The War Without End – Episode 1.11

Intent on going out after the remaining ingredients, Ebon scours the Fortress for allies but finds it all but deserted. Shilaze, who has been his most dependable companion, is no longer there, Elsabeth and Kai are nowhere to be found, and Korbin and Growler are out on a mission with Heiron. The only person he can muster is another new arrival named Baratus.

Baratus offers to help Ebon and suggests going to the Outlands in search of the egg pellet. He has heard that there are Red Slaad marauding through the hills around Xaos, which is an area he knows fairly well, but neither man is confident about attempting this when there are only two of them.

While they are discussing it, Graffan unexpectedly returns.

At first Ebon is relieved, but then he realises how deeply recent events have left their mark on Graffan and he grows concerned for him. The cleric refuses to speak of it however, saying that such things can wait till later. He has come at Shilaze’s behest to help Ebon get the remaining ingredients. This is an obligation he must discharge before doing anything else. Though his heart is heavy and Shilaze’s fate is foremost in his mind, he will not fail to do what she has asked.

Ebon is moved by Graffan’s devotion and extremely grateful for the help. He vows to Graffan that once Blanca is safe he will be doing everything in his power to help Shilaze.

While the trio of men are making ready to depart, their numbers are bolstered still further when Massingleigh returns and joins them.

A few hours later the four men are marching into the hills north of Xaos looking for signs of the Red Slaad. It doesn’t take Baratus long to find evidence of the creatures’ presence and the group are soon following two sets of tracks that head toward a large rock out-cropping and then lead into some caves.

The companions ready themselves for trouble and then cautiously enter.

Inside they find what they were looking for. A lone Slaad is waiting for them in a cavern a short distance from the cave-mouth. On seeing them the powerfully built creature raises its flat toad-like head, lets out a strange guttural cry and then charges.

A pitched battle ensues, with Ebon and Massingleigh leading the fight, augmented by Graffan and Baratus’s magic. They seem to be getting the upper hand when a second Slaad appears and then a third. At this point the four friends realise that it will not be long before more Slaad arrive and eventually they will be overwhelmed.

In an effort to end it quickly Ebon and Massingleigh make a furious attack on the Slaad that is most badly hurt and manage to take it down. They drive the remaining Slaad back long enough to sever the clawed forearm containing the egg-pellets from the fallen Slaad and secure it in a pouch. Then they turn their attention to getting out.

Hastily they retreat down the tunnel toward the entrance with the strange calls of the Slaad echoing in the darkness all around them.

They are nearly at the cave-mouth when a Slaad ambush threatens to trap them. Massingleigh is almost dragged off down a side tunnel, but Ebon scatters the Slaad with his glaive and drives them back into the darkness. A few moments later the Med-Jai are all out.

They head for the portal, half expecting the Slaad to come after them, but there is no sign that they are followed.

And so, dusty and bloodstained, they arrive back in Sigil. The wriggling Slaad egg-worms are in a pellet sack attached to the severed forearm. Concerned about the possibility of infection, they take their prize straight to Derioch at the Gatehouse. She is delighted but warns them that the egg-worms will only last a few hours. They need to hurry and bring her the final ingredient.

Ebon determinedly promises that Derioch will have whatever she requires to help his sister. He takes a moment to look in on Blanca and then the four companions depart for the Fortress of the Second.

When they arrive they find that Heiron has returned. He indicates that he has urgent business with Graffan and Ebon, but when he hears that there are only a few hours to get the remaining ingredient he acknowledges that should take precedence.

Sending Massingleigh off on an errand the old wizard then tells Ebon, Graffan and Baratus to come with him. They are going to hunt some demons.

Heiron uses his Mirror of Triumphant Transportation to open a portal to the region of Curst, where he knows that Vrock frequently mount aerial patrols.

Once there they watch the skies until they spot what they are looking for, a group of demons, six Vrock and a Nalfeshnee flying above. The Vrocks are vulture like, the Nalfeshnee a cross between a winged ape and a boar. As the patrol passes overhead Heiron casts a spell and four of the Vrocks fall to the ground, incapacitated.

“Get them before they recover” Heiron orders “I’ll deal with the others”

Ebon, Graffan and Baratus run toward the fallen Vrocks while powerful magic crackles in the air behind them. The old wizard rapidly despatches the two Vrocks that are still flying and then turns his attention to the Nalfeshnee. There is a moment when the demon seems to resist Heiron’s magic, but then a green ray arcs out and the Nalfeshnee disintegrates.

Meanwhile Ebon decapitates the fallen Vrocks with powerful swings of his glaive. Baratus collects the heads.

As soon as they are finished, Heiron transports them all back to the Fortress.

While Heiron talks to Graffan, Ebon and Baratus take the remaining ingredients to Derioch. She tells them it will take a couple of days to prepare the potion and then an unspecified amount of time for it to take effect. Derioch is hopeful that it will be effective however, as Blanca has already shown some signs of improvement.

Heartened, Ebon visits his sister again and then returns to the Fortress of the Second.

When he gets back he is summoned to Heiron’s study to speak with Heiron and Graffan, who have been busy piecing together the story of Shilaze’s life.

Heiron’s daughter Grisa gave birth to three children, Grae, Blanca and Ebon. Grae, the eldest was a Half-Elf, the daughter of Grisa’s first husband, while Blanca and Ebon were born later, the children of her second husband, who was Human.

The years of Grisa life were dangerous times for the Med-Jai of the Second Tribe, and difficult decisions had to be made. Grisa was forced to part with her own children and send them into hiding in an attempt to protect them from the tribe’s enemies.

Due to her Elvish heritage, Grae was placed with Elves in a small village that was subsequently raided and massacred. She became lost to Heiron and the Second of the twelve tribes at that time. Though members of the tribe had searched for her for many years it was not till much later that they knew for certain that she had survived.

Apparently it was the Twelfth Tribe, the Hu-Ren Dai that had taken Grae. They had lied to her and twisted her mind to their own design, telling her that she was unwanted, and that her Elven mother had been raped by a Human bandit and had died giving birth to her.

The young Half-Elven girl was given the name Rae and placed in the custody of a farmer who brought her up in the evil ways of Hextor. The farmer was a cruel master and as far as Graffan could ascertain he had tried to break Rae with hardship and suffering.

When the young girl had come of age the farmer had tried to take advantage of her and she had fought back and then murdered him. This was the first charge she had been found guilty of in the court of the Med-Jai.

After fleeing the farm, Rae had lived a harsh life. Her twisted upbringing had taught her to be ruthless in order to survive. She had no compunction about killing those who threatened her or stood in her way. She was harsh and uncompromising, with little regard for the sanctity of life.

Ultimately she gained sufficient notoriety that a combined force of paladins and clerics from the Churches of Heironeous and St Cuthbert tracked her down. Graffan was among them. When they cornered her she had attacked them, throwing a poisoned dagger at Graffan and paralysing him. She might well have killed them all, but a horde of Orcs attacked at the same time.

After the battle, when Graffan regained consciousness he found that he had been left for dead by the Orcs and appeared to be the only survivor. Subsequently, while attending to the bodies he found Rae amongst the fallen. She was also still alive. Graffan had considered executing Rae for her crimes there and then but something had stayed his hand. Instead he bandaged her wounds and cared for her. When she awoke Graffan discovered that she was suffering from amnesia.

Not knowing what to do with her, Graffan took her to the Temple of Heironeous to ask for advice. After some lengthy deliberation the Church decided not to execute her. She adopted the name Shilaze and became a paladin of Heironeous to atone for her crimes.

Ultimately she was recognised and returned to the Second of the Twelve Tribes.

Heiron shakes his head sadly at how his granddaughter has been manipulated by the Twelfth Tribe. “I cannot forgive myself for allowing this to happen” he mumbles.

For a moment he looks very old and weary but then he draws himself up and turns his attention to getting her freed from her imprisonment. He has found out that a man called Tanemous, a member of the Eleventh Tribe, is responsible for building the case against Shilaze. Tanemous is the brother of Tangrel, a man who Shilaze was found guilty of murdering. However Heiron’s sources suggest that the verdict was questionable.

Consequently Heiron believes that their next step should be to seek out the victim and ask him some questions, since Tangrel is reputedly still in existence, acting as a Death Knight servitor of the goddess Wee-Jas. Heiron believes that, in addition to having first hand knowledge of what happened when his previous incarnation was murdered, Tangrel might also be able to shed some light on what motive Tanemous has for bringing Shilaze to trial.

Notes:

For those who are not familiar with Red Slaad they inject their eggs into living hosts, which is why the egg pellets are in a sack attached to the forearm.

Between the end of the previous episode and the start of this one, Heiron gave Ebon a suit of armour that had once belonged to Ebon’s father. In addition to its other magical properties the armour has magical creature, a ‘Blessed Child’ named Seraphine (Erin Chambers) tied to it. Seraphine has no idea how she came to be bound to the armour but she has helped many wearers further the cause of good by aiding them with her limited magical powers. Somewhat disconcertingly, when you look closely at the armour you can sometimes see the spectral form of a winged girl amongst the reflections on its surface. This is how Seraphine appears.

‘Blessed Children’ are unborn souls and the antithesis of Undead.

During the story of Shilaze’s life, Graffan also reveals that over the time they have spent together he and Shilaze have become, to all intents and purposes, ‘man and wife’.

First appearance of Baratus Tine (Jeremy Irons)