“I just found it.”
Kildo, Kai, and Guo Gan sat in the situation room aboard the Sea Ghost. Open port holes provided light. On the table were various drinks, a pot of freshly brewed coffee, and a plate of scones baked by their resident cultist of Belial, Odium.
“And…insert more detail,” Guo Gan said.
“I don’t know what you guys want me to tell you. I found the book in the academy library. I was drawn to it. I don’t have an explanation of how it got there. It just was there hidden,” Scomatch explained.
Kai asked, “Is it a spell book?”
“So, what does it do?” Have you read it?” Guo Gan questioned.
“There be drawings inside?” Kildo added.
“One at a time. No, it’s not a spell book. I’ve read some. There are images. It’s more like it contains secrets. Faces of Elder races and stories about those entities. It tells how to set up summoning circles,” Scomatch said.
“We don’t have any leads on whom to choose to replace the evil god of corruption Nusen, the Dark One. I think you need to open that book on page one and start reading until you find something useful to our situation,” Kai said.
“It doesn’t work like that. Every time you open it, it opens to a new page,” Scomatch informed.
“Maybe one of these entities will help us?” Guo Gan questioned.
“I doubt any of these entities have plans for civic improvements,” Scomatch said sighing.
“If you lost it, would you lose any of your powers?” Kai asked.
“No, in fact, my roommate found it and must have opened it. Returning, it was open to the page of Slaanesh, and he had disappeared,” Scomatch said.
“All right. Let’s try a few pages. I’ll maintain a bless on you and Kildo can cast Enhance Ability to keep your mind sharp and help resist any influences the book might pose,” Kai said.
Casting their protective spells, Kai and Kildo stood over Scomatch as he stared at the book. It had a dark blue cover with an intricate design around the edges. The images of two crescent moons surrounded an ornate blue gem embedded in the middle. The pages it held were yellow and brittle, a testament to the age of the tomb, which might have seen hundreds, if not thousands of years.
Opening a bronze latch that held the cover shut, it magically and rapidly began to flip pages and suddenly stopped. There was an image of a monstrous Kraken with a blue-grey carapace, which color was mesmerizing. One of its appendages was made of writhing tentacles and the other a massive claw that could turn a body into pulp.
Reading and mumbling, Scomatch said, “It’s the legendary water-beast Tromokratis. It wants to drown the world and then drown it again for good measure. The next page indicates how I can contact Tromokratis.”
“Interesting,” Kai said.
“Swipe left,” Guo Gan replied.
“All right,” Scomatch said and attempted to turn to another page. The book rapidly spun through the pages and stopped. On it was the image of a demon-like creature in horned armor with lava-infused arms with sharpened black claws. Coal, like from a smithy furnace shown from within a horned helm.
“He’s called the Slayer. A demon, his favorite color is black. He wants to enslave everyone he meets. His most devoted follower is a dwarf called Dil-”
“Swipe left,” Kai and Guo Gan interrupted.
The book’s pages flapped and settled. On it was the image of a Gorgon. Half woman and half snake. She was attractive with a symmetrical face and high cheekbones, but with thick, black snakes for hair. Her top half was covered in feminine, sculpted bronze armor. Her lower half was that of a snake with deep green color that extended some twenty feet or more. She sat on a stone throne made from transformed living creatures, all men. Most warriors, but some were attractive male models.
Scomatch read, “It’s Hythonia, the scaled Queen. Her favorite color is green-”
“Swipe left.”
More pages flipped. It settled on an image of a roaring grizzly bear. It had a dished face, short, rounded ears, and a large shoulder hump made of muscle attached to the bear's backbone and gave the bear additional strength. However, it looked restless and irritable, maybe with a look of paranoia in its crazed eyes. It was possibly rabid.
“Let’s see. It’s called Co…caine Bear. Whatever cocaine is? Oh, it wants to destroy the world…and do more cocaine,” Scomatch said.
“Left!”
Pages flipped and then flipped back. An image of the oldest woman in the world stared back at them. It almost looked like she could walk right out of the book at them. A slight fragrance of honeysuckle emanated from the page. It was heady and nectarous, a little like jasmine tinged with a hint of vanilla.
“This is interesting. She is called Granny Honeysuckle. She wants to give advice to young adventures,” Scomatch said.
“Left.”
“Wait,” Kildo said. “I think I know her.”
“That old woman? Where?” Kai asked.
“In my dreams. She came to me. Showed me different paths to choose from. She was one of them and offered to be my guide,” Kildo informed. “However, I decided on Rigga, the Earthmother. Go ahead and swipe left.”
More pages flipped. The book settled on a familiar image. The man, or a man at one point in the past, was generally gaunt and skeletal, with withered, horribly blackened flesh stretched tight across. He was dressed in dark, tattered, business-like clothes that were in fashion over a century ago. Bald, except with dirty white hair going around his head’s circumference, he had a hooked nose, thin, reedy lips, and glassed-over eyes. A couple of grey moths fluttered out of the book and out an open port hole.
“That’s the undead lawyer,” Kai said.
“His name is Josiah Montgomery. One of the founders of the dwarven Rolar Empire, the world's dominant economic and military force. Responsible for the roads and aqueducts that make life in the Empire so pleasant. He has offices-” Scomatch said reading.
“An undead lawyer? He’s not god-material. Swipe left,” Kai said.
The book stopped on another page. Steam rose from the pages. An image of a fire elemental currently engulfing a person appeared.
“It’s Imix, an evil archomental of fire and a primordial older than the world itself. Passionate, quick to anger, vain, paranoid, and prone to jealousy. Has an endless supply of energy. It has several monikers. Prince of Elemental Evil, the All-Consuming Fire, the Eternal Flame. The list goes on,” Scomatch said.
“The world already has enough fires without this thing adding to it. Swipe left,” Kai said.
A magical wind spun the pages before stopping again. On it was a tall, thin elderly humanoid with long, white, flowing hair in the wind.
“Yan-C-Bin. Another powerful archomental, but from the Elemental Plane of air. He also has monikers. Prince of Evil Aerial Creatures, Shadow of the Four Winds, the Howling Hatred. Untrustworthy-” Scomatch read.
“Considering we already shut him down, better be left,” Guo Gan said.
Pages flew and flew before stopping. A cloud of dust poofed up from the page. A rocky figure was drawn. Shards of emerald crystals poked from its limbs.
“Ogremoch, the evil earth elemental lord-”
“Left!”
“All right, we aren’t getting anywhere. We’ll do a few more pages,” Kai said, breathing out heavily.
“They can’t all be evil creatures,” Kildo scoffed.
The smell of rotten eggs, and brimstone, emanated from the next set of pages. The creature was gigantic and bloated with corruption with foul-colored, leathery, and necrotic skin.
“Ah, more evil. “Nurgle the Lord of Evil, Pestilence, and Rotting Decay. Epithets include the Plague Lord, the Lord of Pestilence, Papa Nurgle, Father Nurgle, oh, Grandfather Nurgle,” Scomatch read.
“Ugh, left,” Kai said.
“He, I think it’s a he, actually fits the profile,” Guo Gan said.
“Left!”
A gentle breeze turned the pages. These went slower than previously. It landed gently on a page. A picture of woods with a deer in the forefront. It was then that a camouflage image of an ancient green dragon began to appear. Its crest started near its eyes and continued down its spine, reaching full height just behind the skull. It was a peaceful scene.
“I be remembering that dragon. The Dragon of the Woods. Them hobgoblins at the Sacred Stone Monastery be worshiping it. They be calling her the Great Green Dragon. Queen of the goblins. She be not part of a cult, but they be saying their Queen be a very powerful entity,” Kildo said.
The room grew quiet for several moments.
“I like her,” Kai said.
“Those hobgoblins were pretty friendly,” Guo Gan added.
“We are swiping right. Scomatch, contact her,” Kai said.
Scomatch replied, “You guys need to protect me.”
“That’s why we are here,” Kai said.
Breathing in deeply, Scomatch turned the page. His head lurched back. Eyes going to the back of his head. They looked like hard-boiled eggs. The halfling mage then disappeared.
* * *
The world was dark. Scomatch was alone. However, a very powerful and overwhelming presence surrounded the halfling in the darkness. A physical manifestation of primeval fear.
“Who disturbs me?” came a deep and powerful voice hinting at the feminine side.
Swallowing hard. “It is I. Scomatch Thunderfire that is disturbing you, wyrm.”
“What is it that you wish halfling, other than your death?”
“Fear not. I bring you good tidings, your wyrmlyness. I come bearing a gift from my constituents. To become a ruler of rulers of this realm.”
“You bring nothing. I am already a ruler of this realm.”
“A ruler as a god,” Scomatch explained.
“Will you worship me?”
“Why do you need me to worship you? I chose you over all others.”
“Do you even know what you have done?” There was a low growl in the darkness. “I see what you are offering, little halfling. Do you have the blue gem on you?”
“Perhaps.”
“Perhaps? You understand very little. So, what shall I do with you?”
Clearing his throat, Scomatch said, “You should thank me and return me to where I came from and you can continue to become a god.”
“Ah, but you see. I have to take over as the god of evil. I have to sacrifice someone. I have many loyal minions, yet you say you will not worship me.”
Gulping hard, Scomatch puffed out his chest and said, “I have things I have to do. If you don’t want this power. I can go. Besides, do you think I’m the only one who knows I’m here?”
“Power? You are already completely under my power. You do not get to go until I let you go. Besides, halfling, I have everything I need for godhood.”
“You don’t have everything you need.”
“What do I need?”
There were several heartbeats of silence.
“Halfling, I will repeat my question because you seem slow. What is it you do not think I have that I need?”
“Do you have a mighty artifact? A sentient creation?” Scomatch asked.
“Everyone worth their breath has a sentient artifact these days. I have you and I have the blue gem.”
“What kind of sentient artifact? A singing harp? That won’t help you,” Scomatch said with a hint of fear. “If you don’t use the right weapon, you don’t become a god and you turn into one of your little minions. That wouldn’t be as nice. It might be worth the risk to you, as greed is a green thing.”
“I do not believe you, halfling. It is not a good thing for you to lie to me. So, I suppose we will see what happens when I kill you with a sentient weapon.”
“Wait,” Scomatch pleaded, holding up his hands. I’m trying to help you and you say you’ll kill me? What do you want for ultimate power? I’ve taken the initiative to help you.”
There were several more heartbeats of silence.
“Halfling. Here’s what we are going to do. I will let you live, if you convince your party to convert and worship me.”
“Are you serious!? Do you even know what I’d be working with? A paladin, a stubborn dwarven cleric, and a monk. It sounds like the start of a bad joke and not a funny one at that,” Scomatch bemoaned.
“So you are offering me nothing for your life.”
“Hey, I choose you over Cocaine Bear.”
“Halfling, what is the job you want me to take over again, hum? The replacement for the god of evil.”
“I’m just saying, I’m giving you the opportunity that no one else would give you. Now, you want more? Give me something I can actually do.”
The area ignited. Scomatch was in a vast cavern filled with millions upon millions of gold coins. The Dragon of the Woods’ gargantuan head was not more than two feet from him.
“There is something you can actually do. So, I am sending you back,” the green dragon said and then whispered to the halfling.
“Oh, not that.”
* * *
“Where did Scomatch go!” Kai bellowed.
“I’ll have Imago and Odium search the ship,” Guo Gan yelled.
Kildo began casting, Divination. He asked Rigga silently, where is Scomatch Thunderfire?”
A feminine voice spoke, as if from a great distance. “He is in transit…4…3…2…1.”
A figure appeared where Scomatch was sitting. It was much smaller, standing about two and three-quarters feet tall. He had a flat face, broad nose, sideways pointing ears, and small, sharp fangs. His forehead sloped back, and his eyes were yellow. His skin color was pale with a hint of orange. He was dressed in a green shirt and pants with a covering over his shoulders with a silver, buckled black belt where extra holes were added due to his skinny nature. A black hat, with a similar belt buckle, covered his head, and tiny silver-buckled boots on his feet fit for a very small child. However, there was no mistake while the runt of a litter, it was nonetheless a goblin.
“Scomatch, is that you?” Kai asked.
“Unfortunately. That green-scaled witch took the blue gem.”
“How do I know it’s you? What’s your favorite sauce? Icy sauce, fire sauce, or acid sauce?” Kai asked.
“So, I could use fire on you, or I could use acid on you.”
“All right, it’s Scomatch. What happened?”
“The green wyrm wanted to convert you and worship her. So, I decided to take one for the team. She turned me into a goblin.”
“So, the Dragon of the Woods took Nusen’s place?” Guo Gan asked.
“I guess so.”
“So, you don’t know for sure?”
Scomatch shrugged his tiny goblin shoulders.
“Them hobgoblins at the Sacred Stone Monastery might be knowing. They be worshiping that green beast of a wyrm,” Kildo said.
* * *
Taking a boat from the Sea Ghost back to the Spiral, the party made their way back through its portal to the Dark Council chamber. It was empty and it seemed the cultist leaders had not returned. Using the brown key, they entered the portal to the Sacred Stone Monastery.
Kildo looked back at a perfectly rectangular doorway hovering in mid-air, large enough to allow a large creature to pass through. It hummed with massive energy. They found themselves back in the naturally occurring cavern. Large glowing crystals, as well as phosphorus rocks, lit the area. Plants grew sparsely throughout the cavern, but unlike anything from the surface, they seemed to use the purple light from the quartz as their food source.
“I’m not be looking forward to be climbing back up them 1,576 stairs from the Temple of Ogremach,” Kildo lamented.
“Yes, we can all skip leg day today,” Kai said.
Even before exiting the Sacred Stone Monastery, they could see the hobgoblins from the 501st legion were still about.
In the courtyard outside was the encampment of hobgoblins busy with life. Red in color, they all wore heavy armor with chain underneath. Armed with at least two different weapons, they were not the typically dull and rusty blades seen in some humanoid races, but well-polished and sharp. They cared for their equipment. Tents were lined in neat, military precision rows. They were eating, cleaning, and maintaining their equipment with some warming themselves near fires. Guard patrolled the area while some constructed additional defensive fortifications. However, their eyes all snapped toward their leader Akri as the party emerged.
Bald, Akri had red-orange skin and dark brown eyes peering out beneath a heavy brow. A wide mouth sported sharp and yellowed teeth, with two small tusks coming up from her lower jaw. Her nose was blue and matched a tattoo on the left side of her hairless head. She had one hand on her hip and in the other she held a short staff pointed at the bottom, spiked in the middle, and an amber-like stone that would act like a club at the top. She wore leather armor, exposing muscled arms, legs and midsection. A vest, tied in front, tightly covered her large breasts, which any man would yearn for, except they were on the body of a hobgoblin.
“What brings you back to the Sacred Stone Monastery? What news do you bring?” She then looked past the party to the goblin, Scomatch, Akri said, “Hey little fellow, how did you get here?”
“We came to ensure the world was saved. Scomatch entitled your queen with a great cause and undertaking to save the world from face-hugging worms from the far realm. Your queen then ‘blessed him’ for his efforts”, Guo Gan informed.
“My queen is wise. She will make the correct decision,” Akri said.
“The decision and choices will affect her, but not knowing how she might be affected, she might need people who still stand with her, even if she changes,” Guo Gan said.
“What are you expecting?”
“Your queen is taking on an important role and making a sacrifice for the world at the solstice. She is opening herself up to changes she might not anticipate. Is there a way to contact her to see if she has everything she needs to ensure the sun comes up the next day?” Guo Gan asked.
“That’ll be challenging,” Akri said. “Only if we had teleportation of some kind.”
“What about that lich, Renwick?” Kildo asked.
“Renwick! I forgot he was here!” Guo Gan said in a child-like giddy tone.
Face frowning, Akri said, “The lich has been very particular about not wanting to be bothered.”
“Yes, except for us,” Guo Gan replied.
“Perhaps, if you think that’s best. Just give me an hour to get my guard and me away from any explosions,” Akri said. “Also, would you mind holding a note indicating that my hobgoblins are not responsible for bothering him, so he’ll see it on your corpse?”
“Renwick loves us,” Scomatch stated.
Kai turned to the goblin mage and said, “Scomatch, you have a knack for, let’s say, pissing people off. Even when you give a powerful ancient green dragon the ability to become a god.”
“What? Me?”
Kai winced, motioning up and down to Scomatch’s goblin form.
“Bah, he’ll see us,” Guo Gan said.
“Well, you see lich friendship is weird and where I’m going to draw the line,” Kai said.
Kildo nodded rapidly in agreement with the paladin.
“We can’t leave before seeing Renwick,” Guo Gan said, and he and the goblin Scomatch headed back inside the Sacred Stone Monastery.
Scomatch added excitedly, “I can’t wait to tell him that I saved the world, again.”
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