beast died Habdazar decided it was time to flee, where Rain caught him with her magic and removed his head, as he wasn't worth trying to fight for real.
With that done she turned towards the Air Foundation and pulled out the Orb of Thunder, where the artifact glowed before turning into energy that struck the obelisk, causing it to glow in turn, allowing them to see that one Foundation had been activated, causing everyone to smile as they were pulled back to Baldur's Gate so they could pick another Plane and see what sort of dangers might be waiting for them this time.
Upon their return to Omduil's place Rain and the others found that Jherek was hoping that they had good news for him, where he was delighted to hear that they had secured the first Elemental Foundation, taking it from Habdazar Doomwing and the Zhentarim, something that worried him since it made him wonder who the other Guardians might be. Rain had a feeling that since they had yet to run into Luvia Bloodmire or Aizagora, and she had expected to run into them again during their adventures, those two were likely candidates, or at the very least the dragon was given the conversation she had with Kharne. With that in mind she knew that the Plane of Fire was off limits for the time being, as she wanted to make sure that the other Elemental Foundations were claimed first, giving the others time to get a little more experience before having to deal with a powerful dragon, since she was sure that Aizagora would be stronger than all of the others they had faced so far. Her friends ended up agreeing with her, it sounded reasonable to leave the dragon until the very end, especially since she might be lurking around the Plane of Fire, hence why they turned their attention to the Plane of Earth first, then Water, before circling back to deal with Fire.
After coming to an agreement on where to go next Jherek handed Rain the Jade Octahedron before Omduil teleported them to their next destination, where Rain glanced out at the rocky area that they appeared in, with all sorts of crystals growing out of the ground, with soft ones looking like they formed a path deeper into the Plane, while it looked like they were underground as well.
"At least there's oxygen for us to breathe." Ysuran commented, which he suspected was part of the Earth Foundation, like all four of the structures generated a bubble in the Elemental Planes that allowed one to safely explore the Plane, to a degree considering how dangerous the previous one had been.
"Yeah, but keep your guards up... there's no telling what sort of dangers are waiting for us." Rain said, because she had a feeling that the Earth and Fire Planes would have the most dangerous foes for them to fight, in terms of smaller enemies, and she didn't want any of her friends to be caught off guard by whatever was waiting for them.
As it turned out the softer crystals did, in fact, form pathways that cut between the various sections of this Plane, though the first foe they had to worry about was one of the worst, it was the large ant like rust monsters that devoured metal like all of it was food, nasty critters based on what the others had to say. Instead of wasting time Rain focused on the rust monsters, cutting through them like they were nothing, because the gear that her friends were using right now had to be special, the rewards from their personal quests, and she wasn't about to let them lose their treasures to these foul beasts. Such a thing allowed the others to crush the weaker stones, granting them more gemstones that could either be sold or used back in the new shop to empower their weapons or the rest of their gear, while keeping an eye out for the other foes, since there had to be one or two more waiting for them. That was when they discovered that the other enemy out there were Umberhulks, a type of foe that Rain had fought once in the past, back when she was dealing with the drow in the Sunset Mountains, but she didn't move to help the others as she slew another rust monster, as she knew that they didn't need her help.
Dorn's might, combined with Allessia's blessings, Vhaidra's agility, Borador's accuracy, and Ysuran's magic, allowed them to bring down the first Umberhulk and back off for a few moments to recover their energy for the next one that the path would no doubt bring them to. Other than that there wasn't much for them to look at, not while they were in an underground area that had light provided by crystals in the ceiling, so they focused on taking down their various foes as Borador used some of his bolts to join Rain in taking care of all of the rust monsters that lined their path, since they didn't care about his crossbow at all. Rain was convinced that the Foundations were positioned in an area of each Plane that was somewhat safe to access, because if they were in the heart of each Plane she was sure that they would be having a harder time cutting through the guardians and passing through the obstacles that each of the four Planes seemed to have. Things changed a little as they found a tall stone elemental that reminded Rain of the giants of the Sunset Mountains, in size to be exact, though this time the group joined forces to bring it down, because it was tougher and stronger than the rest of the foes they had fought so far, ending them in being victorious.
After that there were a few more stone elementals, mixed in with the rest of the monsters they had found so far, though it wasn't long before they reached a large clearing that had a familiar obelisk inside it, the Earth Foundation, and standing in front of it was none other that Luvia Bloodmire.
"Ah, Rain Shine and her band of adventurers... I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I am by the fact that we are able to meet each other once again." Luvia stated, where Rain found her to be just as annoying as she had been the last time she and her friends had crossed paths with her, while her clothing seemed more bloodstained than it had been previously, as if she had been experimenting on anyone who crossed her path, "I wish to thank you for your aid in Bloodmire Manor, as you taught me many things with your wanton destruction of my beautiful creations... I have learned of the grave errors that I made in my quest to create true life from death, not the undeath you destroyed."
"And I don't care." Rain replied, because based on what she could see it didn't look like Luvia had anything more than the pair of guards that had been given to her by her Zhentarim masters, to which she and the others prepared themselves as the lady frowned at her, "Let's get this over with."
The guards were nothing compared to the might of the group, as they were used to taking them down at this point, while Luvia herself proved to be nothing more than a normal lady with no powers, so she was hacked, slashed, and blasted with magic before Dorn delivered a powerful downward slash that hacked into her collar and dropped her lifeless body to the ground. That was when her body literally exploded outward, arms and legs breaking into tentacles while her lower body turned into what appeared to be an octopus' body, though at the same time her upper body bulked up into a monstrous form and her head became more elongated as she breathed poison on them. Rain realized that Luvia had figured out how to make a mixture of some kind that activated upon the death of the one who drank it, meaning it was a good thing that they were taking her down since this sort of thing should never see the light of day. Of course the transformation meant Luvia was much slower than her previous human form, to compensate for her new mass, so while her poison might be her strongest weapon it meant nothing as the group out maneuvered her and hacked her to pieces, before setting her on fire to be sure the body was fully destroyed.
Once that was done, and Rain had confirmation that Luvia had been utterly destroyed, she pulled out the artifact for this Plane and activated the second Elemental Foundation, allowing them to be pulled back to Omduil's manor without much delay, allowing the group to see that the pair was pleased with their progress.
"Might as well give us the Oceanic Urn as well... we're on a roll now." Ysuran said, because with their combined might he was sure that nothing could stop them at this point, so since no one needed to rest he figured that it would be best if they continued taking down the remaining Guardians and claiming the rest of the Elemental Foundations.
Jherek nodded as he handed Rain the artifact in question, allowing her to pocket it as Omduil teleported them into what looked like an ice cavern, a large one that was different from the ones she had been in during her time exploring the rest of the Sunset Mountains. Of course there were sections filled with water, in fact she would have been disappointed if the element of this Plane was missing, while discovering holes in certain places that were like what they noticed during their visit to the Plane of Air, hazards to be avoided. With that in mind Rain focused on the tug of the Elemental Foundation, as she was becoming more in tune with them, and beckoned for the others to follow as she headed down a tunnel, which let them discover the first foe of this place, a small floating squid creature that breathed an icy breath towards them. Rain didn't have to get involved at all as her friends took those ones down, not to mention the rest once they got further into the cave, allowing her to track down where the Water Foundation was resting while looting some snow piles of the gems that were inside them.
The other foe the group fought ended up being the yetis from the Sunset Mountains, confusing Rain since there was no way they were linked to this Elemental Plane, only it took each of them two hits to take one down, as they were far weaker than what Rain was expecting, but they simply said nothing as they followed Rain deeper into the Plane. It was almost sad as Rain watched her friends take down the creatures of this Plane, as she honestly expected to find stronger foes waiting between them and the Guardians, brought in by the power of the Elemental Foundations, yet it seemed like something or someone wanted them to win over the Zhentarim. She suspected that the gods of this world might be watching them, to make sure that someone dealt with the Onyx Tower or used it for their own ends, she really had no idea, and wondered if they might be speeding things along in some manner to make sure they were successful, but in the end she realized that it didn't matter too much.
With no other foes standing in their way, like the stone elementals, it didn't take the group long to track down the section of this Plane that held the Water Foundation, where there was a lady on a pillar of ice and what looked to be a kraken in the water they had to stand in to reach their destination.
"So, you've arrived at last. Do you know who I am?" the lady stated, where Rain assumed she was some sort of sorceress, based on the robes she was wearing, maybe a water user based on the Plane and the patterns on her attire, though as she spoke Rain found that her friends were getting ready for combat, "I am Illudra, the Sea-Witch, Mistress of the Depths... my sorcery has sunk one hundred ships and slain two thousand men, and now it will utterly destroy you, Harper dogs."
Rain beckoned to Illudra and her friends rushed at her without delay, while she, on the other hand, turned her blade on the kraken's tentacles as it's mistress commanded it to attack everyone, allowing her friends to deal with their main foe as she stopped the creature from interfering. Illudra fired off bolts of ice magic with reckless abandon, fully intending on her killing everyone, though she found that Rain wasn't the only one she should have been worried about when she learned of the Harper's greatest heroes, as Ysuran and Allessia dealt with her magic like it was nothing. Even despite using fire and lightning spells Illudra discovered that they were just too skilled for her or her pair of guards to deal with, as Dorn crushed them with his weapons, opening the way for Vhaidra to hurt the sorceress without leaving an opening for her to exploit, all while Borador pelted her with some of his bolts. Rain suspected that they were simply overpowered at this point, given how Illudra fell before the might of her friends, something that caused the kraken to pause and blink before retreating as it's mind was freed, causing her to sigh as she approached the Water Foundation.
As soon as the third Foundation was claimed Rain and her friends returned to Omduil's domain so they could get ready for the final stage of their quest, the Plane of Fire, and then deal with the threat of the Onyx Tower once and for all, to save the lands from it's threat and the Zhantarim who sought to rule over the land.
"With three of the four Elemental Foundations claimed, it now falls to you to claim the Fire Foundation so we can teleport into the Plane of Shadow to claim the Onyx Tower." Jherek said, giving them one last reminder as he handed Rain the last of the artifacts they had recovered previously, the Brazier of Eternal Flame, because if they fell it would deliver the Tower right into the hands of their enemies, even though he suspected the group would succeed.
"If Rain is correct, we'll need to beat Aizagora to claim it." Dorn remarked, which he suspected was the truth, a dragon of her skill would be the ideal Guardian for the last Elemental Foundation, in fact he had a feeling that the Plane itself would give her an advantage over them, but he had faith in their abilities.
Rain said nothing as she readied herself, where Omduil weaved his magic over them and teleported them to what looked like a massive cavern that had blackened ground and walls, though there were also pools of lava that everyone had to avoid as they found that the ceiling was high above them. This confirmed that Aizagora would have the advantage, as she was sure that the area that the Fire Foundation was resting in would mimic what they were seeing right now, but she had a surprise in store for the beast when they finally found her. Once everyone got used to the fact that they were in another Plane, this one full of fire and giving off some foul smells, potentially toxic, where Rain knew they were fortunate for Omduil's magic since it was protecting them from the worst that the Plane had to offer, they turned to her and she started to head out. This was a benefit she wasn't expecting to discover, that she seemed to have some sort of connection of the Foundations, no doubt due to the fact that she carried the onyx blade as her weapon, one forged in the Tower itself, so like called to like.
Not a few moments later they found that the first foe of this Plane was none other than bats that were on constant fire, no doubt an elemental creature based on what Rain had seen so far, before the second type, a fire giant made of fire and stone, attacked them as well. Rain was pleased with this change of events as her friends attacked their enemies, as it was totally different from having to fight one foe and then discovering the second later on, not to mention the fact that the fire giants were tougher than the elementals they had fought in the previous Planes. Of course her friends ended up winning, though this time around it did take them slightly longer to bring their opponents down, even with their newfound power and skills, but they were fine with that as they continued to follow Rain as she carefully navigated the cavern and searched for the area that held the Fire Foundation. Another thing that they discovered was that they had to avoid the flaming rocks that came out of the pools of lava, an environmental hazard like what had been seen in the last three Planes, but it was easy to avoid the flaming rocks as Rain carefully moved along the edges of the path.
There were also sections of the path that passed by cave-ins, either Aizagora having rearranged the terrain to give herself more preparation time or it being due to the areas in question being on the outskirts of the Foundation's domain, but Rain and her friends continued to move forward, keeping an eye out for additional dangers. Borador did find areas that held a few treasure chests, a difference from the Planes they had been in previously, causing them to realize that the chests had to be part of the dragon's vast hoard, causing the dwarf to smile as he looted each chest that happened to be along the path they were following. Rain suspected that this was a bad move on Aizagora's part, bringing part of her hoard here, to a Plane her enemies would be visiting at some point, but she wasn't about to argue the point with the others, as they were fine with the additional treasure, allowing her to focus on the path and the enemies that were waiting for them. She did have to take a moment to wonder if they'd find some sort of massive fire elemental with wings or something, but found that no such beast came out to fight them, though they did, eventually, discover some Zhentarim guards that fell in seconds, meaning they had to be close to the last Elemental Foundation.
A few moments later their thoughts were proven correct as they entered a large section of the cavern that held the obelisk that was the Fire Foundation, along with Aizagora in her dragon form, meaning she must have been using her time to get ready for when her foes arrived.
"Your fortunes end here, Rain Shine, as this place with be the tomb of you and your companions!" Aizagora stated, where she opened her wings and showed them that she was going to burn them to ash, based on the flames that were building in her throat at the moment.
"We'll see about that, Aizagora, because I've gotten a few power boosts since our last meeting." Rain replied, something that was followed by her sheathing her blade as her body changed before the dragon's eyes, where she took on the form she gained from the kuo-tao before rushing towards the beast that was in front of her.
Aizagora froze for a moment as the rest of the magic washed over Rain, allowing her to take on a form that was identical to a fully grown dragon, in fact it stunned her for more than she was willing to admit as Rain's claws reached her neck and slashed through some of her scales like they were nothing. As she took to the air Aizagora gathered her flames and let out a torrent of flames down on the Pretender, fully intending on bathing Rain in fire and blocking her view before raining a lot of meteors down on where she was standing. Rain, on the other hand, did the same thing and turned her head towards the ceiling as she loosed a burst of white flames up into the air, causing the two attacks to collide in the space above them while the others stood near the Fire Foundation, which protected them from harm. It came as a surprise to Aizagora as her flames were pushed back into her face, blasting her out of the air as she realized that something had happened to her foe, allowing the 'False Dragon', as she had called her, to become a very real one, channeling her insane skills into power that was allowing her to overcome her powerful flames.
Rain's friends, however, understood what they were seeing, as the kuo-tao had empowered her far more than any of them had realized back when it happened, rather the insane individuals had actually given Rain the power to turn into a dragon, and right now she was utilizing her new power to the fullest.
Rain switched up her magical power as she opened her mouth and loosed a burst of white lightning into the air, blasting the red dragon backwards as she tried to come to terms with what she was seeing, though as that happened she pushed herself into the air and chased her foe before she decided to flee. Aizagora realized that things were going to go south if she let Rain do whatever she wanted to turned down to face her foe as well, allowing the two to clash in the middle of the air as they lashed out with their claws and tails as each sought to find an opening to use their teeth. Such a thing allowed the others to see that there was a slight size difference between the two, as Aizagora was definitely larger than Rain, but such a thing allowed Rain to avoid some of the more damaging attacks as she used her speed to deal some blows to the larger dragon. Ysuran discovered what was going on not a few moments later as Rain shrunk a little more and seemed to get another speed boost, she was using her magic to shrink her form and was transferring that into speed, likely some sort of illusion spell that was messing with Aizagora's mind, since she seemed to be having trouble right now.
The other thing he noted was the most staggering fact, that Rain's talons and spine spikes looked like they were made out of the very material that her onyx blade was made out of, which explained by she was able to cut through Aizagora's own scales like they were nothing, and he even noticed that her teeth were blackened as well.
Rain outmaneuvered the meteors that Aizagora tried to drop on her head, noticing that her foe seemed to have a select set of skills that weren't useful against another dragon, especially not one like her for that matter, before slashing at her foe's neck and found that her attack was successful. There were several gashes on the red dragon's neck as she roared in pain for a moment, showing everyone that she had been hit as she started to stagger towards the ground, prompting Rain to strike the other dragon in the back with the edge of her tail, the end bladed as she found out. Aizagora struck the wall to the left of the opening that allowed Rain and her friends to enter this area, though it wasn't long before Rain blasted her with her white lightning attack again, weakening the red dragon's defenses even more as time went by. Once she was done with the attack Aizagora put up one last resistance as she pushed herself back into the air and rushed at Rain, who avoided whatever was coming her way and chomped down on the red dragon's neck, allowing her to tear a chunk out not a few seconds later.
The result of that was that Aizagora crashed into the ground near the Foundation and stared up at Rain, who landed near where she fell, causing the red dragon to weakly chuckle before letting out what seemed to be a sigh as she bled out, as if she gave up in the face of Rain's might, who roared before reverting to her normal form.
"...wow... that was epic!" Dora remarked, as he had wondered how they were going to fight a red dragon, given that this one had tried to kill them the last time she saw them, but now he knew and he was, once again, grateful to have Rain on their side, as the mere thought of fighting her filled him with dread.
"Indeed, and the last Foundation is now ours." Rain said, where she pulled out the Brazier of Eternal Flame and activated the obelisk that was in front of them, allowing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief as they returned to Omduil's manor and turned to face Jherek, who smiled as he realized that they had succeeded.
As Jherek opened his mouth to say something, no doubt to congratulate them before they moved into the next stage of their plan to deal with the Onyx Tower, they were interrupted as an unexpected arrival entered the manor, Kharne to be exact, who held up his hands to show them that he only wanted to talk.
"I know what you are thinking, old man: yes, the Zhentarim have lost the Tower... but so, too, have the Harpers, despite all of your plans." Kharne stated, something that immediately caused Rain to beckon for everyone to back off, because if he was speaking truthfully it meant there was another force in motion that had been waiting for this very moment and they had played right into their hands, while also allowing Kharne to lower his hands, "I recently discovered that the vampire lord Mordoc SeLanmere holds the only known Onyx Gate that isn't under your direct observation, one that leads right into the Tower itself... it is he who controls the Tower, now that Rain Shine and her companions have done the hard work by reactivating the Elemental Foundations."
"Mordoc? Truly?" Jherek inquired, all while Omduil freaked out, mentioning that the figure in question was the 'Pale Knight' and the 'White Prince', meaning he was a big deal and that they should be very worried by the news that he had gained possession of the Onyx Tower, while his remark caused Kharne to nod his head, "He hasn't stirred for nearly a century... why now? What in the world could he be up to?"
"The Zhentarim and I have no idea, but we agree that disaster looms over all of Toril if he commands the power of the Onyx Tower." Kharne said, where he glanced at Rain for a moment and she understood what he would say soon, that all of them should band together to deal with Mordoc, before it was too late, while the victor could claim the Tower once the dust had finally settled, of at least that was if her thoughts were right on the matter, "Darkhold already sent troops to deal with him, while you were busy dealing with the Guardians of the Elemental Foundations, but they were slain by the foul undead guarding his keep. I can help you get passed the magic keeping it well hidden, but we'll have to fight the undead, and whatever is inside the structure itself, before we get to him... and Rain, I have it on good authority that your friends, the first adventurers you traveled with, are being held by him as well."
Rain was more than willing to fight Mordoc on the principle of stopping him from using the Onyx Tower, but hearing that he had her friends was just an added bonus for her as it spurred her into helping the others get ready to depart on the last leg of their adventure, all while hoping that they would emerge victorious once it was over.
Rain found that they had to be careful in moving towards the Battle of Bones, the ancient battleground that Mordoc was able to draw the dead out of, since there was no telling if he had other lesser vampires watching the city for any signs of a group coming towards his lair. Allessia and the others spent a short period of time getting the last minute supplies that they would need for the journey, before they, Jherek, and Kharne slipped out of Baldur's Gate under the cover of darkness, since it was best if next to no one knew of their departure. Of course Rain knew that Jherek had told Randalla of the fact that they were leaving, but other than that even she was left in the dark as to what they were doing, just to make sure Mordoc's spies were left in the dark, so she remained quiet as she and her friends departed with their new companions. She didn't trust Kharne, not after everything he tried to pull before their encounter in the depths of the old Guild hideout, but Jherek told her that they needed his skills to find and enter the Keep of Pale Night, Mordoc's resting place, so she said nothing as he joined their group.
He was still afraid of her, that much Rain could tell with just a quick glance, no doubt wondering if she still held the same terrifying power that she had used in the past or if her skills were different after her adventurers, but she decided to focus on the journey and nothing else.
When they reached the edge of the Battle of Bones Kharne called for them to stop and set the horses outside the foul area that was where the dead refused to remain dead, especially since it was where the Orb of the Undead had come from, one or Mordoc's toys no doubt. Such a thing caused everyone to get off their horses and make sure they were placed in an area where they would be safe, or at least that was their hope right now, before gathering at the base of the valley that would, according to Kharne, bring them to the Keep of Pale Night. The area in front of them was definitely an ancient battlefield, with all sorts of siege weapons littering the area, in bits and pieces, while there were scattered caravans that had once carried weapons, armor, and all sorts of supplies to those who were fighting. In addition to that the valley had a large number of corpses resting all over the place, forces slain either by the hands of their foes or those that happened to sneak up on two weary forces, but all Rain knew was that if Mordoc awakened them it might be enough to destroy most of Baldur's Gate and the areas that surrounded it.
Once they reached the area that Kharne wanted to enter the Battle of Bones through, likely one that would allow them to get a fair distance in before being discovered, even though he hoped their enemies wouldn't find them at all, he turned for a moment and glanced at the rest of the group.
"From this point forward the lot of you will be following me... I will hear no arguments, because the quicker we get to the Keep of Pale Night the sooner we get this done." Kharne stated, where Allessia and the others readied their weapons as Jherek nodded his understanding, it was why he was here after all, to guide them to where Mordoc's domain was located, though as he said that he activated the spell that would allow him to do his job, "Rain, are you with us?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Rain replied, as she turned and hacked through a ghost knight that charged at her, the edge of her blade severing his connection to this world, but even as she did that she glanced at the path in front of them and knew that this would be one of the greatest challenges of their adventure, "There's something sinister at work... some dark force working in the shadows..."
Kharne suspected that it might be the key Guardians of the Battle of Bones, Nightwalkers, might be what Rain was feeling and that aspect terrified him to his core, because they were monsters from the Plane of Shadow, unnatural and malicious beings who delighted in corrupting mortals. It was said that they were beings of death and shadows, possessing terrible powers over darkness itself, and if that was the case it stood to reason that one of them must have created the Orb of the Undead, no doubt after Mordoc bargained with one in some manner. He had half a mind to instantly stop and ask Rain if she could track down the exact number of Nightwalkers that were residing in this place, because if there was only one in the Battle of Bones he could leave it for her to take care of, both for their mission and for later ones in case the rest of her friends were killed. The other half of him didn't want to know if she could do that, because if there were more than one, as in five or more, he was sure that they would track them down, combine their powers on the group, and take great delight in mentally destroying all of them until there was nothing left.
His thoughts were interrupted as Dorn slashed his way through a pair of spirits as Allessia purified the remains of those who fell, to keep more from springing up to fight them, leaving the others to secure the area as he regained himself and pushed forward, as he didn't want to be here any longer than absolutely necessary.
As they pushed deeper into the valley, and dealt with the undead that were guarding the outskirts, Rain glanced from one side to another every now and then as they walked, because she could tell there were several powerful energy signatures coming from all over the area they were currently passing through. There was a surge of magic as a number of skeletons rose out of the ground and attacked them, no doubt groups from different armies since she could see what appeared to be the remains of humans, dwarves, elves, orcs, and who knew what else mixed into the force. With all the undead it did make her wonder how long this place had been like this, saturated in both deathly energies and the shadow magic that Mordoc used to hide his domain, and what it would take to purify this place entirely, something that would no doubt take far too long based on her current observations. One thing that the energy signatures revealed was the fact that Mordoc had to be incredibly powerful to control so many strong beings, while at the same time maintaining his dominance over the rest of the corrupted valley, before she paused as a familiar surge of energy struck the valley's floor and she heard the sounds of a larger force starting to move.
Kharne also paused as that happened, because while he didn't have Rain's experience clashing with the orb that had been brought into the crypts beneath Baldur's Gate, rather he had seen it all wrapped up and felt very little of it's dark energy, he could tell that something bad had happened.
"What is it? What's going on?" Jherek inquired, keeping his voice low so only the adventurers and Kharne could hear him, because if Rain paused over something it had to be important, especially since there was no telling what might be lurking in the valley they were trying to sneak through without drawing too much attention to themselves.
"I suspect Nightwalkers, powerful beings of death and shadow." Kharne stated, likewise keeping his voice low as he found that the adventurers seemed surprised by his statement, though at this point he was sure that several of them were here, somewhere, causing him to glance over to Rain for a moment, "What do you think?"
"There are eight powerful signatures: seven scattered around the valley and one in the middle of everything." Rain said, where she barely noticed the expressions that Kharne and Jherek made, they were worried about the news that she was now giving them, before she turned her gaze towards the sky and felt the familiar energy that was in the air, "The seven seem to have sources of magical power that have to be Orbs of the Undead, meaning the one we crushed a lifetime ago was likely a new one crafted for Mordoc and either stolen by the Zhentarim's agent or gifted to them. Based on what I'm feeling the seven Nightwalkers likely know we're here and they are combining their power into a central point... either to raise their entire army of undead or raise something that's buried further underground. Either way, we're in danger if they complete their ritual..."
"Can you crush them and open a hole for us to slip through?" Jherek asked, because if there was anyone who might have the power to deal with one or more Nightwalkers, without being killed in the process, it was Rain Shine, especially after she and her friends took care of the Elemental Foundations.
As Rain opened her mouth to reply, however, a group of undead soldiers rushed at them and she swung her blade at all of them, slashing through them with ease as she dropped their bones to the ground, something that was followed by a quick shift to her stance as her wings pulled out of her back and her tail changed into it's draconic form.
"Wait... when could you do this?!" Kharne remarked, as this was the first time he had seen or heard of Rain taking on what appeared to be a humanoid dragon form, even though he did hear Aizagora talk about a 'False Dragon' from time to time, and it made him wonder just how much power Rain Shine actually had.
"No time, talk later!" Rain stated, though instead of going full dragon, and potentially tipping off Mordoc that something powerful was on it's way to his domain, she focused on the humanoid form as the scales finished washing over her body, because this way she could hide herself for much longer, hopefully enough to distract their foe so the others could slip in and she could join them without being discovered.
Rain wasted no time in propelling herself into the air, allowing her to catch the wind as she aligned herself with the closest Nightwalker, because if she took it down she would open the hole that Jherek wanted her to open for them, plus if she cut apart another foul orb it would weaken the ritual that was going on. In the next moment she got her first glimpse of the creatures that sent a shiver down Kharne's spine, a shadowy beast that stood at least twenty feet tall, with smooth skin all over it's body, no hair to speak of, curved horns on it's head that curved backward, and just seemed to radiate pure evil, or at least it's aura felt like that. She then discovered that there was a dark orb in the creature's right hand, an orb that was a complete match for the Orb of the Undead, where she found that the creature noticed her coming and the darkness that was around it answered it's call, surging towards her while the orb allowed it to summon a group of skeleton archers, no doubt to take her out of the air. In addition to that she felt a foul change in the air as she moved around the area, because it felt like deathly energy was being used to corrupt the area around the Nightwalker, no doubt to counter any living foes so it could reign supreme, causing her to focus on taking out the archers first.
The undead were easy to take out, since they were like what she and the others had fought so far, but once they fell Rain had to turn her focus on the Nightwalker as it called forth the power of shadows, sending out bolts and tendrils of pure darkness that she had to avoid since she felt that being hit by either attack would be a bad thing. She swung her blade at her foe and found that it was tougher than what she was expecting, which revealed another reason as to why Kharne had been terrified of the creatures, but she was fortunate that the onyx blade was her weapon, otherwise she was positive that her attacks would have done nothing. The unfortunate thing was that being touched by the creature was painful, or at least she assumed so since one of it's fingers brushed up against her leg as she backed away and it hurt more than she had expected it to, so she knew that being grabbed would be bad. As such Rain had to carefully move around the area her foe was currently standing in, slashing and hacking at it without wasting time, though when an opening showed up, and it was small, she turned her sword and cut through the orb it carried, breaking part of it's hold over the area before cutting it down.
The result of her action caused the creature to turn into dark mist, though as it started to disappear Lyran's ring glowed and all of the mist surged into it, but as she started to question it she found that the bits of the orb were absorbed as well, which made her wonder what was going on as Lyran explained that he was siphoning the safe bits of power to boost her own power, to make sure she could crush the other Nightwalkers with greater ease.
With that in mind Rain turned her focus on taking out the rest of the Nightwalkers, because the more she took down the more she wouldn't have to worry about her friends being caught, though Lyran warned that his task would no doubt burn through his own energy and, when everything was said and done, he might be a shade of his former self. Rain suspected that he understood the danger that the world was in right now, with the threat of the Onyx Tower's return, and his actions were his way to make sure she was successful, even if it burned him out to the point that he might fade into nothingness, a sacrifice that would go unnoticed by everyone. Rain, of course, wasn't about to let him kill himself and funneled some of her power into the ring to counter the strain he was putting on himself, figuring that if this was to boost her power it might offset what he was doing, causing him to tell her to focus on the remaining Nightwalkers. She did so without delay and just repeated her motions on the other ones, cutting through all of the summoned undead, dodging any attacks that might be coming at her, and slashing through both her foes and their orbs as Lyran did his thing in the background, as her focus was on stopping their ritual.
When all seven of them were slain, and she was sure of that since only Mordoc's energy remained, Rain figured out where her friends were located and flew towards them, landing right outside a large keep that had to be their destination, which caused her to brace herself for whatever was lurking inside the imposing structure.
As they walked into the Keep of Pale Night, the lair of their enemy, Rain noticed that it looked more like a gothic castle on the inside, shrouded in darkness where the only light came from lanterns and candles, no doubt to keep Mordoc safe while his mortal servants had light to do their jobs.
"So, this is the Keep of Pale Night... doubtless Mordoc knows we're here, despite our attempts to remain hidden." Jherek commented, as the deaths of all seven Nightwalkers would not go unnoticed for long, in fact he was sure that the first one's demise had alerted their foe, despite it being necessary for them to reach this point and stop whatever ritual Mordoc had tasked them with starting, "We must do everything in our power to remain together, since no one should face the White Prince on his own."
"No one save for Rain Shine. She could probably do the impossible." Kharne remarked, because at this point he was sure that she was the strongest being in the world, as she could turn into a dragon, a lich was serving her, the kuo-toa had given her untold power, and who knew what else was lurking below the surface, a being that held the power to kill Mordoc on his own turf.
"First we find the dungeons and my friends, then we kill Mordoc." Rain stated, as she knew her friends were here, she just had a feeling that Kharne was telling the truth about them, and she wasn't about to leave here without them, where she found that everyone, even Kherek and Kharne, agreed with her, no doubt so she could focus on their target, causing her to shift her stance once more, "Very well then, let's track down our targets."
Not a few seconds later they discovered that part of their thoughts were true, Mordoc likely knew they were here as the shadows themselves seemed to come alive and attack them, though like before the group had some who focused on all of their enemies while the others sought out paths to take or treasure to find. Rain knew that Borador was still looking for a bit of treasure since this was an old creature and his abode likely held something of value, though part of his focus was on keeping an eye out for traps since he didn't want any of them to trigger something horrible. The shadows, as Rain found out, barely put up much of a fight, at least in comparison to all of the Nightwalkers that had been outside, meaning it was easy for her and her friends to start exploring the keep as they sought a way down into the dungeons or up to the second floor, as everyone was convinced there were multiple floors. There was an area with a pipe organ that, when played, called forth a number of chests and more shadows, not that it mattered in the end since the group took care of the enemies before the containers were looted, allowing Rain to continue onward as she sought out either of their destinations.
Rain noticed that there didn't seem to be anything interesting on the walls or even the floor, it was just the same pillars and wall carvings over and over again, in fact the only reason they stopped at the pipe organ was because it seemed strange to have something like that where there was nothing of Mordoc's old life for them to stop and stare at. It was almost as if the figure was ashamed of the fact that he had gone and become a vampire, to the point of sealing and forgetting his past as a mortal being, or maybe he had chosen to forget after his transformation and he didn't want a reminder of the past. Either way it hardly mattered in the end, as he was threatening the world with his mad schemes, with the Onyx Tower playing the largest role no doubt, and Rain and her friends were here to take him out before he did something stupid. Of course she did have to wonder if the shadows were fallen heroes or soldiers, given the vast armies that had perished in the battlefield that was all around the keep, but also decided not to worry about it too much as they cut through the shadows and continued ever deeper into Mordoc's dark lair.
She was honestly expecting more than just the shadows, given that Mordoc was supposed to be incredibly powerful and that meant someone usually had followers or slaves to do their bidding, so with nothing new showing up she found that she was disappointed in the ancient vampire's minions. It gave her time to see that Kharne fought like he did when she first encountered him, his style was the same and he was deadly with his blade, cutting through the shadows that slipped through the line that her friends presented to their enemies. Jherek, on the other hand, was skilled with a blade and cut into those who dared to approach him, similar to what Kharne did with his foes, though he was more graceful than their ally was, even though most of the fighting was left to Dorn and the others. Rain did strike down a few shadows while they explored the keep, since she didn't want to leave all of the fighting to her friends, but as she did so she also discovered a set of stairs leading downward, something that caused her to use them without delay while everyone else followed her to make sure this wasn't a trap.
Sure enough she found some undead in the dungeons, that seemed to be common among the underground places of the world, though her friends found that she wasted no time in slashing them down without even looking at them, almost as if she was feeling them out at this point, before she let out a sigh of relief.
"They're here... I can feel them." Rain commented, as she could sense Adrianna's magical nature easily, thanks to all of the training she did with her friend to tap into her own magical powers, and she was sure that Kromlech and Vahn were near her, something that caused her to shift her stance as she moved out into the main area of the dungeon, "Hang on guys, I'm coming to free you."
As she carefully moved through the dungeon, following the flow of magic that had to be Adrianna's, Borador moved out to deal with any of the traps that were in the area while everyone else dealt with any undead that ignored Rain completely, as if they knew she was dangerous and didn't want to deal with her. These undead were what she was expecting back up in the halls of the keep, though even then it hardly mattered as she moved through them, breaking their bodies down to the point where none of them would spring back to life in the near future. From what she could tell there were a number of levers that needed to be activated and Allessia did so whenever they passed by one, allowing Rain to focus on tracking all of them down, before she found her way to what appeared to be the main prison section of the dungeon. There were a few more powerful undead guarding the door, skeletons in enchanted armor, but they mattered little to Rain as she cut through them with her blade, and even the lich that floated behind them stood little chance of stopping her since it had it's phylactery around it's bony neck, which broke during her assault.
With that done she turned her focus on the chamber they were guarding and found three sealed doors, where she raised her hand for a moment and called forth her power, breaking the doors apart as she tossed the pieces into a corner, only for her and the others to watch as Adrianna, Vahn, and Kromlech, looking healthy despite being down here for so long, emerged from their cells.
"Rain Shine? Are my eyes deceiving me?" Adrianna inquired, as the three of them had been down here for a long time, due to Mordoc keeping them for some unknown reason, even treating them well enough so they didn't die of starvation, but even then she wondered if what they were seeing was even real.
"No, they aren't... I'm here." Rain replied, where she sheathed her blade for a moment before embracing her friends, a fact that allowed Dorn and the others to see that she was overjoyed to be reunited with those she had traveled with before the fall of Eldritch and the Onyx Tower, "I've got so much to tell you guys, especially the fact that I finally remember everything I had lost, but it'll have to wait until later... we've got an ancient vampire that needs to die."
"Lead the way... I want to give him a taste of my axe." Kromlech stated, something that allowed Rain to confirm that each of them had their old gear still, in fact Mordoc had imprisoned them with their armor and weapons, which put a smile on her face since it meant that their power was full intact, before he considered something, "Or his minions... they'll work in his stead."
Rain nodded as she turned and departed from the area, allowing the others to watch as she and Shadow led the heroes of old back up to the keep's main level with ease, as none of the heroes fell behind and made them realize just how good the group of five really was. They got a better sense of how well all five of them worked together as they returned to the upper level and found that more shadows were waiting for them, where Adrianna released bursts of lightning that tore through the enemies in front of her, Kromlech and Rain hacked through their foes, and Vahn's arrows found their marks with ease, allowing Shadow to tear into them with her teeth. It allowed them to understand that the tales about them were true, that nothing could stand before their terrifying might, meaning Mordoc must have lost a lot of soldiers to imprison the trio in his dungeon, why they still had no idea and at this point none of them cared. With all nine of them, ten if they bothered to count Shadow in that count and twelve if they added Jherek and Kharne as well, it took them no time at all to clear out the rest of the first floor and reach the stairs that would take them up to the upper levels.
Jherek considered staying behind to deal with the shadows, but decided not to when he realized that it would be best if he remained with the others, allowing them to reach the upper level and wage war on the forces guarding Mordoc, or at least the path up to his true destination. This time it looked like their enemies were mummies, undead wrapped in bandages, meaning they were far easier to deal with than many of the foes they had encountered so far, which Rain was fine with, as it allowed her friends to get used to fighting again since she had no idea how long they had been without combat. She did find that they were identical to the flesh monsters, in terms of the poison that happened to be part of their bodies, but all of them tore through their enemies without much delay, as Dorn and the others had joined in at this point, allowing them to continue their search for the next set of stairs. Kharne realized just how strong the heroes had gotten since their brief encounter in the depths of the Guild's hideout, they were more capable than he first gave them credit for and realized that nothing could stop them, especially when teamed up with Rain and Shadow, meaning it was best if he remained on their good side until he found an opening to safely depart.
Eventually they discovered the passage that allowed them to reach the uppermost level, where Rain found a white robed figure standing on the other end of the chamber it brought them to, with a bunch of skull accessories for some reason, though as they came to a stop Mordoc turned to face them.
"Ah, you must be Rain Shine. Welcome to my humble abode." Mordoc stated, where he stood there with an odd rapier in hand, meaning he was likely going to attack them as soon as they were done talking, at least when Rain considered all of the enemies she had fought before this point in time, "You must forgive my servants, as they can be an unruly bunch... despite my attempts to train them. Ah, I know why you are here, because you assume that by beating me all will become right in the world, like some storybook cliche... no, it would be better if you bent your knee and pledged to serve me, as I can promise eternal life and power to someone like you."
"I'm not interested, Mordoc. I've come to take the Onyx Tower from you, even if it means ending your life." Rain said, a fact that was followed by her shifting her stance as her friends realized what the vampire was after, while at the same time her soon to be foe let out a disappointed sigh, almost as if he thought she'd join him, abandon her mortality and become one of the strongest vampires in all of existence.
The two stood there for a moment before rushing at each other, where Rain found that Mordoc went on the offensive as he lashed out gracefully with his rapier, his strikes aimed at her vitals so he could either stun her or end her quickly, so he could move onto everyone else, but he found that it wouldn't be as easy as he assumed. While Rain was on the defensive for the time being, just to see what sort of moves her foe had, Modroc found that the tales about her being skilled with her odd blade were accurate, in fact they were almost scarily accurate as she blocked his attacks with the edge of her own sword. The interesting thing was that she was able to use the blade to redirect his blows away from her, as if she might be able to read her movements, or maybe luck had some hand in this, though to bring the battle under his full control, and not give Rain an opening, he turned into a black mist and reappeared behind her. As he swung his rapier at her backside, however, she parried the blow without wasting time, much to his surprise, before shocking him as she spun around and delivered a powerful kick to his right side, knocking him away from where she was standing.
In the next moment he got up and started to move in so he could strike her down, as he had a number of plans that could bring about Rain's demise, though before he could put any of them into motion Rain raised her left hand, showing him the white lightning power she had unlocked thanks to the kuo-tao's blessing.
Mordoc called upon his dark powers and transformed into a swarm of bats, where they spread out as he planned to slip behind his foe while she was distracted by the show, only to be surprised as Rain raised her left hand and loosed a burst of lightning that branched outward, striking each of his bats before shocking him into the wall, causing him to revert back to his normal form. In that moment Mordoc realized something he hadn't considered before this point, the quests that the Harpers had given Rain since her return to Baldur's Gate had empowered her, turning her from a skilled adventurer into one of legend, much like the drow hero Drizzt Do'Urden, meaning his plans had boosted her growth. Even with that fact in his mind he would have assumed that her growth would have been very limited, especially in the couple of weeks that had passed since her return, but her strength, speed, and abilities were on an entirely different level than what he suspected, even if he was being kind with his estimates. The fact of the matter was that she was far stronger than he had planned for, as he went into this battle assuming that he could win, but now, after realizing that none of his attacks had hit their marks, and his speed was somehow failing him, he realized he would either have to flee or try something drastic.
In the next couple of seconds he rushed at Rain and thrust his rapier forward, intending on piercing her heart before she had a chance to defend herself, only to be surprised as the blade hit her chest and snapped in half, where he paused as it happened, his mind processing the impossibility that had happened, before something thick struck him in the chest and knocked him backwards, only for his eyes to widen as he realized what had actually hit him.
"You... you're a dragon?" Mordoc inquired, because as he recovered from the blow, and understood that his blade, one of his greatest treasures, had been broken like it was a rusty tool, he noticed why it had happened, Rain's chest looked like it had changed to scales right before his blow hit, while at the same time her tail had changed as well, into the type that a true dragon possessed.
"You're only half right, as I'm half dragon and half kirin... now stand still while I end this." Rain stated, though as she took a moment to shift her stance, so she could rush forward to end her foe, Mordoc burst into shadows and tore through one of the windows, showing that he was actually a coward at heart, causing her to move towards the opening as she stared out in the direction of Baldur's Gate, where lightning was gathering as she sensed something powerful move, "So that his plan: moving the Onyx Tower into Baldur's Gate so he can seize it, and the rest of the Western Heartlands when he deems that the time is right to do so."
It was a decent plan, using his main servants and followers to prepare the Tower while he remained inactive, meaning this just forced Mordoc to play his hand early, but now that this was happening she was going to return, with all her friends, and take down the vampire before he did anything else.
It took a while for Rain and her company to return to Baldur's Gate, which was understandable since her first group of friends had to partner up with some of those from her second group since they didn't have enough horses, but eventually they reached their destination. From what she could see Mordoc had teleported the Onyx Tower directly into the heart of the city, twisting the very nature of the air into what appeared to be a storm as lightning arched from one cloud to one of the others every now and then, while also making it look like it was eternally night out. That fact was likely to allow his troops, all of the undead who hadn't been risen in the Battle of Bones, to have another advantage over the living, in addition to all of their other advantages, such as not needing to eat or rest, just so he could fortify the area. She also heard the sounds of people screaming as they were attacked by the undead that had literally appeared out of nowhere, where those slain were revived as moving corpses, forced to serve Mordoc against their will as they stumbled around, attacking whatever living individuals they could find.
It was a sight that angered Rain greatly, that the vampire was so willing to damn everyone who stood in the way of his grand desires, be they innocent or not, and it only made her want to track him down so they could put an end to his madness, once and for all, before even worrying about the Tower.
"Rain? You've returned... and you've brought Adrianna, Kromlech, and Vahn back as well!" a voice said, where they found that Bartley, the merchant who had bought most of their loot and sold them all the items they needed for their quest, was standing off to the side, while around the container wall stood a few guards who were keeping watch on the undead so they didn't escape into the area surrounding Baldur's Gate, "Praise Waukeen, and Helm, and Lathander, and Torm, and any other god who'd like to take credit for this miraculous moment!"
"Bartley, it is good to see that you are alright." Rain replied, though she wondered just how many had fallen since Mordoc had moved the Onyx Tower into the city, releasing his undead on anyone who dared to challenge his might and raising those who had fallen since he put his plan into motion.
"As alright as one can be, given this... well, disaster." Bartley stated, which was understandable given everything that had just happened recently, in fact Rain was sure that he had been on his way to the city when the Tower showed up, maybe he was out picking up a shipment or something, "All I know is that I was outside Baldur's Gate, in fact I was coming from Beregost, when this great tower of onyx appeared in the middle of the city and sent out a ring of black lightning that created what is above our heads right now... now there's undead patrolling the streets and those who have been slain are being risen and are attacking anything, and I mean anything, that moves."
"This must be Mordoc's plan: create an army of undead to protect his interests while he waits for allies to move." Adrianna remarked, as she and her friends had been the unexpected quests of the vampire for a long time and they knew a bit about him, or how he operated anyway, and this just screamed that he had allies that he was currently waiting on, "He needs to die, before he can cause any additional damage."
Rain nodded as she and the others moved around the container wall and stared at the streets of Baldur's Gate, as a good number of houses were on fire, no doubt struck by lightning, plus there were a large number of zombies wandering around, the easiest type of undead that Rain and her friends had encountered. Such a thing meant that they were able to take all of those enemies down with ease, in fact their weapons were more than enough and meant no one had to use any of their magic to wipe out those who were in front of them, to save their magic for later. When it came to the people who had been infected by the undead, or slain by Mordoc's forces, Rain struck them had enough in the back of their necks to disable them, instead of ending their existence like they normally did, because a plan was forming in her mind and if her thoughts were right she needed them alive. Of course there weren't many survivors in the city, given everything that was in front of them, but that didn't stop her or her friends from keeping an eye out, so they could send them back to where all of the guards were positioned and live to see another day.
So of course it came as a surprise to them when they found Randalla standing alone, in black clothing that matched her old attire and definitely didn't suit her at all, before Rain noticed a pair of markings on her neck, meaning either Mordoc or his second in command had turned her into a vampire, something that caused her to sigh as she flashed behind her and struck her in the back of the neck, knocking her out.
"Fantastic, they even have the power to turn a Harper into a mind controlled puppet." Rain remarked, though at the same time she gestured to Jherek and Kharne, who had been following her to witness the end of this particular quest, as she had something in mind for them to do while she and her friends tracked down Mordoc and his second, "You two should stay here and watch over her... I don't know how long she'll be out, especially considering she's a vampire now... we, on the other hand, shall head in and track our foe down."
"Be careful, Mordoc's second is a man called Xanhast, a skilled warrior whose abilities will have only grown since the day he was turned into a vampire." Kharne stated, where he realized that this might be a worthless gesture on his part, as she was far stronger than he had assumed when he heard that Rain had been found again, and with her dragon powers he had a feeling that not even the Onyx Tower would be able to stand in her way, "He is no doubt the one who turned your friend into a vampire, so to free her you'll need to kill him... and Mordoc, just to be on the safe side, but that was the plan from the start, wasn't it?"
All Rain did was nod her head as she started to walk towards the Onyx Tower, as Mordoc, in his infinite stupidity, had put in a front entrance to the previously impenetrable structure, meaning they could just waltz inside like they belonged there and didn't have to worry about entering through one of the Elemental Planes. While she did so, however, energy rolled off of her body as her friends found that she was changing into her full humanoid dragon form, showing them that she was taking this seriously, especially when her first group of friends recalled the dangers in the Tower. On the inside they found that the place looked exactly the same as when they explored the first floor, which told Rain that everything she had seen during her first visit had to be identical this time around, and, sure enough, they found that the stone gargoyles were back and ready to do battle. As Rain readied herself, which involved raising the Onyx Blade as she shifted her stance, she and the others watched as the gargoyles stopped for a few seconds, studying them for some odd reason, before they landed off to the side and knelt as they lowered their heads, as if they were bowing to their master.
This was all the confirmation that Rain needed, the blade she was carrying was literally the key to the Onyx Tower, a tool to end Eldrith and seal the Tower, but this also revealed a third path, that it labeled it's owner as the one who rightfully owned the Onyx Tower, meaning the golems might do the same thing.
"This reminds me of the last time we were here... that massive golem just gave you the Onyx Blade." Adrianna remarked, though as she said that she and everyone else followed after Rain as she recalled the map of the layout that she had built during their visit to this place, allowing everyone in the original group to see that everything was quite literally the same as they remembered, all of the walls and corridors were in the same place, as well as the traps.
"The spirits sensed that I'd kill her, and kill her I did." Rain stated, as she recalled that fight like it was yesterday, a foe that none of her friends could defeat or even lay a finger on, while she, still a novice in comparison to her friends, had laid the spirit of hatred and vengeance to rest, all thanks to the power of her weapon.
Borador and the others of the second group glanced at each other, as this was news to them, especially give the tales on how Eldrith fell, before they understood why Rain never bothered to correct anyone when she heard them tell how her and her friends beat the Betrayer. Even with that fact in mind they glanced around at the gargoyles as they walked by, as it was so weird to see so many act like this, in fact Borador realized that the amount of stone creatures was enough to keep a team of experienced adventurers at bay and totally take out groups of lesser adventurers. Adrianna pointed out all of the golems that she and the others had fought, where many of them stepped out of the way and knelt as Rain passed, as it sure seemed like the Tower was welcoming it's true master home, before she realized that Rain's eyes were closed while they walked. It was almost as if she was being guided by the Tower itself, a spirit that only she could see, and that was only the beginning as Adrianna, Kromlech, and Vahn watched as a trail of marble started to form in their friend's wake, where everyone watched as it spread out to the walls and ceiling, like the very nature of the Tower was responding to her will or her desires.
In addition to that they watched as the golems changed as well, their metallic bodies turning into onyx with markings that were made out of marble, while retaining their ability to move rather well, and the gargoyles grew in size, getting close to a human's size, something no one was worried by since everything was under Rain's control, or at least that seemed to be the case right now. Borador noticed that the traps that were scattered throughout the Tower sunk into the ground, almost as if they knew that they weren't needed anymore, though he was more amazed that Rain was capable of traversing the Tower's floors like it was nothing, especially since she and her friends had been here only once before. While they walked everyone stopped gripping their weapons as they fully understood the fact that Rain was in control of the areas of the structure that they were walking through, so no one had to worry about being attacked by the golems or gargoyles. With that in mind the group was able to reach the forge that happened to have another massive golem, who remained still as the changes took hold of it as well, before Rain headed up the stairs, walked through an area that seemed like an abode with how peaceful it was in comparison to the lower levels, and headed towards the summit.
There, standing where Eldrith had been the last time Rain's group had been here, was none other than Xanhast, a human warrior who carried a large shield and a sword, though he, too, was a vampire, given what happened to Randalla earlier, something that caused everyone to ready their weapons as he turned to face them.
"Rain Shine, I am glad you made it this far, as I was worried that I might not have a chance to fight you, or your friends for that matter." Xanhast stated, as if he was the bigger dog right now and that they should be afraid of his power, though she wasn't convinced, not after beating the stuffing out of Mordoc earlier, before he chuckled as he raised his shield and sword without delay, "Some of you are worth adding to my harem, the rest will be made to serve my master."
Rain found that she wasn't even needed for this fight, as eight adventurers were more than enough to bring down the dark figure who was blocking the way forward, because he could only focus on so many at a time, one or two to be honest, and it opened holes in his defenses for the others to exploit. In addition to that he didn't want to damage the ladies anymore than necessary, while they, in turn, punished him for turning Randalla and thinking that they would be easy to turn into minions of a cowardly vampire king and his twisted servants. Sure, Xanhast had powers to restore his health so he could continue, but it only prolonged his suffering as the adventurers beat him down, breaking his weapon and shield before dealing all sorts of damage to his now unprotected body. Unlike some enemies or foes Xanhast said nothing as he was beaten, in fact he remained silent as Rain's friends tore him down and killed him, releasing those he had turned so they could return to their former lives, at least in Randalla's case since they had no idea who else had been turned by his hand.
With that done Rain stepped forward and approached the Onyx Gate that was up here, the same one that her friends had used before they were separated, before finding that it was now connected to a new position, the Plane of Shadow based on what she was feeling, causing her to full shift into her humanoid dragon form as she passed through the gate, alone, and found herself in a shadowy realm, standing on a copy of Eldrith's peak.
"You?! How could you be here?!" a voice asked, where she found Mordoc standing nearby, with a new blade that looked like his old one, meaning he must have really liked his rapier before he became a vampire, before she found a black pillar that looked like it was made of souls resting near him, "It hardly matters now, however, for the Tower's Core is mine! I, alone, can draw upon the power of the Onyx Heart, now bursting with the souls of those in Baldur's Gate, which means you won't be able to beat me, Rain Shine!"
"How sad, you are still under the delusion that you can beat me." Rain replied, where her power surged outward and hit Mordoc in the chest, knocking him backwards a little, though at the same time she found that a dark lasso linked him to the Onyx Heart, something she severed by swinging her blade through it, causing the vampire to look at her in surprise as he realized that she could, in fact, bring him down.
As that happened, however, Mordoc watched as the material of the floor shimmered, where he watched as the pure white version of Eldrith's peak seemed to change in some manner, before realizing that Rain was holding an onyx blade, even if it made him wonder how it had taken so long for him to realize that particular fact. Such a thing made him realize that his claim to the Tower was false as well, because she held the key to the Tower itself and he could see that the power was in her hands now, meaning everything he had done to Baldur's Gate could be undone in an instant. As he considered that Mordoc started to pack up, as he needed to put some distance between them so he could get through the gateway Rain was standing near, because once he was on the other side he could escape and lay low until he was sure his opponent had given up looking for him. In the next instant he paused as Rain revealed her true form to him, the dragon form that she used to beat Aizagora some time ago, and before the vampire could move Rain released a torrent of white flames at him, bathing him in flames as they tore into his body, reducing him to ash in no time.
Once she was sure that the vampire was dead, and his influence was gone, Rain reverted to her humanoid dragon from as she stepped through the gate, as she had one more thing to do before they could celebrate their success over Mordoc and his foul plans. As everyone turned towards her Rain lifted a hand into the air and severed Mordoc's spell, freeing the city from the undead plague he had released on them, while also drawing all of the undead back into the Plane of Shadow as she freed everyone who had been infected since Mordoc moved the Tower into the city. In the following instant Rain focused on what needed to happen next and Adrianna felt the magic in the air vibrate, where she and the others moved to the edge of the roof and glanced over the edge, finding that there was a magical circle surrounding the Tower's base, as if she was planning on moving it again. They had no idea where she would place the Tower, but anywhere was better than in the middle of Baldur's Gate, and it wasn't long before a flash of light pierced the air as she moved the structure, but to their surprise everyone reappeared in the city, near where Randalla had been left with Jherek and Kharne.
In the following seconds a flash appeared in the distance, in the direction of Seer's Cove, informing them as to where Rain had moved the Tower, before they heard a roar as Rain, in her dragon form, pierced the clouds and descended on them, shifting back into her hybrid form as she landed near the group.
"The deed is done: Mordoc SeLanmere is dead, his forces are crippled, and the Onyx Tower is no more... rather, the Ivory Tower stands on Seer's Cove." Rain stated, as she had named the reborn structure based on it's color, not it's material this time around, since she felt that the 'Marble Tower' didn't have the same ring as the 'Onyx Tower' or 'Ivory Tower' did, to which she smiled as she found that the people of Baldur's Gate cheered for them as Randalla came to, "Come on, let's go celebrate the end of an adventure."
She had no idea what the future might hold for her and her friends, but after everything Mordoc had put them through, not to mention her first group of friends, but she knew that some time relaxing was necessary before they worried about what the future held for them and the rest of the world.
Rain found that the people of Baldur's Gate, true to form, took to celebrating their victory over Mordoc almost as soon as the words left her mouth, because it showed the rest of the world that the city wouldn't fall to darkness and that it didn't matter what was thrown at them. She knew that part of their newfound confidence came from the fact that came from the fact that they now had a guardian creature watching over them, her dragon form to be exact, and she knew it was only a matter of time until someone, somewhere, came up with a name for her. That was the interesting thing about the bards of this world, they were quick to gather information, separate truth from fantasy, and weave together tales that excited people in the span of hours, maybe a day or two at the most, so she wouldn't be surprised if they were already working on a name for her more powerful form. During the preparations for the feast she even caught a few bards talking about her tale and she found that they were likely the ones deciding on a name, as they had come up with 'Rastreth', 'Sariam', and 'Pharas', causing her to walk over and chat with them for a while, since their topic interested her greatly.
In the end they agreed on 'Sarigoza, the Ivory Guardian', giving her both an alternate name and even a title, to go with the fact that she controlled the Ivory Tower and fought against the forces of darkness, something that caused the bards to nod before getting to work crafting tales about her various adventures.
Randalla and those who had been forcefully linked to Mordoc and the corrupted Tower were overjoyed to be freed of the state they had found themselves in shortly after it appeared in Baldur's Gate, even though a few of them would need to talk about what each of them had done after being turned. Randalla herself was still coming to terms with the fact that she had been twisted into a vampire, had actually drank someone's blood after her awakening, and had forced herself to fight the thirst that had nearly consumed her entire being, but, thanks to the vampires having been slain so soon after her turning, she didn't have to worry about it too much. Of course there were still people who had fought off the hoards that Mordoc had summoned to take over the city, in an attempt to add it's undead to his growing power, as Allessia's paladin friend used the church to house people while he fought the zombies, which was echoed by the others that Rain had seen during her time with her new friends. That was part of the reason why they were able to save so many people from what had happened to the city, pockets of safety for the citizens to use, and if they were worried about turning they found an area to be held in until something had been done, though thankfully Rain had saved the day before anything drastic had to be done.
In addition to all of that Rain spent some time chatting with her friends, filling Adrianna, Kromlech, and Vahn in on what they had missed since being imprisoned by Mordoc after leaving through the last Onyx Gate, though with everything she had shown them recently, thanks to her empowerment, none of them were surprised by the tales that she told. They were just happy to see that she was just fine, that she had found some new friends to travel with, even if each one knew she would have continued to search for them until Rain ran out of options, and that she had stayed true to herself, her morals really, during her entire quest. Of course they were also happy to have some actual food, since Mordoc's followers brought them nothing more than basic food to ensure their survival, causing Dorn to ask how they had kept their bodies in peak form for all the time they had been in the prison, causing the trio to chuckle as Kromlech told him that they had exercised to the best of their ability. It made sense that Mordoc would seek to keep them weak so he could either drain them or turn them into his loyal soldiers, but appeared to have misjudged how much food he would have to take away from the trio to use starvation, though he was a poor planner, in Rain's eyes, and she was glad to have her friends back.
While they talked, however, Rain told the others about what she had discovered before they headed into the four Elemental Planes, as Omduil had unlocked her memories and such a thing allowed her to understand who she was, where she had come from, and answered so many questions, while leaving a few more for her to ask.
"So you aren't from the Feywild, like many of us assumed... but an entirely different world." Adrianna said, which made so much more sense now that she thought about it, because while the Feywild had been an excellent candidate, back during Rain's first adventure, everything that had happened after that told her that Rain was definitely from another world, only it would take a while to wrap her head around that, "Which reminds me: what are you going to do with Lyran?"
"I will be traveling with Rain to her home planet, as I wish to see it with my own eyes," a voice said, where they found that the phantom of Lyran appeared near them, though at this point everyone was used to Rain doing unexplainable things, so being able to make friends with a lich was well within the realms of possibility for her, "however, once we return I will move onto being the Steward of the Ivory Tower, keeping watch over the world, continuing my studies, and help Rain with whatever she needs... though with her being the goddess to a faction of kuo-tao, and having put her Tower on the isle that their temple is located on, I'm sure her power will continue to grow, without an end in sight."
"You know I didn't do it for power... it's just a good place for it to rest and remind people of the bright future that everyone is hoping for." Rain remarked, as power had always been the furthest thing in her mind, she didn't desire it and didn't chase it, rather it found ways to enhance her existing skills and abilities, coming at either the right time to ensure her safety or in the time before a major event so she'd be ready for whatever she would be fighting, "Now that the world is safe, for the time being, I think it's time that I find a way back home and see what sort of trouble the Kirins have gotten into while I've been gone... and if they've found our missing member."
"Perhaps I can help with that?" a new voice inquired, where Rain focused on a spot that no one was standing in as a tear in reality, an oval of energy, opened before their eyes and a strange chimera creature stepped out of it, though he, as Rain was sure it was male, had to pause for a moment to be sure he hadn't fallen on the ground, as if that had happened once in the past, before he focused on them, "You must be Rain Shine... you certainly seem stronger than what I'm seeing right now, meaning your true power must be sealed away right now, if what the other Displaced have done is any indication."
"I am Rain Shine... and, if I'm not mistaken, you must be Discord, the Spirit of Disharmony." Rain replied, though she only knew of him thanks to some of the tales that Autumn had told everyone about when she returned from spending time with the ponies, before she noticed something interesting, the spirit was glancing around the area, as if worried that there might be someone else out there, "Is something wrong?"
"You, um, haven't seen figures wearing black robes who come and go using dark oval portals... have you?" Discord asked, informing Rain that someone else had to be traveling the stars, going from world to world, and that the creature had seen one or two of them over the course of his own journeys, meaning he was looking to confirm if they had been to this world or not.
"I haven't seen anyone who fits that description." Rain stated, which only interested her even more, because it sounded like there might be another dark force out there that she and her friends had to be watchful for, least they swoop down and attack them while their defenses were lowered.
"Good... good. Now then, I believe it's time that we head back home." Discord said, changing course with ease, as if Rain's statement allowed him to relax within a matter of seconds, something that just made her interested in figuring out who he was talking about, before the creature raised his hands as the others reached for their weapons, "I only mean that we'll be heading back for some time and that you're free to return whenever you want... I'm not forcing Rain to return with me and then keep her there. If you want to stay here, and not head back to Equus, then I'll leave and you'll never see me again."
Rain chuckled for a moment as she told Discord that she wanted to head home for a time, as she was eager to see what had happened during her absence, and all of her friends were eager to join her, something that made her interested in seeing what they might discover once they were brought to her home planet.
Rain and her friends quickly discovered that the portal Discord had used to get to the world she had been sent to also gave him the power to return to their home world as well, instantly she added when she stepped through it and appeared right outside a large village that could almost pass for a town or city. Rain recognized it somewhat, as it was Ponyville, one of the major settlements of Equus, not because it was the capital of a nation or anything, that was Canterlot on the mountain to the east of their location, rather it had earned that reputation because of several of it's residents. She remembered what Autumn had told her about the Elements of Harmony, the greatest heroes of the land who dealt with the likes of Nightmare Moon, Discord when he was evil, Sombra, and many others, who called this place home, even though it was a chaotic place given all of the disasters it faced. Such a thing could be because of the fact that it was near the Everfree Forest, one of the darkest and strangest places in the world, but the residents of the settlement adored this place and faced whatever was going on to the best of their ability, by either running or even fighting at times.
As she thought about that a figure appeared out of thin air nearby, who appeared to be a human wearing some sort of robe that rain didn't recognize, as it seemed like clothing from another land entirely, before noticing that she wore a fox mask over her face and that she had a few pony features that she missed a few seconds ago.
"Greetings, Rain Shine. On behalf of Pinkie Pie, and the rest of the Displaced, welcome to Ponyville." the figure said, as if she was the person who welcomed others into the city, potentially because it sounded like the one who did it was missing right now, which only made her more interested in what was going on, "I am Pinkamena Diane Pie, the temporary representative who welcomes the Displaced... at least until a certain someone finds Pinkie and brings her home."
"I told you, I don't know where she went. She was here one day and gone the next." Discord replied, where he crossed his arms for a moment as he moved into Ponyville, as if he was offended by the newcomer's statement on the matter, which only made Rain all the more interested in what was happening to her home planet, since it seemed like there were more like her out there, "I've been looking for her, but it's like she's bouncing around all of creation and hasn't chosen where to stop yet... I can't lock onto her if she doesn't pick a destination."
"Whatever you say. I'll leave you to our business while I take them to the castle." Pinkamena stated, taking a moment to turn her back to the group as she started to walk away, something that caused Rain and the others to follow after her as Discord wandered off for the time being, even though he promised to catch up with them later, to take them back to their world when their visit was complete.
As they walked, however, Rain discovered that there were more races than what she remembered, as there were a couple of blue skinned people who looked like they might be part goat, on account of their legs and the curved horns that were on their heads, plus a red skinned variant that some were chatting with them. In addition to that there were all sorts of elves, she and her friends could tell by the ears, different dwarf clans, humans, not to mention a race that was far shorter than the dwarves, gnomes they were called, plus many others that surprised all of them. Adrianna glanced around as they walked and found a race of short fox people, the vulpera, wolf people without tails, the worgen, tall snake people that had shining blue weapons, the sethrak, and so many others that made her realize that the scholars of her world would have a field day if they saw what she was seeing. Not only were there all sorts of races, who mingled without causing problems, but also all sorts of classes, such as mages, warlocks, warriors, paladins, hunters, death knights and demon hunters, both unknown to her and her companions, and many others.
What caught them by surprise was the number of lean and battle ready humanoid dragons that looked a lot like Rain in her hybrid form, where the newcomers seemed to be socializing with the residents of the settlement and those who were from another world, especially humanoid dragons that came in all shapes and sizes, dressed as painters, artisans, mages, swamp people, dreamers, and some who had metallic attachments.
Pinkamena was the one who filled them in on what they were seeing, sharing with them her limited knowledge of each new race that had come to Equus, before revealing that if any of them wanted to learn more they would have to seek out Spike, a hard task to do at times considering what he was constantly doing. When asked about it she could only chuckle, as the dragon in question was, in reality, one of the smartest of the Displaced and his knowledge was growing the more they discovered about their universe, something that told Pinkamena that it was only a matter of time until his power matched his intelligence. That interested Rain as well, since from what she could recall Spike was just a young dragon, uninterested in most things as he helped Twilight Sparkle out, and yet he was totally different from what she knew, making her eager to see Autumn again, causing Pinkamena to tell her that the kirin in question was a hero and an inventor. In fact she rivaled that of the Lombaxes, a race comprised of the greatest inventors in the entire universe, who created a device that could allow one to travel between dimensions, or the universes depending on who one talked to, and if it was damaged reality itself would start to break.
Rain couldn't tell if she was joking or not, since none of that matched what she knew and suspected that her friends were totally lost right now, though as they walked she spotted someone she wanted to talk with as Autumn, wearing what had to be a set of armor from the future and having a humanoid body like her own, coming towards them.
"Rain Shine, I am glad you are alright... when I visited the village, and the other kirin told me you had gone missing when you started to search for me, I was worried that something bad had happened." Autumn said, which allowed Rain to relax as she heard that, since she had wondered how the others of their kind would have reacted to her going missing and, despite what she had done in the past, she was happy to see that everyone did care about her, "Well have to swap stories on what happened during our adventurers..."
"Probably going to need a drink... or ten, since it sounds like you've been busy." Rain remarked, because based on what little had been said so far she had to assume that Autumn had a lifetime of adventure to share with her and those who might be interested in learning about her, and the rest of the universe that was apparently open to them now.
"Indeed... though it doesn't get very exciting until our sixth adventure, when our brother and his girlfriend were the targets of a mad emperor." Autumn replied, as while the ones before that were exciting, and very interesting based on what she and the others had experienced during those years, everything after the mad emperor's assault outclassed what had come before them, "Plus we found Ratchet's long lost twin sister, which was very interesting as well... trust me, you'll be in for the time of your life."
Rain chuckled as she heard that, because it truly sounded like Autumn had experienced quite a lot and had quite a tale to tell, just as she did, though she was also warned about chatting with Spike, because he had all sorts of stories to share with those who were interested. In fact one thing that every Displaced agreed on was the fact that when Twilight Sparkle returned home the two would have a field day, sharing stories and simply enjoying themselves, as the Princess was one of the missing as well, before she had to amend her statement a little. Autumn informed her that there was, in fact, a version of Twilight here, her alternate from another world that was linked to this one by a special mirror, though it was more like there were six of her, as 'Sci Twi', a nickname for the other Twilight, had been separated into six smaller versions due to an event on the planet she had been sent to with two others. Those six were called 'Ottsels', a cross between an otter and a weasel as everyone learned when her family returned from their own adventure, though usually one or two of them were near Spike, learning from his experience and sharing their own at the same time.
The mention of that, however, caused Pinkamena to stall for a second before she glanced up at the air and seemed to let a transparent pillar of energy surround her, a dark pink one, before Rain spotted a green one, a cyan one, and an orange one that appeared in the areas that surrounded Ponyville, and they disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.
"What in the world was that?" Rain asked, where she found that Autumn was surprised by the discovery as well, meaning this had to be something entirely new and only a select few understood what had happened, causing them to glance at Pinkamena as she focus on them once more.
"No idea... it's very interesting, isn't it?" Pinkamena replied, though while Rain suspected that she did, in fact, have some idea as to what they had just experienced, since she had been here for a lot longer than some of the Displaced, but felt it was best to focus on other things and worry about this at some other point.
All of this told her that she was going to have a busy couple of days, learning what had happened to the rest of those who had been lost among the stars of their universe, and the races that they encountered along the way, which only made her even more interested in what the future held for her, all of her friends, and the world she had been sent to.
After spending quite a long time in Ponyville, learning about what was going on and getting an idea of how many of the various races were missing, Rain had escorted her friends back to the portal linking this world to their world before allowing those who knew what to do to link the portal to a portal frame. It was a lot like the gates that she and her first three friends had used to get around the world, tracking down Eldrith and her dark alliance, though Rain had made sure to track down the one Mordoc had used to get inside the Tower and seized it, so no one else could use it. All one had to do was walk through the magical portal and it would take them to whatever world was on the other side, where the green dragon that had used his magic to bind Discord's portal to a frame told them that usually these were used to move dragons from one part of a land to another. It just told her that the residents of Equus were incorporating all sorts of information into their world to make things far better and easier, but she did make sure to link her friends' side to a gateway inside her tower, since it was the safest place for such a thing.
Once she was sure that her friends were back home, so they could go about their lives for a while and see what sort of tales were told about her, Rain and Autumn returned to the Kirin settlement, where they discovered that everyone was happy to see them, despite their initial reaction towards their brand new forms.
"Lady Rain Shine? Autumn Blaze?" one of the Kirin inquired, as she couldn't believe her eyes, something that many of the others were thinking right now as they stared at the pair, though Rain was fortunate she had left Shadow in the Tower, as she wasn't sure how they would have reacted to seeing a displacer beast for the first time, "What happened to you two?"
"We... were displaced. Not to the same place mind you," Autumn replied, where Rain got a reminder of the fact that she was far smarter than she had been before she went missing, due to the fact that she was a genius when it came to all the weapons she had created over the years, something Rain was still wrapping her head around, "rather we went to totally separate locations, forced to go on different adventures, and only just how returned, with new bodies and all sorts of new knowledge to share with you."
"And don't worry, we aren't going to force you to take on these forms." Rain added, as she knew that some of the Kirins might be worried about such a thing, after all she had forced them to silence themselves so they didn't use their Nirik forms and burn everything down in their pure intense anger, but with everything they had been through she knew how to discuss certain matters.
Such a thing seemed to appease the Kirin that were around them, though many were interested in the forms they now had and the gear they were wearing, since Autumn had a futuristic look to her while Rain wore armor made out of dragon scales, despite the fact that they were also her scales in her other form. Many of the Kirin wanted to see Rain in action, since her weapon was just a sword and wasn't the strange arsenal that Autumn had access to, causing her to nod as she moved out into an open area before drawing it, all while realizing that this might be the first time she had done so without turning it on her enemies. Her movements following that stunned the Kirin as they observed her, even Autumn was surprised by the fact that she moved with such grace and precision, that none of her moves were wasted and she could strike effectively if she got into a fight, just as she did during her adventures with her friends. Rain suspected that the other displaced Kirin might have some skills similar to what she was currently using, since Autumn had said she used a melee weapon once upon a time, but that was a topic for another time, since they had come here to relax and catch up with the rest of their kind.
By the time she was done, having spent about five minutes showing off, Rain stopped as the Kirin stomped on the ground in excitement, showing her that they approved of her doing that, allowing her to sheath her blade before returning Autumn as they headed for her isolated old home.
"How were you able to fight like that?" Autumn asked, because while it was impressive, and would certainly give a couple of people she knew a run for their money if they clashed with Rain, one thing she knew to be impossible was the fact that she had gained all that knowledge and skill in far less time than what it took her to master her own weapon, "You moved like an expert who has seen years of combat, despite only being in the world you were sent to for less than a year."
"That's due to my blade, really. Once it held the spirits of Eldrith's company, who had been risen into undeath and forced to serve their former mistress," Rain replied, speaking on the matter once they were far away from the rest of the Kirin, since she knew this topic might upset them a little if they overheard her talking about such a thing, while noting that Autumn was eager to hear more about the events in question, "they realized that we... and by that I mean Adrianna, Kromlech, Vahn, Shadow, and myself... held the best chance of defeating Eldrith and gifted me, of all people, with the Onyx Blade, which let me fight on her level and instilled all of the Westering Sun's knowledge into my body. With Eldrith's defeat the spirits were able to depart in peace, though all that information on how to fight was left with me and I used my second adventure to refine and polish my fighting style."
Such a thing fascinated Autumn, especially when she considered that Rain's magic might have also been the reason behind so much of what had happened to her, similar to what happened when she and Starswirl went on their adventures, and it only made her that much more interested in her other skills. The ability to speak with certain animals and tame them, like the displacer beast, reminded her of Fluttershy's unique skill, though it only worked once from what they could tell, while Rain assured her that the power to transform into her other form came from being worshiped as a goddess by the kuo-tao, a new race for her to study at some point. There was just so much of Rain's new world that Autumn wanted to discover and document, since all of it was totally new to their home world, though such a thing caused her to chuckle as well, because if this was how she was reacting she had to wonder how Princess Twilight, one of the greatest scholars in the world, would take to everything they had learned so far. Rain had to admit that it interested her as well, though right now she was more worried about the rest of the missing Displaced that they had learned about, since there was no telling where they might have landed and what dangers they might encounter during their adventures.
One thing she knew for certain was that they were going to find the rest of the Displaced, make sure they were okay, and then bring them home, something that caused her to smile as she looked forward to what the future held for them and the rest of her home planet.