Chapter 19: End of The Road?
With Nalzmyr's father taken care of and newfound information about their enemy, the Savage Seven continued their journey through the underdark. At they slept one night, a group of Phaerimm awoke them as they siphoned the magical energy from Keladrien's magical hut. The group readied themselves for battle, and as the hut disappeared they unleashed their fury upon the aberrations. After a short battle during which Keladrien was poisoned by one of them (causing him to become paralyzed and float above the ground), the group proved victorious and slew the creatures.
A few days later, they encountered a pair of stone giants who proved to be quite mad. As the group approached cloaked in Keladrien's invisibility magic, they witnessed the giants smashing giant fungus and shouting as though the mushrooms were enemies. Nalzmyr tried to communicate with them, but quickly discovered they were quite insane. The group instead chose to sneak past while invisible and went on their way.
The following night, Kathra was awoken by a rumbling from beneath the hut. She warned the others so they could move out of the way as a massive purple worm erupted beneath the magical shelter. Two of Keladrien's zombies were eaten and another destroyed, while Keladrien himself was swallowed by the creature but managed to free himself by blasting his way out with a lightning bolt. After a protracted battle, the monster was slain and the group finished their sleep before continuing the journey.
After getting lost for a day, the group found their way again only to come across an escaped human slave. After some deliberation, they agreed to help free the remaining slaves from the camp he came from. The slave led them to the cave entrance, where they found a camp of Githyanki slavers. After dispatching a group of githyanki in the main chamber, they moved further into the camp and were ambushed by several more of the psionic warriors. After slaying those, they found the slaves in a nearby tent and discovered they were from other worlds named Greyhawk, Eberron, Krynn and others. They also learned that the camp was a training camp of sorts for young Githyanki, and found the younglings in a nearby structure (where they had been blocked in by a sword across the gate). After the group freed them, the githyanki young tried to resist but fled the camp after the group allowed them to leave. Nalzmyr used the helm of comprehend languages to understand their tongue and overheard them speaking of a "red scale" and that the party may be powerful enough to have slain him already.
From the slaves, the party learned of another slave kept in the "hatchery." After some deliberation, the group entered the hatchery and were met with a Githyanki knight riding a red dragon. The dragon's fiery breath downed Nalzmyr, and the githyanki rider then leapt from the dragon and began attacking the group. Keladrien cast invisibility on himself and Kathra, and the pair fled the hatchery after Kathra brought Nalzmyr back to consciousness with her healing magic. Despite the aid, Nalzmyr was ripped apart by the dragon. The Githyanki and the dragon then pursued Kathra and Keladrien. Keladrien was able to lose them, but Kathra's armor proved too loud while fleeing. Keladrien dropped his invisibility in favor of sheltering in his magical hut, while Kathra continued to flee from the pursuing dragon and githyanki. Though her armor and shield saved her from several blows and the invisibility kept them from knowing her exact location, the pair finally brought her down after a protracted chase. With Kathra slain, they began searching for Keladrien. He was able to escape their sight for a time, but eventually the dragon's heightened senses revealed his presence. The dragon unleashed his fiery breath upon Keladrien (who hid in the slaves' tent), burning the slaves to a crisp and wounding the wizard gravely. Moments later, he found the wizard as he tried to escape the burning tent and unleashed another fiery breath, engulfing him in flames that melted him down to the bone.
Thus ended the lives of the Savage Seven...?
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