The War Without End – Episode 1.22
Having narrowly escaped death in the tunnels, Ebon, Blanca, Shilaze, Elsabeth, Kai and Baratus join the small force of survivors making ready to defend the citadel. Salarassa and the majority of her people are no more but, of the Med-Jai that came through the portal, only Canus, Kovu, Silas and Burberry have failed to make it this far.
Baratus and the Modron 111010 use what time they have to go about healing the wounded. While they are doing so Ebon spots an unexpected face amongst those there.
“Massingleigh!?”
The figure turns. There is a grim look about him now, he sports a patch across one eye and his left arm ends in a stump, but his face breaks into a familiar smile.
Ebon rushes over to greet him.
“By the gods! It is good to see you. I had feared that you were dead!”
“For a while I was”, Massingleigh replies. “Pelor has shown favour by sending me back here to take my place amongst the Med-Jai”
“Well, for that I am grateful. We have need of you this day my friend. I am heartened to learn that we will be fighting side by side once more”
At that moment, the huge iron bound doors shudder under a heavy impact. The wood groans and threatens to break apart. It is clear that it will not hold their enemies for long.
Heiron quickly takes command.
Leaving the majority of the force to defend the outer courtyard, the old wizard assembles the few remaining spell-casters, Elsabeth, the Modron 111010, Tanemous and Gergo, and makes ready to ascend to the battlements of the inner tower. From there they will be well positioned to use their magic to influence the coming battle.
Before departing, he pauses to address the men and women who will remain to fight in the front line. His grandchildren are among them. He speaks to them of strength and honour, and reminds them that the stakes could not be higher. If their enemies are allowed to triumph, everything that is dear to them will be destroyed.
As Heiron concludes his speech he takes a moment to catch the gaze of each of his grandchildren before turning and leading the spell-casters away.
Watching him go, Shilaze tries to persuade Blanca to join the group heading for the battlements but only succeeds in offending her sister. Instead, as the small force resolutely lines up facing the doors, Blanca obstinately joins Ebon in the front line.
And so, standing at the fore of the defenders are Ebon, Blanca, Shilaze, Massingleigh, Korbin, Sa’ara, Growler, Ardep Bey, Hashok the Gargoyle and Jansen van Vuren. Baratus is also nearby, invisible as always. Above them, on the battlements with Heiron, are Elsabeth, Kai, the Modron 111010, Tanemous, Gergo, Delwar and one of Salarassa’s people, a Changeling woman.
As the slow battering of the doors continues, cracks begin to appear.
Then, unexpectedly, the pounding stops.
A thick, tar-like, black ooze starts bubbling through the gaps and running down the doors. The toxic substance rapidly eats its way through the wood and gradually collects upon the floor.
As it slowly spreads the front ranks of the defenders are forced to back away.
“What Evil is this?” Massingleigh mutters.
From the battlements the spell-casters direct their magic at the foul substance but, other than scorching or freezing its surface, they seem to have little effect on it.
Then, without warning, the ooze ripples and tentacles shoot out of it and grab Blanca. She struggles to break free but they hold her tightly. Where the substance touches her armour the metal steams and starts to dissolve. The ooze starts dragging her towards it.
Ebon and Shilaze are powerless to help. If they attack, the acid that is eating through Blanca’s armour will simply dissolve their weapons. They can only watch and hope that the spell-casters can find a way to free her.
Elsabeth hits the blob with a scorching ray and Heiron freezes it with an icy blast, but once again the spells seem to have little effect on it.
Then, as Blanca’s armour starts to disintegrate and the acid seeps through to scald her flesh, Baratus materialises and casts an invocation that causes the tentacles to lose their grip on her.
Blanca breaks free just as the creature finally succumbs to the combined ferocity of Heiron and Elsabeth’s magic. With an unearthly squeal it shrivels and dies, leaving the ravaged doorway behind it. Beyond is nothing but inky black darkness.
Baratus quickly heals Blanca’s injuries and then once again vanishes. Meanwhile the front ranks of the defenders brace themselves for what is coming next.
They do not have to wait for long, as one of the monstrous crab creatures suddenly emerges from the darkness. With little effort, it smashes through the remnants of the door and storms into the courtyard. Behind it are more of its kind and a horde of smaller scaly-skinned humanoids with squid like heads. Fighting erupts as the Med-Jai try to contain the aberrations in the doorway.
Back and forth the battle surges. Despite the seemingly never-ending stream of squid-heads and crab creatures that pours into the courtyard the Med-Jai hold them back.
Their defiance continues for some time, until the first Beholder arrives. Its bloated body emerges from the darkness and it unleashes a barrage of deadly rays from its many eyes. Only the Modron 111010’s protective magic keeps most of the defenders alive.
Nonplussed by the lack of effect its rays have had, the Beholder turns its attention towards the spell-casters. Opening its central eye it cuts a swathe of null magic across the courtyard and renders them helpless.
As it does so two more Beholders emerge from the darkness. The tide of the battle suddenly turns.
Recognising the threat the Beholders pose, Ardep Bey valiantly fights his way through the enemy ranks towards one of the new arrivals. He comes close to reaching it but, as he nears the wall of darkness, tendrils of shadow reach out and drag him from sight.
Then Sa’ara is caught by one of the crab creatures. It raises her up and crushes her in its powerful pincers. Blood bubbles from her lips as she slashes helplessly at it with her blades. Massingleigh, Korbin and Baratus try to rescue her but they are unable to kill the creature before she dies.
Rapidly the defensive line crumbles and all across the courtyard the defenders are overwhelmed.
“Fall back!” Heiron cries.
But it is too late. There are few left who can heed his call.
Of those in the courtyard only Baratus and Korbin manage to reach the tower in time. Behind them, the remaining survivors are rapidly surrounded.
Fighting alone or in small groups they continue to resist the onslaught but it is only a matter of time before they fall. One by one they are swallowed up in the never-ending sea of squid-heads and crab-creatures.
As the spell-casters watch helplessly from the battlements, the front ranks of the aberrations reach the base of the tower beneath them and start to climb the walls. With their magical abilities nullified by the suppression effect of the Beholder’s ray, they are powerless to stop them.
All too soon only three pockets of resistance remain in the courtyard. Furthest from safety, Shilaze and Massingleigh fight back to back against the mass of aberrations that assail them. Only a short distance away, Ebon, Blanca and one of the metallic Warforged mount a desperate last stand and, somewhat closer to the tower but still cut-off, Growler stands alone, in bear form, fighting for his life.
Then one of the Beholders shuts its main eye and turns its eyestalks towards Ebon and Blanca. It strikes them with a succession of deadly rays. Somehow they survive, resisting the lethal effects once, twice and then a third time, but their bodies can only withstand the destructive forces for a short time.
Unable to watch his grandchildren die, Heiron chooses to risk everything to save them.
“Go” he instructs the others, as the aberrations on the walls get ever nearer to the battlements. “Fall back into the citadel. We will make our final stand at the bridge over the chasm. If I am able I will meet you there. I only pray that I am not too late to save my grandchildren”
So saying he leaps over the battlements and plummets toward the courtyard. At the last instant he drops out of the area where magic is being suppressed. He rapidly decelerates and steps onto the ground.
As he does so, Ebon finally succumbs to one of the Beholder’s rays and is turned to stone. At the same instant Massingleigh collapses from his wounds. Only Shilaze, Blanca, the last of the Warforged and Growler are still standing.
Heiron raises his staff above his head and it glows with incredible brightness. The squid-heads and crab creatures shrink away from him.
“While I live you shall not have my grandchildren!” Heiron bellows.
There is a flash of light and an instant later Ebon, Blanca and the Warforged are standing inside the citadel. Ebon is no longer turned to stone. Before they can react there is a second flash and Heiron, Shilaze, Massingleigh and Growler are standing beside them.
Heiron looks drained.
“Hurry, we must go”, he says, without any further explanation.
They fall back through the citadel, rejoining the others on the far side, at the foot of the bridge over the chasm.
At this time only sixteen of the gallant defenders remain: Heiron, Delwar, the Modron 111010, Gergo, Tanemous, Baratus, Korbin, a Changeling woman, Growler, Massingleigh, the Warforged, Kai, Elsabeth, Blanca, Ebon and Shilaze.
Three passages lead out onto the parapet where they stand. There is some debate as to whether they should attempt to hold the Daelkyr horde on this side of the chasm or the other. The bridge itself is wrought with ancient magic and cannot be broken, even by Heiron. Shilaze and Ebon argue that they have no way of dealing with the Beholders once they are out in the open, so the group spreads out to defend the mouths of the passages.
Massingleigh, Korbin and Growler take the right-hand passage, Ebon, Shilaze and Blanca the centre one, and Elsabeth, Kai and the Warforged take the left. Heiron stands at the foot of the bridge and the remainder withdraw to the other side of the chasm.
“It’s been an honour to fight alongside you all” Massingleigh declares. He and Ebon clasp hands.
Ebon nods to Elsabeth.
“See you after”, she acknowledges, bravely attempting a smile.
“They’re coming”, Kai warns.
For the third time that day the Med-Jai stand against the Daelkyr horde and hold the line. Again and again they beat the squid-heads and crab creatures back from the parapet, keeping them contained within the passageways.
Then there is a cry from the right-hand tunnel and Ebon realises Massingleigh is in trouble. Before he can get there the aberrations have enveloped his friend and are spilling out onto the parapet. Then a Beholder starts to emerge.
Leaving Shilaze and Blanca to hold the centre, Ebon rushes over to the right-hand entrance. As Growler and Korbin try to deal with the aberrations, Ebon takes on the Beholder.
Eye rays sear through the air and scald his armour, threatening to turn him to dust or stone or worse. His innards twist within him and his teeth start to buzz but with Seraphine’s protection he is able to resist the deadly effects for a short time.
Meanwhile, at the centre passageway, Shilaze senses a darkly evil presence lurking behind the aberrations that she and Blanca are fighting. She soon spots a cowled figure that seems to be coordinating the attack.
As the aberrations threaten to break through, Heiron casts a massive lightning bolt from the bridge that sweeps past Blanca and Shilaze and into the passageway. It incinerates everything in its path, except for the figure, which appears to be untouched. Whatever the creature is, its magic seems to be a match for the old wizard.
Seeing this, Shilaze recklessly charges into the passage and strikes the figure with a mighty blow. It staggers slightly but is largely unmoved by the attack. Laughing at her, it casts off its hood and reveals that it is one of the Daelkyr, a Lord of Madness.
Shilaze looks into its eyes and immediately loses her mind. Dismissively the Daelkyr gestures and an invisible force hurls her away, back down the passage and out onto the parapet. Blanca goes to her sister’s side and finds her in a state of delirium.
At this point a second Beholder emerges from the left hand passage. Its deadly eye rays lock on to Elsabeth and, with her magic nearly exhausted, she is forced to fly away across the chasm to avoid being disintegrated. Meanwhile, a pair of crab creatures fall upon the remaining Warforged and tear it apart, leaving Kai to face the rest of the aberrations on his own. He is rapidly surrounded and driven back to the very edge of the parapet. Moments later he plunges into the chasm, taking a number of his enemies with him.
On the right, after an immense struggle, Ebon finishes the Beholder he has been fighting, cleaving it in two with a mighty blow. But as more and more creatures pour out of the passage he, Growler and Korbin are unable to regain the spot where Massingleigh went down.
Ebon doesn’t know if his friend is dead or alive but try as he might he cannot reach him.
Seeing the defence collapsing, Heiron once again calls for them to fall back. He gestures toward Shilaze and her sanity is restored.
Before she can regain her feet however, the Daelkyr steps out onto the parapet. Flanking it are around a half-dozen shadowy figures, cloaked in dark robes. They are barely recognisable as some of the Med-Jai that fell during the fight in the courtyard. Ardep Bey, Jansen van Vuren and Hashok the Gargoyle are amongst them. But they are changed somehow. Their souls have been poisoned and they are no longer who they once were.
Fixing its gaze on Heiron, the Lord of Madness barks, “Stand aside old fool”
“You shall not pass while I still draw breath” Heiron replies defiantly.
“And you must come through me before you get to him” Shilaze declares, rising up between them.
“Pathetic creatures” the Daelkyr hisses disdainfully. “Do you think that you are of any concern to me? I would have thought that you at least would have learned your lesson.” It gestures and where Shilaze was standing only a small twig remains.
Heiron turns to Blanca “Get everyone back across the bridge” he commands. “Now!”
Snatching the twig from the ground, Blanca runs to help Ebon, Growler and Korbin extract themselves from the fighting.
“Ebon, we have to fall back across the bridge before it’s too late” she urges.
Ebon finishes one of the crab creatures and turns. He can see that the Med-Jai have lost their hold on the parapet. The left flank is broken and Heiron is the only thing standing between the Daelkyr and the bridge. The old man is locked in a titanic battle of wills.
“We have to hurry” Blanca reaffirms.
Meanwhile, dark magic is gradually causing the shadow Med-Jai that flank the Daelkyr to fade from view and re-materialise on the far side of the chasm. Ignoring the surviving defenders these twisted creatures make directly for the portal.
With the last vestiges of her strength, Elsabeth manages to stop some of them but ultimately her spells are exhausted and she has no way of preventing the rest from reaching the portal. It is then that Gergo, the champion of the twelfth tribe, steps in. Summoning the last of his energy he calls out to the heavens and turns the area in front of the portal into an inferno of magical fire. When the blaze subsides the Daelkyr’s servants are no more, but the Med-Jai have paid a price for Gergo’s actions. Regrettably Elsabeth and the Changeling woman were also in the area that was affected. Both are badly burned and down.
By the time Ebon, Blanca, Growler and Korbin make it back to the bridge, the strain of the battle against the Daelkyr is taking its toll on Heiron. The old man staggers slightly and nearly falls. Seeing this, Ebon comes to his grandfather’s aid, stepping forward and interrupting their struggle. In so doing, he draws the wrath of the Daelkyr upon himself.
Showing its displeasure the Lord of Madness lashes out with a tentacle that tears through Ebon’s body, mind and soul, infecting him with a fell contagion that corrupts the very core of his being. His every fibre cries out in agony against it, leaving him stricken.
At the injury to his grandson, Heiron’s eyes glow with fury and he rises up to his full height once again.
“I WISH THAT YOU WERE GONE!” he roars at the Daelkyr.
No sooner have the words been spoken than the Lord of Madness vanishes, but immediately afterward Heiron collapses.
For a moment the horde of aberrations seems uncertain how to proceed but then they resume their steady advance.
Delwar rushes onto the bridge and retrieves Heiron’s body before it is overrun. Forsaking the other Med-Jai he carries his master back through the portal. Meanwhile Blanca helps her brother over the bridge, to where the few remaining survivors are regrouping for a final stand.
As the horde of aberrations presses forward, the Beholders begin using their lethal rays to clear the way. None of the surviving Med-Jai are in any shape to withstand them.
Briefly the Bear Growler rears up before the oncoming horde and roars at them defiantly. Disintegration rays from two Beholders immediately track towards him and a moment later he is turned to dust.
The aberrations pour across the bridge and the handful of Med-Jai that are still standing, are all but overwhelmed.
The outcome is inevitable. One of the Daelkyr’s minions breaks through and runs towards the portal. Triumphantly it hurls itself across the threshold. At that instant everything is obliterated in a blinding white light.
Notes:
This was the feature-length concluding episode to Season One.
Heiron used Time Stop and Teleport to rescue the Med-Jai from the courtyard and a Wish to defeat the Daelkyr.
During the final moments Baratus flew into the chasm after Kai and found the monk clinging to the wall some way down.
Though badly injured by Gergo’s magic, Elsabeth was not killed in the inferno.
It transpires that the Med-Jai were mistaken and that during the Conjunction the Daelkyr were intent on destroying the portal, not gaining control of it. The reasons for this are not known. The destruction of the portal was achieved by placing a Portable Hole in a Bag of Holding at the moment of stepping through the portal.
