The Fall of Cedric

Summary:

Before plunging into yet another rune portal, the Victors paused for a moment to investigate four separate sets of doors. The first two sets led to the same room, a large chamber containing alchemical equipment and a glass cube full of bronze tubing and the floating head of a warder. Gareth took a couple of whacks at the cube, the glass shattering. Acid showered from the broken fissure, sizzling into Gareth's armor and skin. A robed figure suddenly popped next to Gareth and screamed, "Oh, you will pay for that, I assure you. You will all pay!" and then disappeared just as abruptly. The adventurers continued exploring the other two sets of doors, one leading to a library full of books with no words and the other a rune circle. Gilic collected a phial of acid from the other room and used it to destroy the binding of the runes. Everyone else made way to the last rune portal.

Just as they were about to step through, Queequeg screamed in pain. An imp suddenly materialized next to the dragonborn, its barbed tail lashing back trailing a wisp of blood. The demon disappeared before Queequeg could retaliate, so the dragonborn stepped through the portal instead, emerging inside a small room with three doors and four familiar crystal pillars. All but Taegahn and Cedric followed and the final battle began in earnest.

Orchid tried a door and found it to be locked. She quickly picked it open, revealing an empty room. The door directly north of it was locked too and stubbornly refused to open. The crystal pillars pulsed with energy soon enough and quickly the party came under psychic attack from hidden enigmas of Cyric. Queequeg, Gareth, and Gilic all tried to barrel through the door and hack it down, but it refused to budge. Meanwhile, Shava tried the final closed door. The handle surprised her when it turned with well-oiled ease. She swung the door open revealing a massive chamber, a thirty by thirty skull insignia of Cyric on the floor, the large skull statue on the wall opposite the door. Standing on top of the insignia, another bronze minotaur warden. The mechanical abomination whirled its head at Shava and began to stride towards her, swinging its axe with artificial precision.

Gilic raced past the priest and faced the warden head on. Three norkers suddenly sprung from either side of the wall and attacked the brave dwarf as well. Paldemar came into view from the very back of the room and began cackling loudly. The insane wizard paused a moment, concentrating strangely. Tall, sheer crystal prism throughout the chamber blinked in response and Paldemar seemed strengthened by them. He focused crackling lightning at the party, often arcing his strikes to three heroes.

The ensuing battle was pitched. Cedric cast spells at Paldemar bravely and strategically, hampering the wizard enough to blunt his elemental assaults. But Cedric soon found himself beseiged by both Paldemar and a Norker that had tore away from Gilic and Gareth. The mage finally collapsed from his wounds, unconscious and close to death. Shava darted underneath the rampaging warden and made her way to Cedric side. Time stood still for a second as she smiled down at him, placed her hand lightly on his forehead, and muttered a prayer to Corellon. Cedric's face relaxed in response as he stabilized. Shava sighed with relief, but as she arose, a crystal pillar unleashed a bolt of lightning on the helpless wizard. Shava screamed, "No!" but to little avail. Cedric breathed no more.

The death of their friend pushed the rest to fight harder and soon norkers and warden fell at the hands of Gareth and Taegahn. Gilic and Orchid encircled Paldemar and slew him before he could escape through the skull Cyric insignia. The adventurers finally made their way to the first room with the stubborn door and cut down the enigmas of Cyric, their shrieks drowned out by the rage and grief of the wounded, battle weary heroes.

Their foes dead, the party collapsed next to the still form of Cedric. Tears were shed. Sobs choked down. Finally, Gilic said, "Ack, he was good laddy. A wee bit chatty at times, but one of the good ones."

Gareth chuckled, "Yeah. Remember when he thought he could fly? He had to crawl across that blood chamber's ceiling like a hermit crab when it turned out he could only levitate."

The rest of the party laughed along with Gareth. A silence then came over them. Taegahn finally stood and said, "So, uh, what do we do with him now?"

When no one said anything, Shava responded, "We could take him back to Cormyr and perform a ritual to bring him back." Her idea seemed more a question then a statement.

The heroes glanced around at each other awkwardly. After a long time passed, Queequeg said, "I don't know, that seems like an awful lot of trouble. What with dragging the body back, storing the corpse, paying for the components. I heard the ritual only requires a thumb-sized piece of the person, but who wants that in their satchel for the next week?" The dragonborn's voice trailed off. No one said anything.

Gilic coughed uncomfortably. Orchid suddenly chimed in, "Say, didn't we meet a wizard in Seven-pillared Halls? That half-elf with the lazy eye and strange smell?"

Taegahn's face brightened. "Yeah, yeah. Babar, I think his name was. He asked if he could join up with us but we told him to piss off because, you know, we already had a wizard with a lazy eye and strange smell. Hey, do you think he's still there?"

Shava clapped her hands together happily and cheered, "Let's go see!"

"To Seven Pillared Halls!" Gareth bellowed. Gilic grinned broadly, slapping the fighter on the back smartly.

And so, the Victors of Shadowfell Keep made ready to depart, but not before relieving Cedric of his notable gear and coinage. The heroes shuffled out of the chamber one at time, Queequeg the last. The dragonborn paused before exiting, turning back for a final look. Cedric, stripped down to his underwear, lay still and calm, seemingly sleeping but for the charred flesh and the blood trickling down from his nose and mouth.

"Uh, yeah," Queequeg intoned apologetically and then turned and left the labyrinth forever.