by Daniel "Baron Diamond" Diamond
In part one of this tale, I related how, in an attempt to save Gwen’s soul, I’d led a party which was accidentally responsible for releasing Blue, the malevolent extra-planar entity which takes the form of a magic two-handed sword to trick hapless people to their doom. Now hear the tale of how a few of us narrowly failed to return it from whence it came. It was a target of opportunity in the middle of a completely different major crisis: The Furies Unleashed!
Decades ago, partly because of machinations of the Blackstar Guild, the seven blades of Wayland were drawn together in one place. Unwittingly we had as separate questing parties each escorted them to their fateful rendezvous. As most of the parties combined into a large army in a clearing, the adventures of Banecroft were growing increasingly ill at ease as more of the swords gathered together. Leaving some of our party crouched in a hollow, Myrddin and I rushed to find out more. We rapidly learned that only one sword was outstanding, and we consulted with that party outside the clearing on the wisdom of continuing. Using the Sable Dragon knightly power, I pondered, “Is it a bad idea to let this Wayland Blade into the cleaning?” Instead of the expected “yes” or “no”, I was told that “it is inevitable.” That answer disconcerted me momentarily, and while I was on the back foot the bearer of the final Wayland Blade entered the clearing.
There was a blinding flash of light. The seven furies descended upon us like wolves in the fold. The army broke with impossible speed: even against invulnerable enemies I’ve never seen an army of the Realms break so suddenly. I have no knowledge, but suspect some trick of magic, as scores of armed adventurers were being run down like hares. The rout was swift and complete. Myrddin and I were among the first slain, but after the initial onslaught the rest of our party emerged from their hollow and rescued us and we joined everyone else in the deadly game of cat and mouse that was our retreat from that place.
In the light of the next day we one and all set upon the task of figuring out how to deal with these Furies. It took time to learn their different weaknesses, so early in the day they hunted us not unlike how they had done that night. During our initial scouting attempt, I saw two things unrelated to the Furies but of definite interest to me. There was a gate in the woods, which after asking around we learned was to the Rainbow Plane. And in a cave on the far end of the land, there was Blue, lying in wait in his sword form for hapless adventurers to pick it up. While most were dealing with the Furies, I hit upon a plan to get rid of Blue while we could.
Separated by fate and the furies from my close comrades, I gathered the most experienced and capable adventurers as I could see, most prominently Sir Tetch and Sir Callin. Sir Tetch was the key to my plan: the rest of us would escort her to where I had seen Blue, her magics would ward her from Blue’s death effect, and we would escort her to the gate to the Rainbow plane where she would throw it in. They agreed the plan was worth trying, but my plan was fatally flawed: “protect the soul” would not be enough to thwart Blue’s fatal contact.
We set off, and halfway to our goal the Furies caught our scent and closed in on us. Some of us fought and died, some of us escaped but were separated. Sir Tetch and I stuck together, and decided to press on alone. Large concentrations were what the Furies seemed to zero in on, and indeed the two of us reached the cave without further incident. We entered the cave and found Blue where we expected it. Sir Tetch put the plan into action and died instantly. Knowing from hard experience that I’d need magic to stop Blue, I fell back before his onslaught.
Meanwhile, Sir Callin had rallied the rest of our party and came up in the nick of time, and together we counterattacked to reclaim Sir Tetch. In that we were successful, and while we beat Blue back into it’s dormant state, we’d attracted the attention of a Fury, in particular the one possessing Prospero of the Blackstar Guild. As our party carried Sir Tetch away, in the rear guard I saw the Propero-Fury pick up Blue and resist it’s death effect, putting Blue in the Fury’s belt! And when Prospero-Fury attacked the rear guard, it fell to my perfectly ordinary sword. By the end of the day the army in general and an academically inclined Chimeronean mage in particular had catalogued what each Fury was affected by, and we’d later learned that this specific Fury was proof of anything but the ordinary. Thus, it could carry Blue. As our party fell back, I had an idea, and experimented: I found I could drag the rapidly regenerating Prospero-Fury without being slain by Blue, and I hatched a new plan.
Sir Callin was intent on restoring Sir Tetch, and as large concentrations were as much a liability as an asset, I took my leave of them as they fell back to base. As the Prospero-Fury came back to life, I performed a fighting withdrawal towards the gate, then slew it anew, then carried it at best possible speed towards the clearing where the gate to the Rainbow plane lay. Having seen how long it took it to regenerate, I’d drop it and step away just before it caught me unprepared. I repeated the process three times, gaining nearer the gate each time, but the third time I took a wound. Seeing me hard pressed, two other adventurers ran to my aid and we soon had the Prospero-Fury in the clearing which contained the gate to the Rainbow plane. Only one more iteration would be necessary to allow me to throw Blue through the gate as it slew me. However, this help drew the attention of two other furies, and when they descended upon us my final attempt unraveled.
There have been many attempts since to get rid of Blue, ranging from the wild to wise, from crass to clever. Only a few years ago we learned the true way to banish Blue, a difficult ritual for which some of the components have been gathered. In that effort, Lord Temorse is the most knowledgeable.