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Chapter 47 - Acid be a Fickle Friend


“Hold on Scomatch!” Kai said as he grabbed the halfling’s collar. “No one is getting on that flying bug until we determine what we are doing.”

“It’s a spaceship. Specifically, it’s called a Spelljammer,” the purple robed cultist leader calling himself the human Qhaarlex clarified.

“Well, until we know what we are doing, I’d say we fly around in the Space Ghost,” Scomatch said, pulling away from the paladin.

“I’m just lending you the Damselfly,” Qhaarlex re-clarified.

“If nothing is done, the gate to the far realm will open. Opening up Faerun to invasion,” Guo Gan explained.

Qhaarlex questioned, “Where did you hear that?”

“Aerisi Kalinoth. So, unless we choose a god to replace Nusen, the Dark One, we’ll be up to our eyeballs in writhing mage worms.”

“I’ll fry those worms,” Scomatch said. “If we aren’t getting on the Space Ghost-”

“Damselfly” Qhaarlex corrected.

“Space Ghost, whatever, then no point staying around,” Scomatch said.

Clearing his throat, Qhaarlex gained the party’s attention. “Emergency protocols have been initiated and the portal disassembled. Even now, the three keys are being scattered within.”

“Wait, what?” Kai asked.

“So, why don’t you go fix that,” Guo Gan said.

“No, that is beyond my ability. However, you can always take the Damselfly. There is a portal five days away that will take you back to Faerun,” Qhaarlex said.

“Wait, aren’t we on Faerun?”

“Yes.”

“But you said there is a portal five days away that will take us back to Faerun?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not getting into this circular argument. Give me the keys and we’ll take the ship,” Guo Gan said, placing a hand on his temple as if warding off a headache.

“There are no keys. It has to be a spellcaster, so anyone can drive the Damselfly, but you monk,” Qhaarlex explained.

“Ha!” Scomatch said pushing past Guo Gan. “I’m driving this thing.”

“Hold on,” Kai said. “We have six days before we have to make a decision. If it takes five days to fly back to Faerun, I’m inclined to use the tried-and-true method of chopping up some more worms and reassembling the portal back to the cultist’s Dark Chamber. These three keys must be behind us as nothing has slipped past.”

“Good luck,” Qhaarlex said and he began to get comfortable in a nearby chair. If there is anything else, I’ll be here.” His body slumped in a heap as when the party first found him.

“Well, what we be waiting fer,” Kildo said and he started to head back up the stairs. In short order, the group was back in the small prison cell holding the portal. Its energy was gone. Upon closer examination, there were three missing stones, the size of a cantaloupe, which made a triangle shape in the prior doorway.

“The nine hells,” Kildo cursed. “We be doing this the hard way then.” The party searched the next cell and the rooms with the earthworm-like creatures, but nothing. There were only two directions. The stairs back down to Qhaarlex, which did have a door eastward and the stairs up.

Kai began to climb the stairs, which circled to a door. Lifting the latch and pushing it open, it was a large circular room with two desks against the walls. Massive runes were carved into the floor in a circular pattern with an outer and an inner ring. However, the creature in the center of the room was the most daunting feature.

A hulking fifteen-foot-tall mammoth stood. It was vaguely lizard-like and humanoid with features that were a bizarre mix of spiny beetle and a rhinoceros. The top of the head and its back were lined with thick, horn-covered plates and a single horn that jutted up between the nostrils, a braxat.

It snorted in delight as it turned to see the party enter.

“Devour! Devour them all!” To the north, in an alcove, was another of the worm-like mages. Similar to large earthworms, the psurlon had a long pink tubular body with two arms and two legs that were also long and tubular in shape, ending in sharp claws. Its entire body was marked with faint rings. In the place of a head, the creature's body ended in a circular maw filled with sharp teeth. A second, smaller head emerged from its tail. The horror screeched out both ends but was a fraction of a second off from each other.

To no one’s surprise, Guo Gan charged into the room and rolled past the massive creature toward the mage worm. What the party didn’t expect was that he pulled the sentient quarterstaff, Qiekamis, whose ultimate allegiance to Belial was deemed most sinister. However, none could question the evil weapon’s effectiveness, as the monk smashed one end and then the other into the psurlon. The elf then threw a kick, but it bounced harmlessly off its rubbery skin.

Following the monk, Kai thrust with Wave. Two of its prongs stuck into the braxat’s thick hide. Radiant damage blasted it. He smashed with the butt end, but it bounced harmlessly away. A shimmer of some kind of shield reverberated, repulsing the blow. “It’s got some kind of psyche shield around it!”

“Shield, no shield. Doesn’t matter to me,” Scomatch said as a bright streak flashed from the halfling’s fingertips. It blossomed with a low roar and then into an explosion of fire. The flames sculpted around Kai and Guo Gan. The braxat’s bubble shield ignited, partially protecting the creature from the fireball.

Lashing out in pain, the massive monster swung with an oversized club. Its blows smashed into the floor sending up debris, missing Kai by inches. Inhaling deeply, a stream of stomach acid belched from the creature’s mouth. The bile struck Kai, Kildo, and Scomatch back in the hallway and out of the room.

“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life.” Kildo chanted as Kai, Guo Gan, and Scomatch’s forms glowed for a moment from the cleric’s bless spell. He also summoned a spiritual weapon. A spectral blue war hammer appeared next to the psurlon leader. It smashed into the creature’s rubbery frame. It issued a squeal of pain from its powerful blow.

Retracting Wave, Kai thrusted again. The weapon’s pongs were stopped cold by the braxat psyche shield. The trident’s tips glowed from Kildo’s bless spell. They penetrated the shielding. The beast howled. It spun Kai around moving him closer to Guo Gan.

Another fireball from Scomatch arched into the room. The halfling mage carved the spell around Kai and Guo Gan. Both the braxat and psurion leader were engulfed in flames.

A wave of psyche energy, like heat coming off the ground in a desert, rushed from the worm mage and slammed into Kai and Guo Gan.

The braxat swung with its club and smashed into Kai. The paladin was thrown into the wall. The triton paused to spit blood. He was very badly hurt and couldn’t take another blow like that.

Kildo’s spectral weapon came swinging down. The mage worm’s two heads hissed at the attack. It missed smashing into a nearby desk. A cantaloupe-sized rock dropped and rolled into the room.

The distracted worm failed to see the sentient quarterstaff Qiekamis bat murderously at him. It squished into the top, sending ichor flying as Guo Gan smashed the bottom end into the smaller head, squealing in terror before being pounded into a pulp. The agile monk turned and swung Qiekamis into the braxat. Its protective shielding was seemingly gone as the quarterstaff glowed by Kildo’s bless spell and crunched into the mammoth.

Thrusting Wave, the trident’s prongs slid off the thick hide of the braxat. Bringing up the butt end, it connected. Radiant damage scorched the creature’s right leg.

Flames then wreathed the braxat completely as Scomatch cast, Immolation. The creature howled in agony as it uncontrollably burned hotter and hotter until nothing was left but a large pile of ash in the middle of the summoning circle.

With the two enemies down, Kai picked up the rock, similar to what could fit the portal. “One down. Two to go.” He then handed it to Scomatch who dropped it into his Heward’s Handy Haversack.

A quick search of the room revealed nothing of value besides a moist pile of soil and refuse that the mage worm likely used as a bed.

Making their way back to the hangar, the party rested and bandaged their wounds. The human Qhaarlex was still in his chair, slumped as they last found him. To the east was a large room, which seemed like a storage area from crates and boxes within. There was also movement, but they didn’t pay the party any attention. There were eight plant-like creatures with long tentacles with sharp thorns along their entire length.

Kai cautiously entered the room with the party not far behind. The plants didn’t seem aggressive. However, as the paladin attempted to move past them. They countered, preventing him from proceeding.

“Who owns that Pokémon?” one of the creatures hissed, waving a tentacle at Charmander.

“You mean my familiar?” Scomatch asked moving closer to the flame lizard.

A creature appeared with a pair of massive horns. Protruding from the surface of these horns were thorns that would drive deeply into a foe's body when its pincer closed, making it tough for an opponent to escape.

“My mass-Ta wishes to challenge you to a Pokémon duel against Pinser. If you win, you can have the portal rock. If you lose, we collect your Pokémon,” the plant-like creature hissed.

“Bring it!”

A high-energy field rose in the room. Inside were Scomatch and Charmander. Across from them one of the tentacle plants and the Pokémon Pinsir.

“X-Scissor attack!” the plant hissed. Pinsir’s jaws snapped around Charmander’s neck.

“No!” Scomatch yelled, “Charmander, use tail whip!” The fire lizard looked confused but slapped his tail against Pinsir with little effect.

Pinsir then slammed Charmander hard to the ground. Scomatch’s familiar bounced to the halfling’s feet.

“Hurry up! Stand! Use Flame Charge!”

Charmander ran straight at Pinsir and smashed into the bug-like creature. Flames erupted across its face. “Arg!” it screamed as it tried to put out the fire.

“Now, use Lava Burn!”

Charmander tilted its head in confusion. Shrugging its shoulders, it attempted to launch fire from its tail but missed Pinsir.

The bug snapped its pincers at Charmander, but the flame lizard dodged the attack.

“Flame burst! Use it now!” Scomatch bellowed. A torrent of fire shot from Charmander’s tail scorching Pinsir.

“Rock smash!” hissed the plant. Pinsir knocked Charmander away as Scomatch’s familiar bounced hard across the battlefield. The bug planted his feet and charged.

“Flamethrower attack! Hurry!” Scomatch roared.

Pinsir was engulfed in a torrent of flames. As the fire died down, Pinsir’s skin was badly charred as he toppled sideways.

The plant-like creature pulled out a red and white ball. A beam of energy engulfed Pinsir and it was pulled into the contraption. “Congratulations, here is your prize.” The creature then dropped a cantaloupe-sized rock into Scomatch’s hands. The halfling mage then added the stone into his Heward’s Handy Haversack. “Two down. One to go.”

Kai approached as the magical energy encompassing the battlefield dropped. “You are an honorable opponent. Do you know where the third stone is?”

“Yes,” hissed the tentacle-covered plant. “It’s in the Graveyard.” It pointed to the south. “That way.”

“Thank you,” Kai bowed.

Returning the gesture, the creature said, “We look forward to devouring your realm.”

The party passed the moving plants and exited to the south. The room opened onto a large, rocky platform with several boulders scattered throughout the area. At the far southern tip was a summoning circle surrounded by six, fifteen-foot-tall statues of the worm-like psurlon creatures in hooded robes. Above them was the nighttime sky, where the stars were brighter than they’d ever seen. It was more precise, like instead of seeing something distorted in the water, it was seen on dry land.

Kildo moved over to the edge of the platform and peered over. “The nine hells.” Below him was not the ground but the empty void of space. Then a colossal form began to emerge beneath the platform. At first, he was unsure what it was, but a ball of blue and green covered with white streaks. They were clouds. He was looking down at Faerun from outer space. “We not belonging here. We need to be leaving.” Kildo began backing up toward the entrance. However, Guo Gan moved closer to the summoning circle.

“As soon as we find the third stone,” Kai replied.

An audible grinding of rock permeated the area. Seven massive boulders were turning. In the middle, a terrifying eye popped open. These large aberrations began moving towards the party. They were eye mongers.

Alerted to their presence, Guo Gan dashed toward the raised platform and began scooping up an assortment of rocks.

“Eep!”

An eye monger was next to Scomatch. The creature’s circumference opened wide and swallowed the diminutive halfling mage whole. There was a crunching sound as he was chewed and swallowed.

“Scomatch!” Kai called out as an eye monger approached. The paladin thrusted with Wave. Its prongs went into the creature’s eyes. It shattered and fell apart into a pile of rocks.

Two more of the creatures converged on Kai. One bit on his right leg as another latched onto his left arm. The paladin would have been swallowed, but the eye mongers played tug-of-war with the triton preventing either from gaining a meal.

Bashing with Qiekamis, Guo Gan stunned two of the creatures.

Half expecting Scomatch to blast his way free, the eye monger continued to munch on the halfling. Concerned they could all quickly find themselves inside these creatures, Kildo cast, Guardian of Faith. A towering spectral guardian in the form of a dwarf appeared in the middle of the abominations. The manifestation comprised of a war hammer and shield with the blazing ankh symbol of Rigga, the Earthmother. The Guardian made a bashing motion, like a hammer to a nail, as the magical weapon pounded three eye mongers into sand. Its energy spent; it erupted into a shower of sparks and disappeared.

Kai rammed Wave into the eye monger holding his left arm. It shattered. He turned to the other chewing on his leg. Its massive eye turned up and went wide as Wave was thrust into it, destroying the creature.

Sprinting across the platform, Qiekamis bashed downwards into the last eye monger with Scomatch inside. The creature’s frame crumbled and the body of Scomatch landed in a puddle of sizzling acid. Grabbing his form, Guo Gan pulled him free of the bubbling liquid. He wasn’t moving.

“Cleric! He’s not breathing!”

Rushing towards the smoking halfling’s form, Kildo began casting, Revivify. The mage’s chest arched upwards like he had just been shocked. A moment later, the halfling coughed out slimy ichor. His exposed skin was bright red, as if he’d been in the sun for too many hours.

“Ye starting to have second thoughts about using acid?” Kildo asked.

“When I signed aboard the Emerald Eel, I took a job and that job is not done until every cultist and monster that stands in my way is either burned or melted down,” Scomatch said.

“I don’t think these rocks are what we need,” Guo Gan said and dropped the original ones he picked up around the summoning circle.

“I be finding this stone,” Kildo said and began casting, Detect Magic. Walking in a pattern around the platform, a faint aura emanated from behind the southernmost worm-like psurlon statue. “Ah, there the critter be.”

As the dwarf approached the summoning circle, vibrations reverberated. The ground exploded as rocks, dirt, and debris flew. A gargantuan monstrosity worm burst through. It arched itself in a distinctive curving pose. It was deep purple in color with a pale-yellow underbelly. Separating its yellow part from its purple were hard crests going down its sides. It was well-armored and segmented, coated in a layer of mucus that allowed its armor skin to remain moist. The front end was a gaping toothed mouth with a jaw spike to dig through solid rock. Set around the mouth were four eyes equidistant around its head all pointing forward with bony ridges to protect them. A poisonous, barbed stinger capped its tail.

“Eep!”

The purple worm’s appendage darted out and impaled Scomatch. The halfling was flung around like a rag doll. Its head then turned toward Kildo. Its mouth opened to its fullest extent. There was no place to run or hide as it came crashing down. He was in a no-win scenario.

“The nine hells!” Due to Kildo’s smaller statue, its teeth went right past him into the ground. Its breath smelled of earth and decayed soil. He was drenched in corrosive slime that burned his exposed skin. He threw his arms wide trying to latch onto anything, but everything was slick. The purple worm rose, and he could see the nighttime sky through its mouth. His body then began to slide, then he fell. He latched onto a long spike sticking out around the worm’s circumference used to push food through its system. His hand began to sizzle as the worm’s acid worked it. He had about six seconds before falling and tumbling into the beast’s gullet. He began casting, Banishment.

A long wobbling note began to increase in pitch and then a ‘chirp’ as the purple worm winked out of existence. Kildo was hovering in mid-air for the briefest of moments before he began falling. He landed with his right hand and right knee on the ground. Rising, he flung off the acid bile and spat, “And that’s how ye be winning the no-win scenario.”

“By the gods! That’s the most heroic, inspirational act I’ve ever seen a cleric do in my entire life,” Kai said.

“It’ll do, but that beastie will be back. Let’s be getting back and activating that portal to that cultist’s Dark Chamber room. Then we need to be deciding whom we be putting in place of Nusen. I fer one be sick of this purple-robed, worm-writhing, and acid-splashing place.”

Treasure:

· A newfound understanding of our enemies being on the receiving end of Scomatch’s acid attack.



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