Szass Tam threw open the door to the private library in his estate and tossed his shredded and smoking robe to the side as he strode in. His face was a blasted disaster, the white bone of his skull all that remained on his left-hand side.
He had gone directly to the Judge of the Redhall to make his decree known immediately after finding out what had befallen Thay’s greatest temple in Bezantur. Unfortunately, Nevron had arrived at the same time with Nevron blaming him for calling forth the undead Blood Fiends that must have usurped his conjurers hold on their demons in the city, and Tam vehemently denying it but secretly knowing how and why the demons had been ripped from Nevron’s control: Eltab.
Words had escalated to violence, and perhaps things would have gone even worse had Lallara not arrived to try and mediate and in the end provided some protection against the magics hurled. Of course, her protection would probably not have been necessary had Lauzoril and his minions not also arrived to back up Nevron’s entourage and use their powers to cause some of Tam’s Necromancers to attack their associates. By the time they had been subdued or the magic removed by Lallara’s wizards, it had been a full-fledged battle that raged throughout Eltabbar as Abjurers and Necromancers fought Conjurers and Enchanters in the streets.
The fighting in Eltabbar had now died down as Tam’s wizards and undead backed by Lallara’s wizards appeared to have prevailed for the moment. But word would spread quickly throughout Thay: the Red Wizards were at war with each other!
------------------------------
The Flaming Brazier was nothing more than a pile of ash and rubble that still miraculously burned days later. It had been attacked by almost all of the Demons in Bezantur and slowly overrun despite the large number and powerful defenders of the faith who gathered to it.
Many heeded the call for defenders of the faith. Among them, even the Admiral of the Navy and Tharchion of the Alaor Rand Gallin sailed in from the Alaor to complement the Eternal Flame Rhona and Champion of Kossuth Sevik, and powerful Aze Tam. Joining the Kossuthan priesthood and tharchion were Tribune Azura, Captain of the Amruthar City Guard Mirabela Ebonheart, Malark Greycastle, Taraska Traynor, Larson Osirus, Maliah Sigerman, Khalida Senka, Sirien Ilphukiir, Alice Blackstone, and Calhoun Mahr.
The attack begin with a fient against the defenders with a number of weak demons to draw them out past the temple gates. Anxious and eager, many streamed out of the gates and attacked the weak forces in the city streets. Quickly they realized this was just a deception as powerful Nabassu demons winged in from above and dropped down on the defenders in the courtyard. Casting magical darkness, the fight against them was difficult, long, and fierce. During the mayhem, Blood Fiends slipped through the magical darkness and into the temple, eventually forcing the defenders to go into the Inner Sanctum and deal with them.
As more Nabassu winged past above, the remaining defenders retreated from their tenuous position in the courtyard into the temple. Once the Blood Fiends in the Inner Sanctum had been defeated, the horde of demons outside the temple began tearing at it and collapsed the main entrance, and then moved to breach the smaller entrance, sealing the defenders inside.
After regrouping on the first level of the interior of the temple, the defenders met the demons after they breached the small entrance and fought back ferociously. But the attack was well-planned and executed with the aid of the treacherous ex-General of the Knights of the Drake. He had led another force of demons through the slave mines connected to the temple and into the second level, effectively cutting the temple defenses in two!
Forced to abandon the first level lest they be attacked from two sides, the defenders went to the second level and there, his rage overcoming him when he saw Sevik, the General attacked with his forces and fell to the blades of Sevik and the other defenders. Rhona, now realizing the worst had come to past, ordered all defenders to the final level of the temple and through the bed of fire and lava where she had opened a portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire.
As demons rampaged above, slaughtering anyone still alive and ripping apart all they could, Rhona knelt in the lava bed and prayed to Kossuth.
And Kossuth answered.
Demanding a sacrifice in order to destroy the enemies of the temple through a simple flame flower that sprouted up through the fire, Rhona, Sevik, Aze, Maliah, and Larson all entered the fire and were touched by Kossuth himself - burning with a fire that only awaited Rhona’s command to be unleashed which would burn through the temple and anyone remaining. Moments after the ritual was completed, and after those touched had said their goodbyes to the other defenders, Mari came striding through the smoky haze, with the sounds of demons pouring down the steps behind her.
With few words, she transformed into a huge Blood Fiend and attacked the Kossuth-touched defenders while the remainder made their escape from the temple through the portal of fire or other magical means. When all had escaped, Rhona unleashed the power of Kossuth and a massive fire exploded from the defenders battling the Blood Fiend-Mari just as her demon horde was rushing toward them.
The mile-high pillar of fire could be seen all the way in Eltabbar, originating from the depths of the Flaming Brazier temple and consuming the building and anyone or anything that was inside. The glory and power of Kossuth was on full display - but also his merciless nature as once the pillar died down, his greatest temple in Thay -and perhaps all of Faerûn- lay a burning pile of rubble.
And the few remaining demons in the city who survived simply seemed to disappear overnight.
------------------------------
Eternal Flame Klanak Famouth stood in the dead of night surveying the ruins of the Flaming Brazier days later, his face pale. He finally had what he wanted. But the cost...the cost...
The vampire lord Victor simply appeared at his side, his black eyes glittering from the fires dancing nearby. But Klanak was no longer surprised by such appearances. Together they stood in silence for awhile simply watching the fires move back and forth across the ruins, until Victor finally broke the silence.
“It would appear you have what you want, Klanak. The Flaming Brazier is gone. But it would also appear your personal feelings blinded you to the reality of how powerful the temple priesthood still was despite losing Mythalanir. There was a reason ‘he’ wanted us to select those individuals to work for the benefit of the Vengeful’s. No doubt Rhona’s plea to Kossuth held more power with you having forsaken him for Velsharoon. Otherwise, he may have remained impartial to our mortal affairs here.
“Now it will be all Tsagoth can do to return alive from meeting Eltab rather than returning with news that Eltab’s demon hordes will assist us further. He’s going to need time to replenish his numbers, but when he does, Eltab will be as big of a threat to us as to the Red Wizards.”
Famouth remained silent and sullen as his stared at the flames.
“I know what you are going through. I too once was blinded by my personal desires. But you should have found another way. Pray that you can convince…him...your ability to convert others to the new faith of Thay will go as you plan. Or we will not meet again.”
Having heard enough of Victor’s preaching, the leader of the Vengeful’s Temple Circle turned abruptly and began making his way to the Bezantur City Tombs. He hoped Victor was right. Their master was not forgiving of mistakes. Especially one of this magnitude.
------------------------------
Nevron shoved open the gates of north Bezantur and strode in, his face twisted in rage. Three nearby Dread Warriors moved to intercept him no doubt because the month of ‘Red Wizard Exile’ was not up. He casually launched a Fireball in their midst and they went up in flames. But then, abruptly, swirling magic appeared around him and six other undead creatures simply appeared and began attacking him! Upset, but not concerned yet, he raised his defenses and destroyed them one-by-one. But each time he destroyed an undead creature in Bezantur, two more took its place. He was forced to launch his most powerful magic wiping out all undead nearby, then only to by surrounded by dozens more of them.
Now concerned, he summoned planar aid he knew he could trust and, roaring in anger shouted “DAMN YOU TAM!”, but began his reluctant retreat from the city. As he passed back through the city gate his thoughts were dark. The undead rule here now, he thought grimly. What have we done...?
He had gone directly to the Judge of the Redhall to make his decree known immediately after finding out what had befallen Thay’s greatest temple in Bezantur. Unfortunately, Nevron had arrived at the same time with Nevron blaming him for calling forth the undead Blood Fiends that must have usurped his conjurers hold on their demons in the city, and Tam vehemently denying it but secretly knowing how and why the demons had been ripped from Nevron’s control: Eltab.
Words had escalated to violence, and perhaps things would have gone even worse had Lallara not arrived to try and mediate and in the end provided some protection against the magics hurled. Of course, her protection would probably not have been necessary had Lauzoril and his minions not also arrived to back up Nevron’s entourage and use their powers to cause some of Tam’s Necromancers to attack their associates. By the time they had been subdued or the magic removed by Lallara’s wizards, it had been a full-fledged battle that raged throughout Eltabbar as Abjurers and Necromancers fought Conjurers and Enchanters in the streets.
The fighting in Eltabbar had now died down as Tam’s wizards and undead backed by Lallara’s wizards appeared to have prevailed for the moment. But word would spread quickly throughout Thay: the Red Wizards were at war with each other!
------------------------------
The Flaming Brazier was nothing more than a pile of ash and rubble that still miraculously burned days later. It had been attacked by almost all of the Demons in Bezantur and slowly overrun despite the large number and powerful defenders of the faith who gathered to it.
Many heeded the call for defenders of the faith. Among them, even the Admiral of the Navy and Tharchion of the Alaor Rand Gallin sailed in from the Alaor to complement the Eternal Flame Rhona and Champion of Kossuth Sevik, and powerful Aze Tam. Joining the Kossuthan priesthood and tharchion were Tribune Azura, Captain of the Amruthar City Guard Mirabela Ebonheart, Malark Greycastle, Taraska Traynor, Larson Osirus, Maliah Sigerman, Khalida Senka, Sirien Ilphukiir, Alice Blackstone, and Calhoun Mahr.
The attack begin with a fient against the defenders with a number of weak demons to draw them out past the temple gates. Anxious and eager, many streamed out of the gates and attacked the weak forces in the city streets. Quickly they realized this was just a deception as powerful Nabassu demons winged in from above and dropped down on the defenders in the courtyard. Casting magical darkness, the fight against them was difficult, long, and fierce. During the mayhem, Blood Fiends slipped through the magical darkness and into the temple, eventually forcing the defenders to go into the Inner Sanctum and deal with them.
As more Nabassu winged past above, the remaining defenders retreated from their tenuous position in the courtyard into the temple. Once the Blood Fiends in the Inner Sanctum had been defeated, the horde of demons outside the temple began tearing at it and collapsed the main entrance, and then moved to breach the smaller entrance, sealing the defenders inside.
After regrouping on the first level of the interior of the temple, the defenders met the demons after they breached the small entrance and fought back ferociously. But the attack was well-planned and executed with the aid of the treacherous ex-General of the Knights of the Drake. He had led another force of demons through the slave mines connected to the temple and into the second level, effectively cutting the temple defenses in two!
Forced to abandon the first level lest they be attacked from two sides, the defenders went to the second level and there, his rage overcoming him when he saw Sevik, the General attacked with his forces and fell to the blades of Sevik and the other defenders. Rhona, now realizing the worst had come to past, ordered all defenders to the final level of the temple and through the bed of fire and lava where she had opened a portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire.
As demons rampaged above, slaughtering anyone still alive and ripping apart all they could, Rhona knelt in the lava bed and prayed to Kossuth.
And Kossuth answered.
Demanding a sacrifice in order to destroy the enemies of the temple through a simple flame flower that sprouted up through the fire, Rhona, Sevik, Aze, Maliah, and Larson all entered the fire and were touched by Kossuth himself - burning with a fire that only awaited Rhona’s command to be unleashed which would burn through the temple and anyone remaining. Moments after the ritual was completed, and after those touched had said their goodbyes to the other defenders, Mari came striding through the smoky haze, with the sounds of demons pouring down the steps behind her.
With few words, she transformed into a huge Blood Fiend and attacked the Kossuth-touched defenders while the remainder made their escape from the temple through the portal of fire or other magical means. When all had escaped, Rhona unleashed the power of Kossuth and a massive fire exploded from the defenders battling the Blood Fiend-Mari just as her demon horde was rushing toward them.
The mile-high pillar of fire could be seen all the way in Eltabbar, originating from the depths of the Flaming Brazier temple and consuming the building and anyone or anything that was inside. The glory and power of Kossuth was on full display - but also his merciless nature as once the pillar died down, his greatest temple in Thay -and perhaps all of Faerûn- lay a burning pile of rubble.
And the few remaining demons in the city who survived simply seemed to disappear overnight.
------------------------------
Eternal Flame Klanak Famouth stood in the dead of night surveying the ruins of the Flaming Brazier days later, his face pale. He finally had what he wanted. But the cost...the cost...
The vampire lord Victor simply appeared at his side, his black eyes glittering from the fires dancing nearby. But Klanak was no longer surprised by such appearances. Together they stood in silence for awhile simply watching the fires move back and forth across the ruins, until Victor finally broke the silence.
“It would appear you have what you want, Klanak. The Flaming Brazier is gone. But it would also appear your personal feelings blinded you to the reality of how powerful the temple priesthood still was despite losing Mythalanir. There was a reason ‘he’ wanted us to select those individuals to work for the benefit of the Vengeful’s. No doubt Rhona’s plea to Kossuth held more power with you having forsaken him for Velsharoon. Otherwise, he may have remained impartial to our mortal affairs here.
“Now it will be all Tsagoth can do to return alive from meeting Eltab rather than returning with news that Eltab’s demon hordes will assist us further. He’s going to need time to replenish his numbers, but when he does, Eltab will be as big of a threat to us as to the Red Wizards.”
Famouth remained silent and sullen as his stared at the flames.
“I know what you are going through. I too once was blinded by my personal desires. But you should have found another way. Pray that you can convince…him...your ability to convert others to the new faith of Thay will go as you plan. Or we will not meet again.”
Having heard enough of Victor’s preaching, the leader of the Vengeful’s Temple Circle turned abruptly and began making his way to the Bezantur City Tombs. He hoped Victor was right. Their master was not forgiving of mistakes. Especially one of this magnitude.
------------------------------
Nevron shoved open the gates of north Bezantur and strode in, his face twisted in rage. Three nearby Dread Warriors moved to intercept him no doubt because the month of ‘Red Wizard Exile’ was not up. He casually launched a Fireball in their midst and they went up in flames. But then, abruptly, swirling magic appeared around him and six other undead creatures simply appeared and began attacking him! Upset, but not concerned yet, he raised his defenses and destroyed them one-by-one. But each time he destroyed an undead creature in Bezantur, two more took its place. He was forced to launch his most powerful magic wiping out all undead nearby, then only to by surrounded by dozens more of them.
Now concerned, he summoned planar aid he knew he could trust and, roaring in anger shouted “DAMN YOU TAM!”, but began his reluctant retreat from the city. As he passed back through the city gate his thoughts were dark. The undead rule here now, he thought grimly. What have we done...?