Once everyone was gone, I put together the final portion of the mansion key. Covering the field of green were figures bowing in reverence to an angelic figure descending the large ray of light. In its hand was a smaller orb of light, though the wings were oddly off. One was the feathered, angelic wing while the other was a bat-like wing reminiscent of demons.

“Hey bud, what do you say we take a little nap to recharge before storming the manor?” I asked Inkler, who was incredibly excited. Chuckling, we headed toward the manor entrance, crossing over the majority of the still dead hedge maze to do so. Once we were clear of it, I used some of my new spells to create a shelter for us.

“[Earth barricade][Condense stone][Strengthen wall].” Earth barricade made a one-foot-thick section of a wall, and condense stone turned it into a four-inch-thick section of stone. Strengthen wall increased its durability without changing any thickness, and we soon had a small shelter with a few air holes to rest in. The walls would last for eight hours, or until destroyed, which was perfect for us. I pulled us out a nice feast, deciding we deserved a double set of rations for dinner. Diving in, Inkler wasn’t about to argue against that.

“Alright bud, we have eight hours to relax, then we’ll take down Lucifer. Go ahead and head to bed, I’ll be down shortly.” I said, pulling up the list of spells I had gotten.

New spells acquired!

Due to the large number of spells, they will be listed in one table instead of individually. All are at beginner level 1.

Stone shot

Fire a round stone at an enemy.

Cost: 25 mana

Damage: 30-50

Cooldown: 5 seconds

Earth barricade

Summon a section of wall, 3 feet x 3 feet x 1 foot

Cost: 50 mana

Duration: 8 hours

Durability: 500/500

Condense stone

Compress a section of earth into stone

Cost: 50 mana per 9 square feet

Durability: 1000/1000

Strengthen wall

Double the durability of a structure

Cost: Variable

Shard rain

Unleash a rain of razor sharp stone shards on an area

Cost: 50 mana

Damage: 75-100

Area: circle 3 feet diameter

Cooldown: 5 seconds

Stoneskin

Buff yourself or an ally, increasing defense.

Cost: 50 mana reserved

Effect: Adds 100 defense

Duration: until cancelled, max 2

Entomb

Summon a stone coffin around a humanoid opponent, limiting movement

Cost: 100 mana

Durability: 1,500/1,500

Duration: 1 minute

Cooldown: 1.5 minutes

Quake

Summon a minor tremor beneath opponent. Damage only occurs if opponent is a construct made of earth or stone. High chance of interrupting skills or chants, can cause environmental effects depending on terrain.

Cost: 150 mana

Duration: 3 seconds

Area: 15 feet diameter

Cooldown: 1 minute

Banish stone

Remove a section of stone

Cost: variable

Cooldown: 5 seconds

Summon construct

Summon a stone construct to aid you in battle. Size and shape depending on skill level. Beginner levels summon a small humanoid helper

Cost: 250 mana reserved

Duration: Until cancelled

Durability: 5,000/5,000

Limit: 1 unit

I nodded at the gains, rather happy with the rewards. I went ahead and cast the stoneskin buff on myself and Inkler, wondering if it gained experience just by being active or if it had to take damage to grow. Thinking about it, I wondered what I could get as a buff if I could gain some training in oblivion magic. Either way, I now had some offensive, some defensive, and some nice crowd control spells. This should greatly improve my options in battle. I curled up and went to sleep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I woke up a bit early, only to find Inkler draped across my stomach. With a sigh, I tried to shove him off, only to get a tail flick to the face for my efforts. “Come on Inkler, time to get up.” I tried pleading with him. He ignored me. Damn cat. Five minutes of wiggling later, and I had managed to extricate myself.

“You ready to go?” I asked the smug looking cat, who opted to take a big stretch first before padding over to one of the walls and batting at it with a paw. “Uh huh, fine. [Banish stone].” I made us an exit, then turned around and destroyed the entire structure we had taken shelter in. Turning back to the gates, I placed the finished key in the depression in the middle of the gates, watching as it and the entire gate structure slowly lit up before splitting down the middle and opening. Once the doors were open, a drow appeared via teleportation.

“Good evening sir, I am Cavendish, the butler.” The impeccably dressed butler full on bowed to me, seriously making a right angle at his waist before swinging back upright.

“Angus.” I said, confused as to what in the hell was going on.

“Lord Lucifer wishes to extend his congratulations to you Angus. You not only provided fantastic entertainment, but managed to put together the entire key of the manor. You are the first to accomplish such a feat in 572 years. As a reward, Lord Lucifer has instructed me to take you on a tour of the mansion before returning to the ball.”

“Ball?” I asked, still not sure exactly what was going on.

“Indeed. Master has set up a ball in the grand gallery, and his children are waiting to welcome you. We will also have a feast prepared, the likes of which you have never tasted before. While all that is taking place, are you ready for the tour?” Turning on his heels, Cavendish lead the way. Instead of the main house, we headed around the side to some stables.

“On our way to the stables, we will be passing through the Lord’s favored gardens. Don’t worry, they aren’t nearly as, hostile, as the hedge maze is. Instead he breeds his flowers for their deadly beauty. I’m sure the grandmaster of your alchemy guild would be willing to spend several months here.” Looking around, I had to admit that the flowers were indeed beautiful. They tended towards the darker colors, deep violets and blacks were present in nearly every flower. There were occasional mushrooms as well, though the caps wound about latticework in a beautiful lace pattern.

“Ah, I see you’ve noticed the Lace Bindingcaps. A curious mushroom, it is one of my personal favorites. Don’t get too close, the yellows and oranges of the cap draw in the unwary. Once they get close enough, the paralytic they constantly pump into the air seizes all muscles. You would die slowly, completely aware as you starved for air. Once your body rots away, they use your bones as their scaffolding.”

Contrasting with the beauty and danger of the flowers was the ugliness of the statues. Scenes of torment and pain were scattered throughout the garden. All of the fountains had water flowing from wounds placed in both angels and demons, some even depicted decapitated cherubs. Thankfully the winding path we were on didn’t take too long to get through and we came to the stables.

“Master Lucifer is rather proud of his creations; he calls them Night Mares.” The butler explained as we entered. Inside were rows of stalls, and animals that were obviously based upon a horse. Completely black, they had a horn growing out of their forehead that had two spiraling rows of opalescent teeth running its length. Their eyes were oversized, slit pupiled like a cats, and had a slight glow to them when viewed with mystic vision letting me know that they could see into some strange spectrums. They had two sets of wings on their backs, the larger ones forward and smaller ones behind. Their legs ended in claws like a lizard, and each leg split at the lower portion into two feet.

“Absolutely beautiful.” I muttered, taken aback by their looks. They had rippling muscles, looking to be the perfect balance between speed and strength. “Carnivorous?”

“Omnivores actually. They use their horns and claws when hunting, but when game is scarce they can eat almost anything. If an army marches on their stomach, an army mounted on Night Mares need never slow down.” Cavendish explained.

“Color me impressed.” I said, noticing that the one I was examining was judging the distance between us in a most uncomfortable way. Backing away slowly, I grinned at the disappointed creature. “Is this the only mount he breeds?”

“Not at all, we have several varieties of lizards and beetles, but the Night Mares are his pride. I see several of them eyeing your invisible friend, perhaps we should continue on with the tour?”

“Probably for the best. Come along Inkler.” I ordered, and he reluctantly followed. “I was wondering about the second claw they had per leg.”

“Many do. It has multiple uses, something Lord Lucifer always encourages. Aiding in finding footing, dealing extra damage, even helping wrangle more elusive foes.” As he went on about the virtues bred into the line, we came upon quite possibly the most shocking thing I had ever seen in the Underdark. A forest. An entire deciduous forest. It almost felt like we were above ground it was so massive.

“Ah, and here we come to the Master’s favorite hunting grounds. Roughly a mile square, it was painstakingly grown from altered seeds from above. When we have a condemned, the Master gives them a choice. Face the Hanging Tree, or survive twenty-four hours in the forest. To be sporting, the condemned is given a two-hour head start. After that, the Master hunts.”

“Are the condemned given any weapons?”

“Only what they may fashion with their own skills.”

“Any survivors?”

“None.” Cavendish answered with a smug smile. “None have managed to last even six hours. If you don’t mind sir, we should head in through the back door here. The other side of the manor is guest housing.” Leading toward the manor, he pulled open the door and ushered me in. “Perfect! Through here, if you don’t mind sir. Lord Lucifer has instructed me to show you the laboratories next.” Cavendish walked over to a nondescript door between two bookshelves. The stairway down was a typical stone staircase, with light stones instead of torches every so often.

After descending almost twenty feet, we came to a large landing room. “Alas, at this time we don’t have anyone in the dungeon worthy of torture.”

“Pity that.” I said, loading as much sarcasm into the words as I could.

“Oh don’t be such a prude. It really is such a stress reliever. Frustrated? Annoyed? Bored? Take up a few instruments and have your way with a prisoner. We have tools of all imaginations.”

“Right, moving on then.” He said with a sigh, seeing my annoyed face. “Lest you get the idea of putting me in the torture chair. Hmmm, perhaps the alchemy wing?” Gesturing, he headed to the left, down a long hallway. Taking the first door on the right, I froze for a second before slowly walking forward and looking at everything in amazement.

“Possibly the most expensive alchemist set ever put together. Volumetric flasks made of glass, mithril, and orichalcum. Dials that are far more accurate than those pathetic stands the guild is using.” I picked up a small red stone, and I could hear the smile in Cavendish’s voice. “I see you found them. We employ an expert gem cutter, who has mastered turning traditional rubies and garnets into faux mana stones. This gives us an even greater control over a much wider range of temperatures.”

“What are these plated in?” I asked, looking at several sets of tools.

“Not plated, that’s far too difficult to do. We have sets of pure orichalcum, silver, and gold.”

“Why gold and not mithril?”

“Ah, well gold has a slightly lower mana conductivity, but it can also act as a catalyst for certain reactions. When stirred with the gold rod, what would normally take a few hours to react can be done in minutes.” I nodded along with his explanation, but got incredibly excited for what he did next. “I can see that you and your companion are both variants. Would you like to see our transmutation circle?”

“You have one?”

“Indeed. When one becomes as long lived as Lord Lucifer, its amazing the wealth one may amass. Especially if you can carve out and hold on to a territory as rich in resources as the Underdark.” Leading me down the hallway, we passed several doors to enter the lone door at the end.

The room was immaculate. Shiny black stone, obsidian maybe, covered the walls and the floor. Set in the middle of the room was the same circle that the alchemists guild used, only it was quite a bit larger. So large, that I could probably fit Derrick in his giant form in it.

“Yooooowwwwww.” A pained groan came from one of the corners of the room that I had completely moved past in my adoration of the setup. Spinning, we both stared at some horrid creature as it cowered in the corner. The body was odd, almost catlike. The limbs were far too long, and the paws almost looked like fingers. The body was mostly hairless, though it had a long, brown haired mane around the head. “Huuuurrrrrtttttssssss.” The creature wailed again.

“What the fuck is that?” I recoiled in horror.

“The Master’s latest success!”

“Success? That?”

“Indeed. Cross species alchemy is always possible, though the results are often less than stellar. One of his greatest challenges is transplanting a human intelligence into a dangerous creature. Imagine battle steeds with the cunning of the commanders. Even if the leader dies or gets knocked unconscious, the steed can make tactical decisions.”

“How did you manage to make this, this, this thing?”

“See, that’s the problem. Lord Lucifer was running into a problem using more feral animals and the humans he had acquired. During the transformation, the human mind, even elven minds, were overwhelmed by the ferocity of the animals. Only the most rudimentary parts remained. And so he decided to try something different. He used an animal that had a link, a familial bond almost, with the human. This little girl and her cat became his first success. The first experiment to retain higher thought processes.”

“I see.” I said, walking closer to Cavendish, who was looking on with almost fanatical glee. “Could it be that the human mind was shutting down during the transformation, allowing the animal to overwhelm the consciousness? But the bond between child and pet allowed for the animal to wish to preserve the human.”

“Exactly my Lord’s thoughts as well! Truly, you two are a pair.”

“And how have you kept these experiments from the eyes of the gods?”

“Obsidian. This room is completely surrounded by three feet of obsidian, and another several layers of anti-scrying and anti-divine wards.”

“Clever. Very clever. Now, what do you think would happen if [Reality slash].” Maintaining a straight face through the rage I felt during that conversation was the hardest thing I had done my life, but it was worth it to take the head of Cavendish with one swing.

“Wheeeere’s Dadddddy?” The pitiful creature asked.

“I’ll go find him soon sweet one. You just hold on a second, okay?”

“Dooooon’t leeeeeave innnnnn daaaaark.” She mewled, and my heart broke at that. Falling to my knees, I gave her a hug.

“I have to step outside for just a second sweetie, I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise.” I spoke through my tears, before standing up and walking outside of the room.

Emily,

I know people wish to push the envelope with certain aspects of the game, but this is crossing too many lines. See attached video. I’m in the mansion of Lucifer, master vampire living in the Underdark near Menzoberrazan.

Marty

I fired off a quick email to Emily, hands shaking in rage. “Thanatos, I need you to look through my eyes for a minute. I’m hoping if we establish a connection outside the wards, we can maintain it through the wards. And if the gods aren’t outraged by what you are about to see, I will make it my mission to end the lot of you and replace you myself.” I felt a pressure at the back of my eyes, and assumed Thanatos was watching.

“Diddddd you finnnnnd dadddddy?” The creature asked as soon as I walked back into the room.

“Not yet sweetie, I didn’t want you to be alone too long.”

Wait one moment. I need to summon others.

I walked over to the creature and sat down next to it, getting between her and the body. She had been stretching her neck towards the pool of blood, and sniffing at it rather intently. I absentmindedly patted her head while Inkler came over to her other side and was cautiously sniffing at her.

“Prettttty Kitttty.” She said, trying to give Inkler a smile.

We have seen enough.

Thanatos: Guilty. Sentence is death.

Pelor: Be kind to the abomination, killing her without her realizing. Destroy everything else.

Moradin: I concur with Pelor’s plan.

Gaia: speak “By Gaia’s will, let this barren land remain a reminder of lines not crossed” after you destroy everything.

Justice: Inheritor of my eyes, become my blade. Leave none living

Truth: None remain innocent. Death for all

Lolth: Slaughter them all, raze the lands and salt the earth.

Tiamat: Unleash chaos my child.

Evil: Abstain, as this was done in my name

Thanatos: Eight agree and one abstains. The dark, light, and grey pantheons stand as one. Angus shall act as our punisher. You are charged with destroying all who dwell within. Show mercy to the abomination, if possible.

I felt power flow into me. Cold flames from Thanatos, burning desire from Lolth, and unbridled rage from Justice were all that I could make out before being swamped. My scythe glowed with iridescent colors, bursting into heatless flames. New shadows extended in front of me as I felt glowing wings extend from behind my back. I knelt to the ground, and summoned an [Oblivion sphere]. Looking at it, I knew I needed to alter it. Fueling my will with rage at what had been done, I compressed the sphere until it was the size of a walnut.

“Hurrrrtsss!!!!”

“I know little one, but I have a special medicine here that will take away all the pain. If you open your mouth and close your eyes, I’ll give it to you.” She did as I asked, and I slowly moved the compressed sphere into her mouth. “That’s it. Now close your mouth little one, and the medicine will take effect.” As soon as she did as I asked, I detonated the sphere inside her head. The explosion instantly vaporized it, killing her with no pain. “Thanatos, take care of her soul.” I whispered, before standing and turning.

System warning!

A divine avenger has descended.