(I found this among some of my old D&D files in a badly corrupted document file. Looks like something of a short story or a chapter of a fanfic novel I was writing about the exploits of Avouz and Alandar on Athas. Not sure when I wrote it, but it's likely to be at least 15-20 years old now.
After reading this, it looks like I'll have to update Avouz's background a bit. Some things here are different than what I remember from this period of the character's history.)
Darkhold
Chronicles - Githyanki
"Then it is
definitely magical in nature." mused Alandar, as he examined Morn.
"His
condition was not caused by the Way." said Zaquar. "Of that, I am
certain."
"Considering
the age of the ruins, there should not be magic of any kind down there. Yet Uog
has his new warhammers, Fopyu a new found resistance to blows, Baub can melt
stonework, and Morn is a drooling idiot." Alandar frowned, realizing that
for the moment, he did not know if the thri-kreen Qqitquew had also received a
"gift." He continued. "They found something down there, and by
that I mean some sort of being who gave these things to them."
"And it felt
the need to 'punish' Morn." said Zaquar, "but not the others."
"He is a
Steelbringer. I wonder if that has anything to do with it."
"Perhaps,
but we won't learn anything here."
"No, that is
true." said Alandar. "The ruins must be investigated again."
---------------
Alandar sat down
on a stool next to Avouz's bed. "You look better than the last time I saw
you." commented Alandar.
"The druid
Lylak is a good healer. She says I will be on my feet again tomorrow."
Avouz frowned. "Lylak told me what happened. I have no doubt that Uog
struck me deliberately."
"His envy of
you is well known. More disturbing to me is how he got those weapons."
"If I know
anything about you, Alandar, you will leave no mystery unsolved, including this
one."
Alandar smiled.
"I will be away for a while. I trust you are in good hands. I will come
see you when I return, hopefully with some answers."
----------------
Alandar stepped
into a dusty chamber. His exploration of the ruins had brought him to this
room. "I should have brought Avouz with me. I need a tracker to retrace
Uog's steps. Avouz would be well enough by tomorrow. Damn my impatience.”
One did not need
the skills of a ranger to know that this room had been disturbed recently. The
slithering tracks of what seemed to be snakes were intermixed with bootprints,
the broken bones of skeletal undead, and the festering corpses of several
yuan-ti.
"There was a
great battle here." mused Alandar out loud. He walked over to the stone
altar resting against the back wall. He cast a Detect Magic incantation and was
nearly struck blind by the intensity of the magical power near the altar.
Alandar
recognized the patterns of the magic he could see: necromantic magic (no surprises
with the destroyed undead in the room) and also conjuration magic, the magic of
summoning and creating, the kind of magic one might use to bring forth a
creature from the nether regions of the multiverse. It was also the magic of
teleportation and transport. To Alandar, it explained a great many things.
"So, there
was an outsider summoned here, and a powerful one from the looks of things. One
that might inflict this curse upon Morn and provide Uog, Baub, Fopyu, and
Qqikitquew with their gifts. But to what end?"
That he didn't
know, but it worried him. He was determined to learn. He began to focus his
mind, tapping into his limited mastery of the Way of psionics. He reached out
with power of his mind into those same nether realms, the outer planes, seeking
not a fiend or a being of evil (as he suspected had been present in the room),
but rather a being of virtue and knowledge.
He felt his mind
touch the consciousness of another being. "Holy one," he asked in his
mind. "Grant this supplicant the answer to his question."
"Ask your
question, diviner."
"A fiend has
granted boons to some of my associates. For what reason would he do this? Can
you answer my question?"
"Khershidion
has intervened in the affairs of Darkhold. He seeks to undermine your city, to
inflict failure upon the necromancer. His gifts will bring much suffering, both
to their bearers and to all those who serve your city."
Alandar felt a
chill when he heard the name of the fiend: Khershidion, the herald of Orcus,
demon lord of the undead. Haplo must have angered Orcus in some way, and now
Khershidion was here on Athas to spread his havoc.
"We can ill
afford this at this time, with the Overmind dedicated to our destruction."
said Alandar after thanking his extraplanar contact. The forces of virtue had
thankfully taken notice of Khershidion's movements, as they often did with
fiends of his magnitude.
--------------------
"The answer
is simple." said Simon. "We kill them."
"That would
be unwise." said Haplo, sitting comfortably behind his desk.
"We now have
the advantage," said Alandar, correctly discerning Haplo's train of
thought, "since we know what Khershidion is up to. If we kill these
four..."
"Five."
reminded Simon.
"Morn is no
threat to a sand fly, let alone the rest of us. Regardless, if we eliminate
Fopyu, Baub, Qqitiquew, and Uog then Khershidion will probably try a new strategy,
one that we do not know."
"I though
you were the all knowing one." mocked Simon.
"Don't be a
fool, Simon. The ways of tana'ri are not well known to me, their thoughts are
alien and their ways cruel."
"If you had
lived among my people, you would know."
Haplo waved his
hand to silence Simon. "Is he in league with the Overmind?" he asked
of Alandar.
"I do not
know for sure," answered Alandar. "But there is no reason to believe
that he won't make contact with the illithid. Their goals are the same."
"Then we
must move quickly to eliminate one of these threats, before they unite their
forces." said Haplo.
"Agreed."
said Alandar.
---------------
Avouz's fingers
ran lightly across the hilt of his steel bastard sword as he watched from his
perch. Some days had passed since he had been released from the care of the
healers. Haplo ordered him out on patrol.
With him, to his
consternation, was Uog, Fopyu, and Baub, all three basking in the might of
their new found gifts. Also with them was Lylak the druid and Malak the thief.
"What do you
see?" asked Malak.
"A strange
carriage without wheels and a lot of gith." said Avouz, hopping down from
his perch.
"What folly
is this?" said Baub arrogantly. He jumped up to see for himself.
Neither Avouz nor
Baub had ever seen anything like the vessel that now rested in the valley ahead
of them. Had a Steelbringer been present in their patrol, he would have
recognized the vessel as a sailing ship. But what such an unusual craft was
doing in a mountain pass on a desert world would still have eluded him.
"It is as he
says." said Baub.
"Alandar
once spoke of vessels that can sail upon oceans of water. Perhaps this is one
of them."
"Wizard
talk." scorned Uog. "There is no water anywhere near here."
"Regardless,
it is here now. We should investigate further." said Avouz. He hopped back
up to his perch and looked down on the scene below.
Several tall
creatures, clearly more sophisticated and regal than the savage gith that drew
near, emerged from the ship to meet them. Avouz watched with curiosity as the
gith exchanged words with these beings.
Avouz remembered
the scenes depicted on the walls of the ruins below Darkhold.
"Githyanki." he muttered.
"What was
that?" asked Baub.
Avouz dropped
down. "The vessel is a githyanki ship, probably come here from another
world, like the Steelbringers." He paused in thought.
"What are
you thinking?" asked Lylak.
"We need to
consult with Haplo." said Uog.
"We don't
have time." said Avouz. He glanced around. "I have an idea." He
looked at Lylak. "Do you know the angius plant?”
"Of
course." retorted the druid, as though Avouz had asked a child's question.
"Find me
some."
--------------------
It took a few
hours to find enough angius to suit Avouz's plan. Angius was known for its
ability to dye and stain objects a dull green color, not dissimilar to the skin
tone of yuan-ti.
"Why are you
trying to turn us green?" said Baub.
"I want
these githyanki to think we are yuan-ti."
"You mean to
provoke them then?" asked Uog.
"I do. If these
yuan-ti are led by a illithid, then the githyanki are their enemy. If we can
provoke them, then perhaps we can ease some of the pressure on Darkhold."
"What good
will to slay the crew of one vessel?" said Uog. "Won't that rid us of
the very creatures we hope to pit against our enemies?"
"Oh, Uog,
you are so simple minded sometimes." said Baub with a condescending tone.
"Like
Fopyu." said Fopyu with no self-awareness whatsoever.
"Mind your
tongue, wizard." said Uog, raising his hammer.
"We are not
going in to kill." said Avouz.
"Maim, injure, steal, but kill only when necessary."
Uog grunted some
disappointment. Avouz continued to spread Angius on Malak's back.
"What about
you three?" asked Baub of Avouz, Lylak, and Fopyu, who wore none of the
green angius dye.
Lylak
concentrated and her body shifted form to that of a large snake.
"No one will
believe a green half-giant is indeed a yuan-ti." said Avouz. "As for
me." Avouz waved his hands and concentrated. "Alterios!"
Avouz's form
changed to that of a yuan-ti purebood.
"Wizard
tricks. You are more mage now than warrior." scoffed Uog.
"I've told
you before I will use what tools I can to win." hissed the yuan-ti Avouz.
"Let us be off."
----------------
The githyanki
were in the midst of a trade with their lesser brethren when Avouz's group came
screaming out of the hills like desert banshees.
The gith
scattered, fleeing down the pass away from the marauders. The githyanki traders
drew their blades, some even the fabled silver swords of their people.
Avouz bull rushed
the lead trader, knocking him off his feet. A quick swing of his bastard sword
cleaved the githyanki's left foot from his leg. He kept running towards the
ship as Uog's hammers flew over his head to smash into a pair of archers on the
prow of the vessel.
Fopyu roared into
the mix, fists flying. Malak and Lylak dashed through the fray, biting and
backstabbing. Only Baub held back, knowing that his overpowered magic would
kill rather than harm.
The ferocity of
the attack forced a quick retreat of the githyanki. Those the party did not
knock out or maim dashed back to the ship, Avouz and Uog on their heels. The
pair chased the fleeing traders up the gangplank to the upper deck of the ship.
Blades and
bludgeons swung in great fury as the majority of the ship's crew swelled up out
of the ship's hold to meet the boarders. Fopyu and the others joined the fray
on board. The party cut their way through the dozen or so githyanki and dove
into the hold.
A single
githyanki stood his ground inside the hold. In his hand was a long wicked
single edged sword. He wore a suit of chain links, an oddity on Athas. The
githyanki barked a challenge in his vulgar tongue.
Uog moved to step
forward, but Avouz grabbed his arm. "No, he is mine."
"You are too
weak." snarled Uog.
"Then I will
fail." said Avouz. He stepped forward and slashed upward with his steel
bastard sword.
The githyanki met
Avouz' blow with his katana and the ring of metal filled the hold.
Avouz called upon
the power of elemental water to wound his foe and his free hand began to glow.
Thinking his foe was a simple warrior, the githyanki did not expect the spell,
which discharged on his flesh when Avouz gripped his arm.
The githyanki
howled in pain and staggered back. Taking advantage of the pause, Avouz focused
his mind and with the same free hand made the gestures for a magic missile
spell.
The githyanki,
now aware of his foe's varied skills, dove in to strike. The katana cut deep in
Avouz's side. Avouz jerked back, lessening the blow and throwing off his
concentration. The spell fizzled.
Avouz jerked his
mace off his belt, now wielding his bastard sword in his left and the mace in
his right. But the githyanki now had the initiative and he dove in again,
slashing downward with his sword.
Avouz raised his
sword to parry and the katana sundered through his steel sword. The katana
blade kept going and struck Avouz in the shoulder. He winced in pain and he
reflexively brought his mace up into the crotch of the githyanki.
Having his
genitals mashed with the flanges of the mace, the githyanki grunted and
staggered back. Despite his wounds, Avouz brought the mace down again, braining
the githyanki with a mighty blow.
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