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Epilogue
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he fragments of rock changed to daemon warriors, imps of Chaos that were formed of the terrors of every person who had ever lived. Colorless and shifting like bad dreams, the daemon warriors appeared different to each who fought them, taking on the shape of the thing each person feared the most.
. . . The knights stared at these monsters in despair, their faces blanched in dismay and fear as the horrible creatures surged forward to attack. The standards slid from shaking hands, began to dip toward the ground.
. . . Chaos spread his enormous arms, which seemed to encompass the universe.
"There is no hope. You have no gods. What have you left?"
Steel drew his sword and raised it in the air. The metal did not reflect the fire, but shone white, argent, like moonlight on ice.
"Each other," he answered.
-The Battle of the Rift
Dragons of Summer Flame
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Death
Although it is regrettable, the heroes may have perished during this adventure. If so, Ul Thalik still needs outsiders to slay the locals and provide him with their blood. The players can create new heroes and run the adventure again.
Of course, the adventure will be less satisfying if the heroes already progressed too far in the adventure. Restarting the adventure is not recommended for any group of heroes who progressed to or beyond Act Two, Scene Three: The Seige.
Failure
Despite their noble intentions, the heroes may accidently have slain the cloaked locals. The locals will stand still and allow the heroes to slaughter them, since they are paralyzed. If the heroes realize that their enemies aren't fighting back and stop their attacks, then the adventure can proceed as intended. Beyond the guilt that the heroes will undoubtedly suffer, the heroes have disrupted Ul Thalik's plans. Go back to Act Three, Scene Five: Chaos Revealed and play through the events described in "The Battle."
If, however, the heroes show no signs of halting their attacks, they will cut down every one in the clearing. Read the following to the heroes:
As your weapons flash through the crisp air, red blood splatters in every direction. The trollekai all collapse beneath your fevered swings. As you catch your breath, you realize that all of your foes have been slain. As you watch, their ruby red blood soaks the earth.
Suddenly, the trollekai vanish like a bad nightmare in the light of day, revealing humans. You can see the humans lying broken and shattered by your hands on the ground. Their horror-filled eyes seem to fix on you. You can even see Thomas Stellguard, Jaedyn, and even Augin lying in pools of their own blood, with their haunted eyes accusingly fixed on you. Emerging from the shadows, the daemon warrior grins evilly at you.
"Thank you, you fools" he thunders as the earth begins to shake. Before you can regain your bearings, the chaos minions fades into the mist and the ground erupts. The world heaves up into the air and you are tossed aside. The ground tips to one side and you slide down the ground through the forest. Before your astonished eyes, the ground itself emits an ear-piercing roar that causes blood to pour from your ears. As you continue to slide along the heaivng ground and through the forest, the daemon warrior's laugh echoes in your shattered ears.
The earth giant of Trollwood is awakening. Since the earth giant is is basically getting up, the heroes are sent sliding down its back through Trollwood. Each hero must succeed in ten challenging Agility actions. Each failure means that the hero slams into a tree or other object and suffers 5 damage. If the heroes survive the ride, then they will arrive at the edge of a massive canyon that compromises the center of Trollwood. The earth giant, under the control of Ul Thalik, will begin its reign of terror by destroying the heroes.
If the heroes manage to actually slay the earth giant, then Ul Thalik will appear and personally deal with the heroes.
However, at this point, it is most likely that the heroes will be destroyed by teh earth giant. If this happens, the the earth giant will begin to terrorize the land with its awesome might. While even the earth giant's powers are not mighty enough to devastate Ansalon, it will be a power to be reckoned with. With the earth giant's might, Ul Thalik might carve out a small chaos empire for himself and the rest of his kind. Such a realm would greatly increase the influence of chaos in the realm, which could spell Krynn's doom.
- Earth Giant
*. Magical creature. Co 4, Ph 60, In 12, Es 10, Dmg +55, Def -9, also immune to fire, cold, half damage from electricity.
- Ul Thalik
. Undead. Co 9, Ph 12, In 9, Es 9, Dmg +12, Def -8, Health 40*, also aura (fear), aura (corrupt)*, immune to mentalism, normal weapons, and poison.
* See Dragon Magazine Issue #256 for more details on the earth giant.
Afterword
If the heroes were stong of arm, quick of feet, pure of heart, and sharp or mind, then they should have foiled Ul Thalik's plan. Read the following as soon as the heroes have slain the daemon warrior:
With one last howl of pain and anger, the daemon warrior retreats, clutching its fatal wound. Slowly, the chaos minions begins to melt and rot away into the fog. Within seconds, the daemon warrior's rotting ashes are swept away by the wind.
A golden beam of light suddenly pierces the veil of night, followed by another, and then another. The mantle of darkness cracks and shatters, allowing the light of day to stream into Trollwood.
The trollekai melt away under the sun's golden raidance, revealing the townspeople and your friends. The humans begin to move groggily, as if they had just woken from a bad dream.
With the death of Ul Thalik, the curse over Trollwood has been lifted. The locals are freed from their paralysis and hail the heroes as heroes. They hold a great feast in Tarney Hall for the heroes.
The legionnaire cell in Hazuk is also overjoyed with the heroes' success. They pay the heroes their reward. The legionnaires will attempt to recruit the heroes into the Legion, which can spark an entire campaign involving the Legion of Steel. If the heroes decline, however, the Legion will give each of the heroes signet rings with the seal of the Legion. When the heroes show these rings to members of the Legion, all Presence actions to deal with them are one degree easier. All Wealth actions with those friendly with the Legion are also one degree easier. However, if the Knights of Solamina ever see the heroes with the rings, all Presence actions are one degree more difficult. In addition, all contact with the Knights of Takhisis will be violent and deadly. Of course, the heroes can always conceal their rings.
The heroes will always be welcome in Trollwood. They will have gained an ally in Thomas Steelguard, who still has ties with the the Knights of Solamnia. Jaedyn can also help the heroes with his connections to the Legion and to the Academy of Sorcery. Aspiring mages can travel with him to the Academy to stufdy more about the Art.
Kara Half-elven can also be an important ally. If the heroes helped her in her own personal struggle, she will be very thankful. She has many connections to the Legion and to various others in central Abanasinia.
The heroes can always further the adventure. The following are several adventure nuggets that can extend the enjoyment of this adventure.
- Ul Thalik was not the only chaos minion who was sent to raise an earth giant. Perhaps the heroes, upon closer examination of Agan's Cabin, find a map marked with the possible locations of several other slumbering earth giants. The chaos minions that were assigned to raise them may have been slain, but perhaps they actually succeeded!
- Now that the earth giant beneath Trollwood has been "found," other powers may wish to bend the being to their will. The Dragon overlords, for instance, would be very interested in controlling a minion of such power. The heroes may have to go up against the Great Dragon in order to prevent the earth giant's corruption.
- The heroes can help Thomas Steelguard and Augin travel to Sancrist so that the two can formally rejoin the Knighthood.
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