Session 19: Paladin's Rest

"I see my eyes are closed." Kasimir whispers knowingly.
 
"What ya say mate?" I asked as he stared into the mirror before placing the last crystal eye into its socket.
 
He had been looking at our decaying visages reflected in the mirror of the door. "Just an illusion." I said. "Meant to scare off the weak."
 
Kasimir turned to me and said. "It has been an honor pursuing this quest with you my friend." He said somberly.
 
"Same mate," I replied. "but we ain't quite done yet. There's another level or more below."
 
He said no more and placed the final eye into the door. It grinded slowly to the side revealing a dark polished chamber, lit with candles.
 
He strode in unafraid and I turned invisible and followed, moving off to the right. His sword and my staff went dark and I was once again visible.
The floor was polished and slick. It mirrored the ceiling giving the illusion we stood within a sphere.
 
"What's this?" I wondered looking about the chamber for a threat. "Magic is being suppressed."
 
As Nhile entered the room, we heard a low rumbling laugh echoing about the chamber.
 
"Welcome to the chamber of Belchorzh the Unseen. You shall meet your doom."
 
"Charming." I said glancing over my shoulder to see Halveer standing at the chamber door.
 
"Lucas, this way." Kasimir hissed motioning me to the other side of the chamber. His sword's glowing fire runes had returned meaning the magic was not suppressed there.
 
As I crossed the chamber, colored rays of light shot out from above. Some striking us. Nhile had tried hiding in an alcove but whatever Blechorzh was, he spotted the echo knight and
blasted him.
 
"Why does he not appear?" I asked Kasimir as I stepped up beside him.
 
The paladin shrugged. "Some higher level of magic is concealing him."
 
It was then I noticed a black shroud covering something about 20' off the floor. "What's that then?" I asked.
 
"Agian, I have no idea." Kasimir confessed. "But I would attack it if I could reach it."
 
"I can hit it!" Halveer stated taking aim with his bow.
 
"It's immune to psychic attacks." Nhile informed us from the alcove.
 
Halveer struck it with an arrow. There was a metallic "BANG!" as the arrow glanced off, but the black shroud covering it, slowly slipped off and glided down to the floor below.
 
I looked back up seeing a large metal sphere. Like the shield we had encountered in the hall upstairs, all metal was drawn to it. Except this was twice as powerful. Kasimir and myself were
pulled across the floor towards it. Our feet could find no purchase to resist. We were suddenly lifted into the air and our breast plates stuck to the sphere with a loud "CLANG!"
 
"Shite!" I grunted. I saw a green ray strike Kasimir and small black tendrils appeared on his flesh. "Necrotic!" I seethed. "Strike at me you fuker!" I yelled knowing I could resist such attacks
better than the paladin.
 
Kasimir's breath was ragged. "I must dispel his magic that hides him."
He closed his eyes and focused on the magical effect hiding our foe.
"Kelemvor the Lyonsbane, Lord of the Dead and Judge of the Damned. Grant me your power one final time."
He stretched his hand out toward the ceiling nearby and flooded the area with his divine energy.
 
Suddenly the invisible veil that covered our enemy faded away. Floating there was Belchorzh, a beholder. Unseen no more.
"There's the ugly bastard." I remarked. "Well done Kas."
"Was the might of Kelemvor."
 
"Wha?" the beholder croaked in surprise having his wish dispelled.
 
Halveer imbued an arrow with lightning and it flew across the chamber crackling. But the enchantment was peeled away at the last moment as it crossed into the anti-magic field of the central eye.
 
Nhile sent his Echo up to batter the hovering monstrosity. Kasimir pulled himself around the side of the sphere and was able to cut the creature with his sword.
 
I targeted it with magic missiles. Halveer and Nhile continue to whittle away.
 
I extended my fist towards it and unleashed an orb of thunder. "Take that you ugly sack of eyes!"
 
A black ray struck Kasimir in the back. His eyes went wide, then slowly closed and he slumped over. I heard his sword clatter to the ground below.
Halveer struck the beholder in its central eye and it wailed in pain.
 
Before I could say anything the others killed the Beholder and the metal sphere plummeted to the ground. As I began to fall I cast a spell I had learned from Blackfire's spellbook. Feather Fall.
Kasimir and myself drifted slowly down to the floor. The metal sphere however landed with a "CRASH!" and spilt open, revealing two halves.
 
Curled up in one of the halves was the Beholder's Prize. A female Aasimar with silver white hair.
 
On my knees, I looked over at Kasimir. He wasn't moving. "Kasimir! Get up! We have won!"
He didn't move. My heart sank and panic welled. I pulled a healing potion out and crawled over to the fallen paladin.
I rolled him over onto his back. His flesh was covered in black tendrils. He was gone.
 
"No." I whispered. "No."
 
I slumped next to him. Nhile walked by and glanced down at us. His jaw clenched in fury. He approached the beholder and drove his dagger to the hilt repeatedly into
the side of it. Then he kicked it for good measure.
 
He turned to help the female from the sphere. "My thanks." She whispered, stretching her arms and legs to get the blood flowing.
 
I straightened Kasmir's body on the floor, his legs and then lifting his arms to his chest. "One has died, and another is born." I mumbled looking at her as she spoke with the
Echo Knight. I looked down at Kasimir and fixed his holy symbol, centering it on his chest. "We have our time. And your time is now." I said speaking a Kelemvor prayer.
 
I reached over and picked up his great sword meaning to place it in Kasimir's hands.
 
I heard Nhile clear his throat as he and the female approached. I looked up at them still holding the sword. "What?" I challenged.
 
"This is Avery Emberfall." Nhile said introducing the female cleric from a strange realm. "She has agreed to help us finish our quest against the lich and the soul-monger."
 
"Great." I said dryly looking back to Kasimir.
 
"She uh....needs a weapon." Nhile stated. nodding to Kasimir's sword.
 
"No fuking way." I said. "I am not sending Kasimir on to meet Kelemvor without his sword!"
 
"Technically....his soul is probably trapped in the soul-monger." Halveer called from the doorway.
 
I shot him a look that said - SAY ANOTHER WORD AND YOU WILL SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY IN A CLOUD OF DAGGERS.
 
"Look." Nhile said as gently as nail in a coffin, "I think Kasimir would want us to carry on and be successful at completing this journey we started and end the Death Curse in his name. And he would happily hand over his gear to help us."
 
I looked back down at the resting paladin knowing Nhile was right. I handed the sword to Nhile rather than Avery.
 
Nhile passed it over to Avery.
 
"You better wield that sword with honor." I grumbled to her.
 
She bowed. "I shall indeed. You have my word." she replied.
 
I stood up.
"What are we going to do with Kasimir?" Nhile asked.
 
I looked around the cool dimly lit chamber and stopped when I saw the beholder corpse. "Help me drag this foul thing out of there. It will not share Kasimir's final resting place.
 
We walked over and I grabbed hold of a protruding eye stalk thinking it a good hand hold. It popped off with a sickening tug when I pulled on it.
 
"Cricky! That's gross." I made a disgusted face and tossed the stalk into the gaping maw that hung open. "Grab the lower lip?"
 
We tugged on the lip of the dead sack of eyes and easily drug it across the polished floor to the door. Halveer helped us shove it out the door into the hall.
I walked back over to Kasimir and lifted the black shroud laying nearby and carefully draped it over the fallen paladin of Kelemvor.
 
"Good bye my friend." I said. "Rest in Peace."
 
We walked out of the chamber and the door rolled into place.
 
END