|
Plo Koon leads the party to a cave hidden deep in the White Woods as he seeks Ulnar - the White Wolf - in hope of discovering the gift he has been bestowed. But even the hidden enclave of the elves is a busy place as they meet two travellers. One is an elven thief called Tahlia, travelling her homeland as guide to the human sorcerer called Tammaret Mazrien, himself a refugee from the destruction at Castle Haddon.
Tammaret's father, a librarian of some note in House Haddon, sent his son away for safety in possession of a great heirloom. The compass of Ulnar. It is that heirloom that first attracts the attention of Irmirsul, the vampyre, and later Plo Koon himself, who is uncomfortable in the presence of the newcomer.
As Tammaret and Tahlia enter the cave Plo Koon's second heart pounds. It is an unnatural experience and he becomes surly with the sorcerer. But Irmirsul is kinder, and with the help of charm he is able to examine the compass. He realises it is powerful and created by the very wolf they are trying to find.
Whilst the party consider their options, Irmirsul and Tammaret continue their study of the heirloom. Tammaret holds the compass aloft and says, "Show me Ulnar!"
Although he fails to activate the device the needle stops momentarily and a surge of power can be felt from the item.
The study is short lived however. Tragladt the dwarven warrior spots movement in the trees. "If I'm not mistaken I'd say there are elves closing in."
 |
Leafblight nurses terrible wounds from the last fight and it is an effort for her to even stand. "Oh great," she says. "Your eyes are keen my dwarven friend, and it seems my kindred are bent on attacking us."
Irmirsul goes wraithform as the party back into the cave and prepare for the attack. Plo Koon activates his magical tattoo and with enhanced speed he launches a sling attack almost immediately. The first bullet cracks the skull of the first elf killing him instantly but Plo Koon's other attacks are wayward.
Tammaret casts shield and Leafblight surrounds herself with a handful of duplicates from the mirror image spell. A wise spell considering two arrows strike through the shades instead of her head!
Arrows buzz round the party like flies. The dwarf Tragladt groans as a shaft punctures his stomach whilst Plo Koon swats away the attack with his shield. In retalliation Tragladt puts his first arrow through an elven eye whilst the second pins his enemy's spine to a nearby tree.
Valorn, the true archer of the group, launches and entangle arrow from his magical quiver, followed by a fireball arrow seconds later. The trees pin a hapless elf securely whilst the ball of flame from the second arrow engulf two elves and melts flesh and bone until they are dead.
Plo Koon uses the quickness of his boots of speed to accelerate into combat. From the corner of his eye he spots a concealed enemy moving through the foliage as though he was part of it. Initially Plo Koon ignores the chameleon and cuts left and right with his greatsword. A white elf crumples to the ground and Plo Koon is sprayed with arterial blood.
 |
Meanwhile Tammaret wills the compass to work, concentrating on his own skill he once again yells. "Show me Ulnar!"
This time the young sorcerer feels the acceleration of his mind as it is projected leagues to the north. He finds himself inside the mind of the creature called Ulnar. The wolf is before three heavily armed warriors and seems to be giving them counsel or instructions of some kind. Ulnar knows Tammaret is in his mind.
"Tell Plo Koon I will meet him on the night of the full moon." Ulnar says. And with that Tammaret's consciousness returns to his own mind; just in time to see two arrows whistle inches from his face.
 |
Wyrin hurls her only spear into the midriff of an elf and fells him before he could close on Plo Koon. Tahlia hurls a sling bullet into the chest of another elf and the attack falters.
The chameleon wields a pair of longswords and faces Plo Koon one-to-one. The enemy is quick but Plo Koon is enhanced with magic and soon gets under the chameleon's parries with a quick strike with his greatsword. The party realise - as the blow fails to harm the enemy - that stoneskin is cast.
Irmirsul returns from wraithform and prepares to help Plo Koon. Tammaret launches a magic missile, which is effective against stoneskin, and at first Plo Koon thinks the fizzing ball of energy is aimed at him, only for it to strike the chameleon at the last second. Leafblight adds further damage with Melf's Acid Arrow and the chameleon suffers minor wounds.
But Irmirsul strikes with multiple magic missiles to eradicate the magical defence. The chameleon is dealt a devastating blow from Plo Koon and staggers back with a gaping hole in his stomach. It is all he can do to prevent his entrails spilling onto the floor but Tragladt's final arrow smashes the elf's skull in two.
As the party search the bodies Irmirsul calmly walks up to the entangled elf. "Tell me why you attacked us and I will make your passing quick."
"I was just following orders from the Hierarch. He sent us to kill you."
Irmirsul nodded. He had heard enough and sank his fangs into the elf's neck. He drank until he was sated and the elf was dead, licking the final droplet of blood from his lips. With the nourishment of fresh blood coursing through him, Irmirsul felt the exhaltation of higher perceptions and greater strength. He looked again at Tammaret's compass and sensed the pain of Astan, a pack wolf that had made himself known to Plo Koon.
Tammaret tries to find the wolf and to his delight finds his mind travelling once more. This time the mind is in trouble. Through Astan's eyes Tammaret sees a scene of despair. Elves surround the bound wolf, who is in shackles and the Hierarch himself, a silver haired ancient white elf, stands taunting the creature.
The young sorcerer returns and speaks to the party. Plo Koon is visibly shaken. He calls to Astan but to no avail, his eyes dark and his mood darker still.
Meanwhile the dead leader is stripped of anything useful. They find - and identify - a cloak of the Chameleon and two longswords with foxes inscribed down the blade called Vulpus. Tragladt takes the swords whilst Tahlia, the thief, wraps the cloak round her shoulders. The dwarf watches as the thief blends in with her surroundings, becoming almost invisible to the casual glance.
"Useful for a sneaky elf!" the dwarf quips.
Irmirsul senses the danger all around them and informs the party of his fears. Tragladt points out the quickest way out of the White Woods is north and - after a brief argument - the party follow his lead and head out to safety.
Irmirsul casts protection from normal missiles on himself and his fellow sorcerer Tammaret.
No one realises Plo Koon has gone until it is too late. No one could catch him anyway. Several of the party discuss returning to help him but Irmirsul is firm. "He has gone back for Astan and is beyond our help now. We must head north."
Reluctantly the party agree.
Plo Koon senses the elves all around him as he heads for the centre of the enclave where the Hierarch dwells. Hundreds of elves are close - within bow range - but they merely follow him carefully rather than engage. The Hierarch is at the centre of a clearing surrounded by bodyguards and the crumpled body of the wolf Astan, a pitiful sight as he lies in his own blood and groans in pain.
Plo Koon's movement is swift and decisive. His hands are a blur as he launches a sling bullet so quickly that no elf in the entire forest could stop him. The single bullet is perfectly aimed, slices through the wolf's skull and - mercifully - puts it out of its misery.
The Hierarch scowls. The elves gasp at the bravado of the warrior and wait for their master's signal. Angrily, the Hierarch raises his hand as Plo Koon makes a run for it.
 |
With the boots of speed and the enhancements of his tattoo Plo Koon is the quickest individual in the Iron Realms. But even with his ferocious speed and stoneskin he quickly realises that this was a one way trip. Arrows converge on him. The awful music of fifty bowstrings is the last sound he hears...shafts thunder into him unerringly, he coughs blood as his stomach is peppered first. Next his chest is shattered by a score of arrows and he falls...into legend.
Irmirsul brings the party to a halt. He senses the death of their friend. "He is gone," he says sadly, "so we must make haste lest we are next. Move it!"
The twilight is filled with the earsplitting lament of a wolf's howl. It is Ulnar. Crying at the loss of his only hope...
..