Belboz is Back!
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 22504
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The necromancer's laughter, if indeed his maniacal fit of deep-throated
rattling and gurgling noises can be called such, continues to reverberate
throughout the cavern even after his form has shimmered away into
nothingness. As the echoing subsides and an eerie silence takes it's place, the three adventurers are left with one parting message; it seems there's a new entry in Belboz's tome, written in the Common. As the words begin to form on the page, Fred reads them aloud to the others: "As you are, I once was. As I am, you shall be!""I don't think it would be wise to read anymore passages from that tome," Checkers suggests. "I think we've caused enough mischief and foul play for one day!" Fred slams the tome shut, sending a thick cloud of dust into the air. "You're right," he agrees, "I'm a Knight, not a warlock..."AND I AM A PRINCESS, NOT A DRAGON! Astra lets out a defining roar, a deep and fiery fury mounting inside her now-reptilian heart. I-I- CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME!? Her senses are reeling; her draconian side taking over what traces of humanity are left within her. She restrains the wild, animalistic rage coursing through her cold-blooded veins with every fiber of her being, but she can feel her former self rapidly slipping away. New thoughts, new urges, begin to take over. An exhilarating sense of fierce independence and territorialism comes over her...and also a sense of freedom such as she has never felt before..."It's ok, Princess, we are here to help you," Fred assures her. "There has to be some method of lifting your curse. I shall turn this tome over unto the Council of the WhiteHand, so that they may interpret it and learn any clues that may help you..." NO! WH-WHO AM I!? WHO AM I!!? I AM ASTRA OF AQUALARIA, DAUGHTER OF HELIASTRA AND HEIR TO THE THRONE OF THEMYSCIRA! NO! NO! LEAVE! RUN! I CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF!In a blind panic, Astra begins violently thrashing around, heedless of her former injuries. She flails her leathery wings about and swings her tail through the air, creating a heavy gust of wind that knocks both Fred and Checkers onto the ground. A thunderous tremor erupts from above as her tail lashes out at the cave wall above the passageway leading back toward Belboz's chamber to the west. As her inhuman fury continues to mount, Astra can feel a warm tingling sensation building in her stomach. Plooms of smoke begin to spout from her nostrils, making a sound similar to a boiling teapot. Without waiting another moment, both Fred and Checkers scramble to the nearest unblocked exit at the north end of the chamber.They make it to the exit just in time, a column of dragon-fire licking their feet as they run. Luckily, the passageway is too narrow for Astra Dragon to pursue them. Even luckier, it leads directly to the left-hand entrance to the Southern Caves! The earth continues to shake and the booming of Astra's cries can still be heard just as clearly. "What just happened!?" Checkers asks, though she knows Fred can hardly have a better idea of what had come to pass in the last few minutes."I-I dont know," sighs Fred. "I am mandated by King Emry to slay the Southern Dragon - but instead of slaying the bloody wyrm, I resurrect it uttering the words to some petty Allarian witchery...and now we have another one, thanks to this same tome! Great! Now we have two dragons to deal with!" "I don't think she meant to hurt us, Fred. She seemed to be involved in some inner- conflict...as if her draconian side and her human side were dueling over the dominion of her mind. I think we can still help her if...""If she doesn't vaporize us first." "True, it won't be easy or even safe, for that matter. But what choice do we have? Would you rather fight two dragons instead of one?"Fred shrugs. "Good point. But how do you plan on helping her? I think the safest course of action would be to head north. The city of Penn in the Duchy of Stonewall is no more than two days away. At the bottom of this hill my Squire and horse are awaiting my return. When we reach Penn we will let the whitecloaks decipher the tome..." "No, Fred. By then it will be too late. I implore you to follow me back into Belboz's chamber, while we have time! I think we will find the answers to her curse and a few other secrets into Belboz's true nature...""But that leman-of-a-liche may be there waiting for us! And I doubt he's happy about his missing tome." "That is a risk I'm willing to take. He made no attempt to reclaim it when he was reanimated - or resurrected - or whatever.""Seems as if it's all one big game for him. If only I had known his true nature beforehand."
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Ib
11/20/2002 3:20:51 AM
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