The fifth level, this seemed to be it. I could spot the final seal in the middle of the vast chamber I had appeared in, but it appeared that I would need a few keys to open it. I started to explore the level and soon found a large door. Beyond it I was adressed by a Helmite ghost. I'd have to complete a few tests in order to get the keys. Of course, what else? I couldn't really grasp the point of the first test, it was just a bunch of lowly orchs. Up with the Aerial Servants and let them throw around knuckle-punches for a few minutes before the ghost appeared once again. The second test was a green dragon. God knows what kind of damage his breath attack does, but it got me once or twice before I wisened up and made sure my summons were the targets of it instead of me. The third test was... a riddling Imp! How refreshing. The first question was a bit tricky, but I had gotten my ass handed to me too many times back home in Candlekeep in the game he next challenged me to, to lose this time. Victory was mine, and so was the key.
I explored more of the level and found another door. Figuring there would probably be a third door for the third key if I kept going, I stopped here to face the next challenge. It turned out to be a game where I controlled some sort of avatar of myself in a small dungeon. I went through the dungeon, fighting everyone and collecting everything I found. With a wand of magic missiles ready for the big boss, I emerged victorious from the game, and found a second key in my pocket. Proceeding along the wall of the chamber, I found the third door within minutes. This test just consisted of a couple of small fights with a bunch of hobgoblins, spiders, a lone mage, and some skeleton warriors. Suffice to say, it was over quickly enough.
Time then to unlock the seal. I neglected rest, since I had stupidly enough only expected a fight when the all three keys were in place. So it would be fair to say that the six hostile ghost knights that appeared after I inserted the first key caught me slightly off guard. I had one set of blades left, so I fled the battlefield and conjured it up. Unfortunately, one of them had just set a Dispel Magic after me, so I played happy feet for a good five rounds to make the most of my blades before it got to me.
Notice the curve on the trajectory of that Dispel Magic
Then I got hit by a Project Force, and my fun was over. I noticed that the five ordinary knights weren't particularly tough, the only that looked like a serious threat was that staff-wielding guy shrouded in black. Since he would stop to cast a spell every other round or so, I chugged down an Oil of Speed and started to pick the knights off one by one, moving in for a few quick hits whenever he stopped to cast one of his infinite Cone of Colds or whatever it was. When they were all dead, I pulled out my Sling of Everard and killed the staff-wielder from afar, since melee combat didn't look like a promising alternative with his scary hitting power and permanent Aura of Flaming Death.
Inserting the second key caused a Lich and several Flaming Skulls to appear, but since they were all vulnerable to Turn Undead, it was a quick fight. Time now for the third keyhole, whatever came out when I opened that final lock were going to enter my own personal hell. I memorized three Fire Storms and rested. Summoned my usual army of servants, skeletons and a Deva, and applied all the regular buffers. I then laid three Fire Storms over the seal in quick succession. Moved to the right side of the seal, ordered my minions to the left side, and then inserted the third key.
Ouch. Any thoughts of a quick and overwhelming victory were quickly put aside when, among the other five demonic creatures that now appeared, I spotted a Hive Mother. I fled from it's sight as quickly as possible to not attract any Anti-Magic rays, and instead concentrated on the three dark humanoids that had spawned on the right side. I had no control over my minions any longer, but I could only hope that they would at least stall the left side long enough for me to finish off the right side.
Fortunately, only one of the three on the right side was highly resistant to fire, and the storms hurt them a good deal. With my blades and the fire raining down on them, two of them were dead before the rain ceased. The last of them, "The Huntress" was a lot sturdier than she looked and had already eaten more than a dozen blades when the battle text informed me that the last of my summons somewhere on the other end of the battlefield had perished. The summons being dead meant there were no distractions left for the Hive Mother, or the other two demons either for that matter, which meant that she would come up here to join the fight within the round. Luckily, The Huntress died just seconds before the Hive Mother appeared in the SW corner of my screen and immediately launched an Anti-Magic ray at me. None of the other two demons had followed though, so it was just me and her. The funny thing about the Hive Mother was that she turned out to be completely harmless on her own. She didn't have a true Anti-Magic ray, but rather a spell that accomplished almost the same effect, only it had a casting time, could be interrupted, and did
not cause casting failure.
That, the occasional Maze spell, and of course her rather weak bite attacks, was all I was subjected to during the course of our clash. Killing her did take time, since she had an infinite supply of contingencies containing Stoneskin and Improved Mantle, but apart from casting a Dispel Magic every now and then, periodically applying what Imp Haste sources I had, and drinking a healing potion when the red zone grew too much, there wasn't much else to it other than continuously whacking her with the Crom Faeyr/Rune Hammer combo.
When she fell, I went back down to the center, only to find that my minions had actually managed to kill the Succubus before they died themselves. All that remained was thus the Marilith, and with a good amount of Energy Blades left, she didn't cause much trouble either.
There, with the last of the guardians of the final seal down, I activated the machine that would open the seal. A portal seemingly made of pure energy appeared over the symbol of Helm, and I stepped through. I was in the chamber of the Imprisoned One. Imprisoned no longer, or so I thought I could gather from massive chains and shackles that had been broken and lay on the ground. Suddenly I could feel something intruding in my mind. Some force was making me see images of things that I didn't know. The Imprisoned was here, even though he chose not to show himself. He showed me how the Helmites had deceived me, and suggested that I should work with him to return the favour to them. Needed some time to
re-memorize my spells think, so I temporarily declined and went up the staircase to have a rest.
I wasn't about to strike a deal with a monster, no matter if the Helmites were corrupt or not, and was getting ready for a fight, probably a big one. After the rest, I summoned my standard five-pack of minions and cast the regular buffs, then went down to tell him the way it was gonna be. I told him to show himself so that I may end his existance, and show himself he did. I would've found his apperance comical if I had had the time to get a proper look at it, but just fractions of a second after appearing, I had nearly been surrounded by demons that seemed to have come out of nowhere. I tried to escape and retreat back up the stairs, but had already taken several blows when an opening finally showed itself and I could run back to the safety of my servants. The lesser demons followed me up there, but the prince himself was content to let his servants do the job. Once up the stairs, the Glabrezus died all too easily to my four Aerial Servants, and with my blades quickly stripping away it's stoneskins, the Marilith also died quickly once it's PfMW wore off. The Balor had an initial bombardment of Symbol: Stuns going for him, though they were all wasted on me, but didn't do much after that.
Well, with the lesser demons dead, I thought it was time to deal with the prince himself. I renewed all my buffs, cast Imp Invisibility/Haste, and then dug out my Vhailor's Helm to create a Simulacrum. Sadly, the cloak effects didn't carry over to him, but with four sets of Energy Blades, he could still do some good. With Crom Faeyr in the off hand and the Seeking Sword equipped, I went down the right staircase with my Simulacrum right behind me, and sent my summons down the other staircase. Demogorgon was about to try and fight a two-front war. The summons took care of his servants, while me and myself went straight for the prince.
Between the two of us, we aimed 17 attacks per round at Demogorgon. While he was concentrating on summoning more demons and targeting me with Implosions that honestly did not hurt all that much through the Prot from Fire and AoF, our sword strokes and energy blades had first stripped away his stoneskins in a matter of seconds, and were whittling down his life at a good rate. A few rounds later it was all over.
Finished off the remaining demons and then exited the keep without delay. Enjoyed my first sunlight for days, and went up to Odren and the rest of the Helmites to inform them that the Imprisoned One was dead and then leave this godforsaken place for good. Demogorgon had been telling the truth, these Helmites had been planning to use and then discard a fellow member of their church. I couldn't care less about it though, they may have acted like ignorant fools, but their intent had been good, and everything turned out right in the end, so I just let them go.
The Watcher's Keep is through and done. Tomorrow I'll pick the main story threads once again and go after Sendai, now that will be interesting, for me at the very least.
[ 02-23-2004, 10:48 PM: Message edited by: Rataxes ]