This thread will only contain a few sample writings/stories. The complete walkthrough will not be released yet for a while. It's still too soon for publishing spoilers about all and every battle in the public forum. But since Silverstar has done a great and superb work, I thought to share at least this one with you all.
END of the MIGHTY BEASTMASTER
Author: Silverstar
Party:
Oril-My PC, Male Human Conjurer, Neutral Good, he is naive, kind, idealistic, and merciful. Stats:7/12/15/18/12/15 (my first roll), lvl:10 by that time.
Jaheira-romance interest, though Oril is not yet aware of that yet.
Yasraena-Mod NPC, Chaotic good renegade female drow, grand master in short swords and dual-wields them.
Nathaniel-Mod NPC, Lawful good human male kensai, dual-wields katanas, apparently has a crush on Oril, but he dared not to tell his true feelings...yet.
The Yoshimo-Everybody's favourite Bounty hunter!
'I am Hendak, and I beg of you, please free us!'
The desperate words of the imprisoned gladiator still echoing in their ears, Oril and his company made their way deeper into the 'back rooms' of Copper Coronet.
Oril, the naive and kind hearted human conjurer could not believe the cruelty and evil found right in the middle of Athkathla as his group discovered the illegal activities and hidden atrocities behind the scene, behind the back rooms of the famous inn named Copper Coronet. Slaves, drugs, courtesans, pit-fightings and worse...these were the things offered to the patrons of this inn.
Jaheira, the half-elven fighter of nature and balance, was obviously disgusted, silently complaining about the ways of the cities and people within. Yasraena, the renegade drow under protection of Oril, was actually quite dissapointed and saddened, as she has discovered that such evil and cruelty could exist even on the surface. Nathaniel, the troubled but kind-hearted human kensai, was mortified...his whole life was built upon upholding the law and justice, he was gripping the hilts of his twin blades nervously as he felt the urge to do something against this injustice. The Yoshimo, skillful and friendly bounty hunter, was not very suprised, for he knew the real faces and rules of this city all too well.
Oril knew they had ventured too far when they found the slave gladiators locked behind the bars, and after a short battle with the initial guards, the floors of Copper Coronet were dyed red with the blood of the fallen slavers.
'The beastmaster has the key!' said the proud looking warrior behind the bars. 'If you can get it we can free all the slaves and put an end to the evil reign of our so named owners!'
Willing to free the slaves at all costs, Oril and his party ventured further, passed the circular arenas (and dispatched an angry winter wolf there with ease), and eventually found entrance to a narrow hall, with cages in the walls inside. Oril, thinking there was enough blood shed for the day, decided to try to talk and negotiate with the 'beast-master'. He was not foolish to enter the hall without some protection, though, he knew his Stoneskin enchantment would protect him from any blows.
A booming voice welcomed him as his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the hall. Oril saw the Beastmaster, a tall and strong looking half-elf, with many fading scars on his grim-looking face; and he had a huge, felinoid animal nearby, obviously some sort of trained animal companion, which immediately stared at the intruder with suprisingly intelligent feline eyes which were, full with hatred.
'I am here to free the gladiators. Hand over the keys!' shouted the naive conjurer, trying to make his voice come as serious and as commanding as possible. The only reply was a sneer, as the Beastmaster commanded the felinoid shape with a simple gesture. 'Fool! Come, Tabitha, help your master, open the cells!'
All cages were opened suddenly to Oril's horror, and as he heard furious roars echoing in the tight corridor, all sorts of wild animals started pouring to the narrow hall. Tigers, panthers, bears...Oril had to retreat fast, not allowing his heavy robe to slow him down, he saw Tabitha running directly at him with hunter grace, he knew he was in trouble. He passed by the other animals fast, his stoneskin protecting him from occasional bites and claws, and he quickly retreated back in to the room where his friends were waiting, with all animals chasing him in their animal frenzy. He thought about reaching for the fire wand deep in his pockets to release a fiery inferno to the narrow hall, but he knew his stoneskins would not last long if he was ever cornered by the ferocious animals.
'Animals! They are coming!' He shouted to alarm his companions, but it was nearly not very neccessary, for they have already heard the angry roars of the pack. Yasraena was already expecting a battle, with her shiny magical shortswords drawn, she rushed to the entrance of the narrow hall as Oril made a retreat to a safer place near the circular arenas. As the animals started pouring in to the room after him, Nathaniel quickly drew his katanas and followed Yasraena, who has already started thrusting her weapons to the closest target:a lion. Jaheira frowned, as she did not enjoy killing aimals, but she started casting a spell to summon the allies of the nature to her side, to block the narrow corridor. Yoshimo, retreated to the other side of the circular arenas, for even he was THE Yoshimo, feared by all, he had no desire to enter melee with all those ferocious animals while only protected by the meager defense of his studded leather armor. He found a safe spot, and switched to his shortbow. He scanned the area, and noticed a gibberling, a tiny furball of anger, slipping through the door and away from the melee fighters. With a confident grin on his face he targetted the little monster with his arrow.
Oril, trying to stay calm, focused and remembered the command words for a spell. He came a little closer to the fighting, and quickly released a Slow spell that would hinder the enemy's movements. His spell worked as the air around the animals became thick, slowing them down, making them less efficient and dangerous opponents. He smiled genuinely as Yasraena and Nathaniel landed a killing blow to a lion, but his smile faded away when he noticed Tabitha, while still slowed by the spell, rushing at himself with suprising speed.
Oril gasped, as he reached for a dart in his deep-pockets, he threw it to the coming creature, but the tiny weapon missed, and Oril knew it would not have much effect even if it had hit. He retreated to the corner of the circular arena as he remembered the words for another spell:a spell from his school of specialisation, he was so familiar with the spell that he almost casted it automatically, without thinking. Two arrows imbued with the essence of fire appeared out of nowhere from his hands, and rushed directly in the air to hit Tabitha. Oril tought this would at least injure her greatly and perhaps, cause her to cease her hunt; he knew the wild animals were not that fond of fire.
To his suprise, the arrows sunk in to her hide perfectly, but they did not put her on fire. There was no sign of fiery damage at all, no burns, or the rancid smell of charred fur and hide he had hoped. The beast completely ignored the spell and continued heading right for Oril, who was cornered near the arena, in shock.
'Uh..How on Fearun...' cursed Oril, but as the beast caught him, and removed his stoneskin enchantment in a flurry of claws and bites, he could only call for help.
Jaheira immediately turned when she heard his call, and Oril was suprised to see 'fear' on her face. Jaheira has never shown a sign of weakness or fear in any battle before, at least, when it was she who was in danger.
But he could not dwell much on it, as the mighty claw of Tabitha sunked deep into his heavy robe, soaking it with blood, a mighty scratch to his chest and causing much pain! He saw and felt his own blood, and the fierce gleam in the monstrous animal's eyes. He managed to keep his distance, thanks to animal being slowed by the spell, otherwise he knew he would be sliced quickly by the mighty beast, and as Jaheira rushed to cast a healing spell on him, Yasraena and Nathaniel were already done with other animals, really, those slowed critters were no match for their masterful fighting skills helped with Yoshimo's true-striking arrows. So they too, turned to help Oril. Yoshimo turned his bow to the felinoid monster, Yasraena and Nathaniel rushed to block her way to allow Oril an escape. There was no sign of the Beastmaster, Oril assumed that he was...busy with what Jaheira was summoning in the start of the battle.
Yasraena blocked the critter's path, the beast leapt on her but failed to penetrate her heavy plate mail. Shouting a war cry in her own language, Yasraena started slashing through the thick hide of the monster with her short blades. Nathaniel was staying at the back to protect Oril, which suprised the wounded conjurer, as he saw a very concerning expression similiar to that of Jaheira's, on Nathaniel's face. 'I had no idea they valued my health so much!' he thought in an instant.
Making sure that Oril is safe with Jaheira casting a healing spell on him, the mighty kensai turned to join Yasraena in her fight, he shouted 'Kai!' as he focused his inner power, using his master's teachings to augment his already superior fighting skills, to make all and each of his next attacks as deadly as possible. The blades danced furiously, Yoshimo's arrows flew true, and the monstrous beast fell in a pool of her own blood just when the beast's master managed to exit the narrow hall to witness her demise.
'Tabitha...always loyal to the end...I will avenge her death!' screamed the dark-hearted Beastmaster, Oril tought he had seen the fade glitter of a tear in his eye.
Jaheira was done casting a healing spell on Oril to quickly close his wound, so she turned and headed for the Beastmaster to face the threat, protected by the nature's Ironskins blessing and with her mighty magical club at her hand. Yasraena and Nathaniel also attacked him, with their blades still stained with the blood of Tabitha. Oril used the time to throw a quick enchantment to the furious Beastmaster, a charm of unluck and greater malice, to lower his chance to resist any spell thrown at him.
Beastmaster, a fighter/druid half elf, proved to be a tough enemy, he was protected by many spells and, perhaps due to spells on him, or the fury of witnessing the death of Tabitha, his attacks were fast, furious and deadly. Jaheira managed to hit him on the chest with her club only once, which did not hurt the corrupted fighter of nature at all thanks to his protections or frenzy, by the time the Beastmaster's own mighty club tore through her ironskins fast, Yasraena cursed in drow tongue as she made a very unlucky attack, and Nathaniel focused his inner energies again, and headed, just then the Beastmaster stopped a sonorious chanting. To Oril's horror, a cloud of buzzing insects appared from nowhere, and headed for Yasraena, then started to spread for other members of the party. Oril knew the spell, it was a bane to any spell caster, so he decided to retreat back, as the cloud of insects made their slow, but inevitable approach. Yoshimo was puzzled and unsure what to do, part of him wanted to use his ring of invisiblity to sneak to the back of the enemy, for a free attack with his trusty katana. He twisted the ring and became invisible.
The stinging beetles swarmed Nathaniel, and although the tiny bites and stings did not do much to hurt him, the constant and annoying buzzing and the supernatural effect of the spell disturbed his focus and he turned back from the fight, to flee away from the battle for the time being. Jaheira was gritting her teeth and managed to stay calm despite the many small bugs troubling her, and Yasraena was not affected at all, she was proudly continuing to swing her shortblades, for her race's infamous magical resistance has managed to keep annoying pests away.
Just as the cloud of insects came closer, Oril touched the closed wound on his chest, and remembered the suffering of all slaves and gladiators in the hands of this man. With determination he raised his hand and clearly announced the command words for his next spell: "Emotion"
'You can not beat us, Beastmaster. It is hopeless! The forces of good will triumph and we will save all the slaves from your grasp!'
Beastmaster heard Oril not by his ears, but deep in his head. He suddenly stopped fighting and kneeled, he knew Oril was saying the truth, and no matter how strong or smart he was, there was no way he could win this battle. Yasraena and Nathaniel were suprised to see the mighty man dropping to the ground...
Oril turned his back, not wanting to witness the scene, as the cloud of insects managed to catch and envelope him in an instant. By that time, Nathaniel has gained his control again, so four blades dove into Beastmaster's body, taking this chance, they found no defense or resistance...as the blood of once mighty Beastmaster started to cover the ground, Jaheira, still trying to keep the swarm away from her face, made her way to Oril to further check his wound,. 'OW, these bugs sting! I am OK, Jaheira, really; I mean REALLY, thank you very much...Nothing a healing potion or two can't cure!'
Yasraena and Nathaniel were done cleaning their blades by the time the invisible bounty hunter reached for the corpse of the man on the ground, for the keys and any other possible loot, with a silent sigh. Swarm of insects dissapeared magically just as they had appeared, and the damage they caused was a lesser price and much of an annoyance than threat, after ending the life of mighty and cruel Beastmaster who has imprisoned the slaves for so long...
Sikret's final comment:
Great work, Silverstar!
"Emotion" did the trick. It's one of my own favorites among 4th level wizard spells. Of course, the battle is doable in different ways and with different tactics (and even without our favorite "Emotion" spell.)
