XXX. The Wakers of the Beast

Two months later, Firiona introduced her sister Lina to the rest of the party. Lina, it seemed, wanted to work with the group. Firiona explained that her sister was a first level Enterprise agent, but one who, up to now, had operated fairly independently. She had also, unfortunately, never been too friendly toward humans. This was something she was trying to change; hopefully, contact with the party would help her become more tolerant and friendly.

Edward, Green Arrow, Miae and Arnold decided they could always use a high-level sorcerer, and one with a pseudodragon familiar at that. They welcomed Lina to their group.

About four months later, Edward, Green Arrow, Firiona and Lina were gettting together at the Sign of the Cloud, the best tavern at South Gate in Darksea, when someone approached them. It was a young female. She gave the secret sign of a first-level Enterprise member. Edward gave the recognition sign.

The girl introduced herself.  "My name is Elana Songbreeze.  I've heard a lot about you all, inside and outside our organization. I’d like to join you, learn from you, write songs about you–your deeds should be sung in many a hall!" The party briefly got teary-eyed over the memory of Lou, but quickly welcomed the addition of a new bard! Especially one whom the Enterprise had authorized to approach them and ask to work with them.

Four weeks or so passed, when Arnold called Edward, Green Arrow and Firiona together. He had a proposal for the group. "I’ve been working the trading company since we all got back, and let me tell you, the gold’s been rolling in," he said. "Well, I’m about to go on another trip in a few days. Why don’t you come along with me, you know, take a break, see the world, make some money?" This sounded good to the rest of the group, and they readily agreed.

The party took ship from the Darksea docks a few days later, heading into the (now dredged and improved) river Darkbourne. About fifteen miles downstream, they stopped at the newly enlarged docking facilities at Mile Marker 1 Plaza, now expanded to include bout a dozen new residences and several new businesses, was the site of the Fair Fiend Tavern and Inn, an establishment the party, and Arnold in particular, were well familiar with. Arnold was interested to see that the place was now a two-story facility and a major stop on the way into and out of Darksea. The crew stopped for a drink, and Arnold greeted his old friend the barkeep.

The inn’s common room was filled with travelers from various places, and Arnold chatted up a trade group from Verbobonc. He found out something interesting: it seemed that strange humanoids with long claws had been seen prowling in the Kron Hills, and also along the river route heading toward the city. When Arnold reported his findings to the party, they all agreed that this needed to be investigated. It could be bad for business!

Over the course of the next few days, the party stopped off at Thornward and headed toward Mitrick, doing business at various points along the way. The convoy now included four ships loaded with cargo. At Mitrick, the party spent a few days shopping and acquiring various weapons and magic items. They also heard further reports of disappearances over the past few months, and of a prowling humanoid observed in wooded areas east of town. When the party reached Caronis, at confluence of the Velverdyva River, about three days later, Arnold transacted more business, Lina performed for appreciative audiences, but no further rumors of prowling humanoids or disappearances were heard.

Setting out again, the convoy headed toward the Dapple Wood and the Iron Wood. That evening, they stopped at the small village of Audags. A poor quality inn was the best the village had to offer, but Lina made the best of it, performing to an enthusiastic audience that night. The now-friendly villagers advised the party several disappearances that had occurred over the last five to six months. Some were village citizens, others outlying hunters or farmers, mostly south to southeast of the village. Next morning, at breakfast before departing, a villager came into the inn bearing news. The party bought him some breakfast, and he told his tale.

He had been returning from a trip to Hundsham, another village to the south, on foot (about two days’ walk). He was following a game trail off the road, looking for rabbits. The trail trail led off into the bush, then came to a little glade. There in the glade, he had spotted what appeared to be some kind of shrine–a shrine made almost entirely of razors.

Arnold was anxious to get back to business, but Lina wanted to find the shrine and investigate the matter further. So, Arnold sailed ahead to Hundsham, to meet the rest of party there after they were finished with their investigation. The investigators took their leave and began their hike toward Hundsham.

The next day, they reached the site of the shrine. It was a small structure, built of branches, like an A-frame, with stones at the rear sealing the rear wall. Stones at the front and sides kept the structure erect. Green Arrow went invisible and flew up about twenty feet, patrolling the area. Edward detected evil. He spotted something inside the shrine. Elana spotted the same object. Cautious investigation revealed that the object was an altar made entirely of razor blades, just as the villager had reported.

Whose altar? Edward and Elana, using their knowledge of religion, concluded that it was a shrine to the obscure, but very evil, god Rallaster, a god of murder, torture and psychotic behavior, known to religious scholars as the Insane God and the God of Madmen, followed by psychopaths and mass murderers. Elana took another look inside and saw old, dried blood on and around the altar.

The party resolved to destroy the evil shrine, and after a long stake-out, interrupted only by the approach of a deer, which quickly fled the area, they smashed and blasted it to pieces.

Continuing on to Hundsham, the investigators met up with Arnold that evening. The next evening, the trading convoy stopped off at the village of Wulfos, on the south shore of the river in the Iron Wood, a relatively large village compared to Hundsham or Audags. Elana again performed, to cheers from the villagers, but Edward and Arnold noticed a lot of uneasy faces in the crowd, despite their desire for entertainment. After speaking with audience members, Elana learned that several prowling humanoids with large claws had been seen in the nearby woods, beginning about six to eight months ago. There had been no known abductions, but the mutilated body of a stranger, with large claw marks, had been found in the Iron Wood southeast of the village in the direction of the Kron Hills.

The convoy pressed on, and late the next evening pulled alongside the dock at Verbobonc. After Arnold paid the port fees for the ships, the party headed for the noble Emerald Inn, while the ships’ crews found less costly sailors’ quarters. Arnold conducted his business the next day, while the other party members went shopping or rested. That evening, Elana again performed and chatted with the Emerald Inn audience, seeking information, and learned that citizens had been disappearing over the last eight months. At another cheaper travelers’ inn, she learned that a prowling humanoid had been seen in a bad part of town, and that a stranger’s mutilated body had also been found there.

After a quick dinner, the party decided to investigate the "bad part of town." Elana disguised herself as a poor commoner and moved away from the crowd, while Lina’s familiar flew around and snooped. After a few hours, Elana heard noises from a side alley: the muffled sounds of a struggle. She approached the alley, followed by Edward, and came upon a fight going on. Shortly after their arrival, three dead thugs lay in the alley, and one rescued girl thanked Edward and Elana for her life. Edward inspected the bodies. All were humans (apparently), with no claws; however, the third thug bore the unholy symbol of Rallaster.

Elana questioned the girl, who turned out to live and work in a tavern in the area, being from a poor family. "Those thugs just grabbed me as I was walking by!" she cried. The thugs’ bodies had only a few cheap coins, which the party gave to the girl. They escorted her safely home, then returned to the Emerald Inn. They kept the unholy symbol.

More questions the next morning revealed that a stranger a few months ago came to the city library, searching for information on monsters, the bigger the better; also, a scruffy, downtrodden character had been coming into town, ordering supplies (foods, household items, also scrap metals), then heading south out of town. Elana also learned of a report from a wounded, dying halfling, telling of finding a shrine to an evil god in the hills south of the city (the Kron Hills), as well as someone overhearing an ugly humanoid leaving the city outskirts, muttering "Rallaster". Firiona and Lina learned that, over most of last year, a strange band of hunters had been seen coming and going into town; also, an unusually large humanoid had been seen on the outskirts, with one of the strange hunters each time. Arnold was briefed, and sought to develop his own information if possible.

One of the party’s contacts came to them the next morning, bearing news. Leaving business late last night on the edge of town, the man heard a strange-looking person shuffling by; the person had unusually long fingers and was muttering, mostly unintelligibly. Some of the mutterings included "wake the beast", "Rallaster", and "end of the world". The man was afraid, and quickly went back into an alley and hid. Elana used her bardic knowledge, trying to identify the three phrases. She could draw no connection between "Rallaster" and the two other phrases; however, the two remaining phrases did seem to be connected. She recalled hints of cultish groups seeking to summon monsters, the bigger the better, and turn them loose on the world to wreak destruction.

Elana and the others then visited the city library to follow up on the "monster book" clues. At the library, the librarian remembered a suspicious character asking for such books. He showed the party the books. They proved insufficient to answer Elana’s questions. The librarian then advised the party, "If you’re really interested in obscure lore or other things we don’t have books on, try going to Greyhawk. They have larger libraries than we do." So Arnold suggested splitting up, with him staying in town to take care of business while the others went to Greyhawk to follow up on leads. "Get some good spies, Arnold, and try to find and follow the supply flunky," Elana advised.

Once in Greyhawk, Elana identified exactly what library to go to. Once there, she asked the librarian about the Verbobonc inquirer. The head librarian referred the party to the head research librarian. He remembered someone making the same inquiry about three months ago. He also remembered the books he found for the inquirer, some rare or otherwise restricted. The party asked to look at them, and the librarian complied, returning after a time with six books. After examining the books, the party discovered that two books had torn-out pages. "Do you know what was on these pages?" the party asked. The librarian examined the books, and gasped at the realization of what was missing. "The missing pages describe . . . the tarrasque!" he exclaimed.

The party realized they were in trouble now.

Several weeks of intense additional research armed the party with all available knowledge about the tarrasque, including how to make incredible weapons and armor from its claws and hide and diamonds from its carapace, and, most importantly, the only known way to kill it–by knocking it unconscious and then wishing it dead. Elana also uncovered the true significance of "wake the beast": it was associated with cult groups known as "Wakers of the Beast". Cultists were said to acquire powers associated with an unknown monster, even as they lost some of their humanoid characteristics. An ancient police report shed further light on an earlier instance of cult activity, associated, surprisingly, with Nerull rather than Rallaster.

In the meantime, Arnold’s spy network back at Verbobonc had achieved results: a spy followed the flunky to a secret hideout. So, over the next week, various spies and agents watched the hideout and the perimeter of town, look for that unusually large humanoid who met with the strange hunters. After several days, the surveillance bore fruit, and a hidden hunter’s camp in the forest outside the city was located. A short, but sharp, battle ensued, and the party captured the hunter: an ugly human but otherwise unremarkable.

Edward interrogated the hunter. The results were surprising.

"Who are you?" "A simple hunter."

"Who are you really?" "My name is Aldo."

"Who do you worship?" "We are followers of Rallaster--you wouldn’t understand him!"

"Why are you here?" "To waken the beast--the beast that will destroy the world! The great devourer!"

The hunter began babbling incoherently. Edward pressed on. "What is your mission?" "Soon we will gather together and our leader will take us to the secret shrine."

The hunter eventually revealed that their leader, a being named Teshan, and the rest of the cultists would soon attempt to "wake the beast" at a secret shrine to which Teshan would lead them. Teshan was described as very tall, with large, long long fingers and mighty claws. The hunter even revealed the secret word that would open the hidden door to the cultists’ nearby hideout.

Edward then proposed a plan: he would infiltrate the hideout, impersonating Aldo, and place himself among the cultists when the beast was to be awakened. Meanwhile, the rest of the party, telepathically linked to Edward, would secretly follow. At the appropriate time, they would attack the cultists and attempt to prevent completion of the summoning.

At the hidden door, Edward successfully impersonated Aldo and bluffed his way inside. Eventually, through a previously secret door, several figures entered. One was a lot taller than normal, but all had unusually long fingers, and the leader had blade-like claws! The crowd became excited, and Edward followed along. When the large figure addressee the crowd, he didn’t sound very smart. "Tonight we work together! Maybe succeed tonight!" he shouted. "Follow me! We go! Meet others on way!"

Out they went, with the rest of the party turning invisible and following along. About six hours’ march led the cultists to their goal, but by then the rest of the party was out of telepathic range and were forced to track the cultists. Deep in the Kron Hills, a canyon led to an area with an old rockfall through which a narrow opening led inward. The cultists entered, Edward among them. Once through the rockfall, they entered a really wide passage, with a high ceiling, that extended about 200 feet before reaching a vast underground cavern, at the end of which was another huge rockfall.

At the far end, toward the rockfall, Teshan and several other clawed figures gathered. Teshan addressed the cultists again. "Wakers finally find sleeping place. Today maybe we rouse great devourer!" he shouted. "We wake it, it never sleep again! Take world now! Take us first!" He and the other Waker leaders then began to chant strange words of evil power. Meanwhile, the party had followed the cultists and Edward, and positioned themselves, trying to move silently. Unfortunately, one of them was not silent enough.

The cultists were alerted. Battle ensued!

While most of the cult leaders continued with their summoning ritual, Arnold fell back and hid, watching from around a corner. A group of armed cultists made for the tunnel entrance, hoping to block access to any (still invisible) intruders. Green Arrow, undeterred, loosed a hail of arrows, including a death arrow aimed at Teshan. Teshan took heavy damage but did not fall. Five other Wakers, and three cultists, also took heavy damage, while one of the Wakers was critically hit and felled. Lina moved up toward Arnold, while Firiona cast quickened and empowered fireballs to blast more of the monster’s demented votaries.

Another group of armed cultists, stealthier than the rest, moved toward the intruders, some of whom were now visible. One of the Waker leaders, leaving off his chanting, directed magic missiles at Firiona, inflicting minor damage. Edward, still in disguise, moved back toward the center of the cavern to "protect" Teshan. A third group of fighting cultists all ran toward Firiona and Green Arrow. Teshan waved his hands and spoke mysterious words, apparently casting some type of spell immunity on himself, while other leading Waker cast additional protective spells on themselves. A huge half-orc Waker, a raging barbarian, raced toward the party, as did four other heavily armed fighters.

As Arnold backed up, still watching the action, several of the fighters assaulting Green Arrow tried to disarm or grapple him, but the doughty elf evaded them. Another swung at Firiona with his axe, but missed. The rest continued to advance. Green Arrow again fired a volley of arrows, and a Waker leader fell dead, silencing another chanting voice. A prismatic spray leapt from Lina’s fingers, injuring three of the armed cultists, killing another two outright, poisoning still another, stoning two others, driving two more insane, and sending five more to other planes, as she proved she was truly Firiona’s sister. Meanwhile, Firiona herself, becoming visible, pointed a finger at another Waker, who failed to resist her power and disintegrated into a pile of dust.

Edward chose this moment to reveal himself, and charged the heavily wounded Teshan. Summoning all his might, he smote the monstrous humanoid creature. Still, two other leaders of the Wakers continued their summoning ritual. Meanwhile, the raging half-orc charged Lina, but she easily side-stepped his crazed charge. As she did, she heard a low rumbling start, emanating from the rockfall at the far end of the chamber.

Moving up behind Firiona, Arnold saw two armed cultists rush up to Green Arrow. One of them stripped the bow from the elvish archer! He immediately picked up his bow, but was stricken by the warrior as he did so. Green Arrow then flew up and away from the warrior. Firiona blasted the raging half-orc with a scorching ray, and Lina followed up with yet another prismatic spray, frying the barbarian with a bolt of electric power, poisoning two others of the enemy and sending still others off to other planes. But six sneaking cultists then spread out, trying to minimize their vulnerability to further sprays. At the other end of the cavern, Edward continued his assault on the Wakers’ leader, and eventually smote him to his ruin. The monstrous figure was felled by the power of Hieroneous and the mighty paladin.

But one of the surviving warriors of the Wakers ran up beside Edward, flanking him, and a Waker leader, drawing a huge mercurial greatsword, drew blood from the paladin! Seeing an opportunity, another Waker leader tried to bullrush Edward, but lacked the strength to move him. The remaining Waker fighter fled into the corridor past Green Arrow, who was unable to strike him as he passed.

The rumbling noise was getting louder.

Seizing his chance to finally strike a blow, Arnold stabbed at one of the sneaky cultists with his frost rapier, drawing blood and weakening the roguish enemy. Green Arrow’s next flight of arrows took down still more of the Wakers’ followers. Firiona cast fly on herself and flew up next to Green Arrow, as did Lina, now in pit fiend form. Meanwhile, a roguish follower tried to flank-attack Arnold, but failed. Another fled back down the corridor. The remaining Waker leaders fell to Edward’s unstoppable attacks. But as they did so, the rumbling reached a crescendo, causing a rockfall in the corridor that killed one of the fleeing Waker followers. Suddenly, the rocks at end of the cavern collapsed. Bursting through the piled rubble with a deafening roar, it emerged--the tarrasque!

One of the remaining followers screamed, "Hail the beast!", drawing the attention of the tarrasque. The monster instantly attacked him, grappled him, then swallowed him whole!

The party quickly realized that they couldn’t stop the monster. Green Arrow flew at top speed out of the cavern. Lina flew to Firiona, then sought the end of the tunnel via dimension door. Arnold quaffed a potion of flying and flew out of the tunnel.

Edward checked the monster, seeing if it had sustained any injuries–it hadn’t–and then, activating the power of his sword, flew out as well.

One remaining follower bowed down before the monster and was quickly swallowed. The others, suddenly losing their devotion to ending the world and themselves, ran away as fast as they could.

The Great Devourer had been wakened.