The Hardly Able Crew

[Bam-Bam]

Thanks for the offer, Sulla, but if it were that easy, Hardly would be swimming in gold. He has a rich aunt just like GoGoGadgets, except that he has only ever accepted one gift in his life--a personalized cracked sash bearing the name of his driver.

[Bam-Bam]

Hardly_Able's Journey though Hell (Part 3e)


Return to Travincal

When we last left Hardly_Able, he was barely alive, broke, and without his travelling companion, Haseen. In this state there was no way for him to continue the fight in Travincal. Hardly swallowed his pride a bit, and returned to a previous act to generate cash. Soon he was able to raise enough money for two of Max's miracle pills, so his quest could continue.

Right after Hardly had finished his financial restructuring, He was greeted on the Docks by InspiredHope and her boytoy Hal. InspiredHope and Hardly set off to battle the High Council in Travincal. So after they started from the waypoint, the travellers encountered this might enchanted Heirophant boss.



Within a few minutes, Hardly and InspiredHope spotted another familiar companion stepping out of the waypoint building. GoGoGadgets joined the party, ready to take on the Council and (hopefully) Mephisto.

The tactics for the High Council were simple--Hardly would taunt out the minions, and the group would try to keep the numbers in their favor. They especially hoped to keep the Council Bosses separate. All was going well, until Ismail and Toorc came out running.





Ismail fell first, then the companions dealt with Toorc. Hardly lured the rest of the minions out of the Temple to their deaths, and then the three warriors and their mercenaries charged headlong into the Temple to trap Geleb Flamefinger. He went down fast, and Hardly smashed the compelling orb.





Lost in the Durance

Hardly, GoGoGadgets, and Inspired hope decended the stairs into the Mephisto's Durance not to immediately hear the pitter patter of bony little feet. Luck was on their side for the moment, as the monsters on the first level included mostly Maulers and Blood Lords, with a few mummies sprinked in. However, the first Mauler boss put up a tough fight.



The decrep from Hal's Lawbringer sword was able to remove his physical immunity, but Hardly still could not make much of a dent in him. Actually, none of us were fairing all that well, since his mods left him pretty strong against fire, cold and physical (immune without decrep) and his natural lightning immunity eliminated arcing weapons. The next boss could have been a real bear, but actually went down without too much fuss.



The last boss of note on the first level of the Durance was a speedy sparky vampire type, which caused the group to run around a bit to put him and his minions in the killing zone.



The stairs were found, and the companions headed to the second level of the Durance. Soon, they all heard the pitter patter of little bony feet.



Unfortunately for them, there was also the stomping of Heavy Feet



That's right, two lighning echanted bosses, the small one with super death explosion (doll and fire enchantment), and the large one enhanced by cold enchantment and might aura. Quite a hairy fight, though I think we all lived through it. After this cluster of bosses, Hal spotted the waypoint, and the companions continued their search for the stairs.

They searched, and searched and searched. The worst moment for Hardly came when he got separated from the group and had to take on this little guy.



Hardly got the boss, and the boss got him. After quite a bit of "Who's lost the map?" banter, the travellers finally stumbled upon the stairs to level 3.


To Kill a Prime Evil

Hardly, GoGoGadgets and InspiredHope discussed strategy as they stepped down to the third level of Mephisto's Durance They agreed on a plan to taunt minions to a killing zone. A few blood lords in the first room were easily dispatched, and the companions then proceeded to pull Bremm into their field of fire.



It was a killing zone in more than one way--Hardly could not find a sweet spot to avoid the sparks, so he went down at least once. Still, the battle was relatively quick, and the companions moved onto their next quarry, Wyland Voidbringer.



Hardly had hoped to lure Wyland and his minions out, but it was in vain. Also there was another complication.



You can see everyone still cursed from the battle with Wyland. Surprisingly, that room went fairly well--with that fanatacism enchanted boss in there, things could have really gotten ugly. The team turned its sights to Maffer next.



He just got mugged, even with extra fast and extra strong. At this point, the six companions had enough bodies to gang up on small boss packs like Maffer.

Time to take on Mephisto. The companions agreed to pull Mephisto toward the moat, and keep Hardly and GoGoGadgets on the other side, while InspiredHope stabbed away at point blank range. If they had thought better, they would have made sure Haseen stayed on Mephisto's side of the moat, but that was not done. Hardly lept across the moat, and baited Mephisto out to meet the band of warriors.



In fact, all of the mercenaries are on the wrong side or the moat, even Hal. The battle went well, with Hardly only getting hammered once from Mephisto's sparks. Negative lightning resistance does protect you from a Prime Evil's lightning attacks. Finally, Mephisto neared his end.



You can see GoGoGadgets has teleported across the moat to help speed Mephisto's demise.

The six warriors took the red portal to hell, with only Hardly and Haseen returning to scrounge every little scrap for more gold. Perhaps Hardly should have been named Fred G. Sanford?

Hardly finished Act 3 at clvl 79, with no points in vitality, and 140 stat points saved overall. His gear included broken eth gloves, broken eth boots, a cracked circlet, a cracked sash, backpack full of mostly life and resistance charms (all found by him), and a combination of two crafted winged axes (232 and 231 ed) and a inbued flying axe (pmh, knockback, 20 ias) with a crafted winged axe (110 ed) on the switch.

Hardly_Able will see you in Act 4. (to be continued)

[Bam-Bam]

Hardly_Able's Journey through Hell (Part 4a)


Hardly_Able started Act 4 Hell with the following gear:

Cracked Circlet
Broken ethereal light gauntlets
Broken ethereal heavy boots
Personalized cracked sash

"Armageddon Razor"
Crafted Winged Axe
232% ed
+1 max damage
+266 attack rating
2% life leech
+14 life

"Plague Sever"
Crafted Winged Axe
231% ed
+5 max damage
+71 attack rating
4% life leech
+16 life
-20% requirement

Switch weapons

"Dire Song"
Rare (Imbued) Flying Axe
20% increased attack speed
71% ed
prevent monster heal
knockback
19% cold resistance
5% poision resistance

"Bitter Mangler"
Crafted Winged Axe
115% ed
+14 attack rating
4% life leech
+13 life
+1 mana/kill
level 1 enchant (11 charges)

Hardly's stash is filled with resistance and life charms, and he runs with all negative resists except for fire on the main setup (fire is around 11%). Rings and amulet are a combination of magic and gold find (no other mods allowed).

As far as stat go, Hardly has 97 strength, 218 dex, 25 vit, and 10 energy--with 140 points saved. Base life is 271. With nominal gear setup it is 370. With BO, life is 721.

Hardly's skill distribution is as follows:

Warcries 27
Howl, Taunt, Shout, Find Potions, Find Item, Grim Ward, Battle Command 1
Battle Orders 20

Combat Masteries 28
Increased Stamina, Increased Speed, Iron Skin 1
Natural Resistance 5
Throwing Mastery 20

Combat Skills 33
Leap, Leap Attack, Bash 1
Double Swing 20
Double Throw 10

That's 88 Total points at level 79.


Ambush on the Plains

After Hardly finished his impression of Fred G. Sanford in Mephisto's lair, GoGoGadgets and InspiredHope convinced him to venture out into hell. The Outer Steppes did not prove too difficult. The going was slow, but the three seasoned warriors and their companions had little trouble controlling the flow of battle. The biggest threat from a boss came early.



The monster draw caused a little bit of a problem--or at least nullified part of the team--fire immune meant that GoGoGadgets spent most of the battle contemplating his next repair bill and watching out for flanking attacks. That said, things went well until the group hit the stairs to the Plains of Despair and met with immediate resistance.



The group did make it to the bottom of the stairs, and then all hell broke loose. First up, this boss shows up.



While everyone is scrambling to manage this boss and his pack (noting that GoGoGadgets has little to use for attacking that mob, and Hardly has only his arcing weapons), a whole host of black souls joins in, and the deaths begin.

While Hardly and GGG are trying to recover their bodies, here comes a fallen angel, who chases InspiredHope and Hardly back up the stairs.



Hardly's using backup axes at this point, and you can see GGG trying to clear out some space at the bottom of the stairs. Izual went down pretty easily, but the group still had to deal with the venom lord boss, and a flesh spawner boss right on his heels. First, showdown with the venom lord boss.



Hardly had kicked the bucket again, and was down to his harpoon/throwing spear combination. Next up we faced down the flesh spawner boss at nearly the same spot.



GGG is hanging back, since his attack-enabling gear is still down at the bottom of the stairs. InspiredHope and Hardly continued to squeeze out more room at the bottom of the stairs--taunting souls into the killing zone. Finally GGG recovered his body. The companions moved on, but Hardly soon found himself surrounded by endless bursts of lightning, and went down one last time. Gear recovery was slowed a bit by the presence of a black soul boss.



Hardly's reaction to this boss was "You take him!" The boss fell, and Hardly recovered the last bit of his gear. The team was now more or less fully intact, as Hardly managed to scrounge a bit of junk to bring Haseen back to action after he was on the bench for about half the plains. AFter the disaster at the Plains entrance, and with Haseen pumping on his might aura again, the remainder of the plains passes slowly, but without any serious incident.


Welcome Wagon of the Damned

The travellers had begun to catch their breath a little. GGG caught site of the stairs, and the group began its decent into the City of the Damned. Or, at least, the group would have entered the City of the Damned, except for the welcome wagon.



That's right, a Damned boss, with another not far behind. The battle raged around the City entrance.



You can see that Hardly has again chosen to use his backup weapons After that boss was felled, the group has to root out the flesh spawners and other damned camped around the city entrance. Hardly kept a sharp lookout, trying to taunt the abyss knights into melee instead of having them lob their elemental missiles at everyone. This technique proved mostly successful. The next boss of note was a flesh spawner that GGG and Hardly managed to wrangle into a corner.



Hardly was not really sure what InspiredHope was doing at that point, since she was offscreen to the bottom left. Unfortunately, without InspiredHope tanking, and the appearence of a pack of damned---GGG was toast. Hardly shifted into retreat mode, and he and InspiredHope regrouped and gained regained control about twenty yards back, as GGG is running back to claim his gear.



The next boss got absolutely mugged--cornering himself while InspiredHope, Hal, and Haseen wail away, and Hardly continued to pelt him with axes.



Soon after this, the group spots the City waypoint, and collectively decide that they have pressed their luck enough for one evening. The long road from the Fortress to the City has been secured.

(to be continued)

[Bam-Bam]

Hardly_Able's Journey through Hell (Part 4b)


Solo River Running

The next day after running with his off-and-on companions, Hardly decided to head for the River of Flame waypoint solo. Hardly also had a mind to put a certain Fat Demon in his place, even if the reward would mean nothing. But before Hardly could venture down to the River, he had to dispatch a boss guarding the City waypoint.



Finger Mages are not much trouble for Hardly, as their low life means they go down quick. Hardly braced for a trap as he decended the stairs, but there were only a few normal monsters waiting. Hardly lucked out on the monster draw--Abyss Knights, Corpulents and Blood Maggots. Even so, the Corpulents were making life difficult by ignoring Haseen and coming straight for Hardly.



That boss pack was not too difficult. The next boss was a holy shocking bug--again not much trouble for Hardly and Haseen. The most difficult part about the bugs is the constant need to reposition to handle the hatching young. Even so, Hardly and Haseen were used to selectively retreating, so no big worries. The next boss required more than a selective retreat, as he and his minions ignored Haseen and rushed straight for Hardly.



He chased Hardly back about three or four screens worth before Haseen caught him, and the duo finished off the spitter. The next bug boss was a bit more of a challenge, as Hardly had to contantly position to avoid sparks and keep the young at bay.



Hardly managed to clear his way to the waypoint after this boss, but there was one more task in his quest for the evening. On the way to Fatso, Hardly ran into a mess of Abyss Knights crammed into a corner. Hardly taunted out the minions and normal knights, and then returned for the boss.



Hardly approached the Forge with caution, not wanting to bring out a host of aura enchanted monsters with Hephasto. He worked his way around the right of the forge, slowly taunting the monsters to a killing zone. Finally, Hardly was left with just one foe. Hephasto did put up a reasonable fight...well, let's just say Hardly ran around, tossing axes, and then tired of the run and gun.



Yep, Hardly lept across the river, and trapped Fasto with Haseen. This made Fatso concentrate on Haseen while Hardly chucked axes. Not long after, Fatso was dead.



Who said you can't taunt bosses?


River of Flame, Redux

After successfully negotiating the River of Flame solo, Hardly met up with InspiredHope the next day. She had still not made her way to the River waypoint, and her showdown with Hephasto. So off the two companions went, with Hal and Haseen in tow. They met with a nasty spawner boss right at the bottom of the stairs.



That fight took about ten minutes, especially when Hardly stirred up a hornets' next by the City waypoint. Eventually the two warriors prevailed, and headed further into the river maze. The monster draw was noticeable harder than for Hardly's solo journey--Spawners, Urdars, and Corpse Spitters. Hardly and Haseen would have have fared well against the Urdars, but with two more tanks (and a hefty dose of Lawbringer-inspired decrep) things went well. Even a double-elemental enchanted spitter was little trouble for the group.



Next up, this urdar boss may not be finishing his swing.



InspiredHope ran into a brick wall with this boss, while Hardly was able to hold ground and await her return to the fray. At this point, Hardly just re-upped battle orders as a re-equipped InspiredHope charges in.



The last boss before the fat one was a non-memorable spitter. His only calling in life was his might enchantment. Being mana burn meant nothing to InspiredHope, as she uses no skills.

Finally, time for Fatso. Hardly and InspiredHope slowly taunted and cleared the forge area, until Fatso was left pretty much all alone.



That could have been real nasty solo, but three tanks and a chucking Hardly made for quick work. InspiredHope collected her reward, and the travellers returned to the Fortress, having already secured the River waypoint.

(to be continued)

[Bam-Bam]

Hardly_Able's Journey through Hell (Part 4c)


The Lair of Terror

After dispatching with Diablo's Armorer, InspiredHope and Hardly_Able felt strong enough to continue their journey onward into the Lord of Terror's Lair. The remainder of the River of Flame maze held little mystery--the two warriors and their henchmen had seen plenty of the River on their journey to the Hellforge. In fact, not a single encounter stood out enough to warrent a shot for posterity.

InspiredHope and Hardly discussed tactics before entering the Chaos Sanctuary. Hardly told InspiredHope to hang back, while Hardly would taunt all possible monsters back to (hopefully) a safe zone away from the cursing oblivion knights. Both agreed that Hardly would call the positioning, boss mods, and sound the retreat if he thought there were too many monsters or oblivion knights for a safe encounter. Hardly figured this was the best way to protect Hal, Haseen, and mostly InspiredHope from the dreaded Iron Maiden curse.

Hardly gingerly stepped into the gateway to Diablo's lair. Within seconds, a group of Stranglers and Venom Lords appeared, but no knights yet. Hardly worked his way back, taunting the monsters as the three meleers prepared to pounce. First group down, and the entrance secured.

The group met the first of many bosses near the end of the first right branch of the entranceway.



Up until that point, the taunt-and-retreat tactics had been working very well. Both Hardly and InspiredHope seemed to know exactly when the battle was under control, and then InspiredHope would charge the oblivion knight, as Hardly maneuvered to provide axe support. If Hardly spotted another group of knights charging, he'd shout for all to back up and re-establish a safe zone. More than half of the time, no words were necessary, and the two long-time companions knew almost instinctively where their partner would be.

As the group neared the pentagram, Hardly motioned them towards the left side, trying to keep the numerical odds in their favor. The group cleared out another oblivion knight that had already lost his doom knight cronies, and then warriors heard the familiar sound of a conviction enchanted boss.



Hardly was glad it was a finger mage, but the mobility of the minions made for an interesting fight. Here you can see how each of the four companions is managing the battle to keep all safe.



After dispaching that boss, the group ran into another tough finger mage boss. Cold enchanted, lightning enchanted, extra strong. What made this boss even more tough was the pile of knights that he ran behind after the battle began, and the single oblivion back in the corner by the upper Vizier seal.



This was the front group of knights that InspiredHope and Hardly had to cut through before they could even get to the strangler boss. Hardly tried to taunt out all the minions and doom knights, but there were some tense moments as the group charged the boss with an untouched oblivion knight in range.

Luckily InspiredHope and Hardly manged to survive, though Haseen went face down from a timely IM curse by the oblivion knight. The Grand Vizier's wing was now clear. By unspoken mutual consent, the warriors moved off to clear Lord De Seis' wing, leaving the seals for later. Walking around the left edge of the pentagram, the group awoke a nasty venom lord boss.



In the shot above, Hardly had worked his way toward the center of the pentagram to get a clear shot at the boss and turn off that nasty fanatcism aura. Just as this battle drew to a close, Hardly spotted another set of doom knight minions. InspiredHope held her ground as Hardly taunted the minions in, then the four veterans attacked the boss.



Unfortunately, before the group could move further up Lord De Seis's wing, all hell broke loose as they woke up one more oblivion knight boss, and at least four other oblivion knight packs. Hardly sounded a mass retreat, and everyone headed for the entrance wing, with Hardly in the rear, taunting doom knights as fast as he could. Soon the remaining knights were mostly oblivions, including the boss.



That's six oblivion knights and four doom knights, with an extra fast, lightning enchanted boss in their midst. Definately a hairy battle. After this mammoth battle, the remainder of Lord De Seis' wing, and the Infector's wing passed without incident.


Terror's End

Panting heavily after the last monster in the Chaos Sanctuary had been felled, Hardly_Able looked over at InspiredHope, her new armor and shield stained and dented from the evening's excursions. Both knew what lay ahead--three tough bosses and minions, and a showdown with the Lord of Terror.

"De Seis?", asked Hardly.

InspiredHope nodded.

Hardly laid out the strategy. InspiredHope would wait by the pentagram, opening up a portal. Hardly would put a portal by the seal, and pop through his portal after opening the seal. He would then inch up De Seis' wing and taunt (hopefully) one minion at a time, and the meleers would spring the trap. Here you see the perfect tactical execution.



Finally, Lord De Seis was left all alone, with four seasoned warriors bearing down on him. He cursed, he shot bone spirits and elemental bolts, and he ran away.



The group met him at the bottom of the wing, he fell up at the first bend when he was finally cornered.

Hardly prepared the group for the next encounter with the Infector of Souls, going over the tactics again. Hardly calmly repeated the speech, though inside he was more than a little nervous. It's one thing to open Lord De Seis' seal, where the pack does not spawn close and the minions are not supercharged. With the Infector's pack, Hardly knew that they would spawn close to the seal, and that taunting out one minion at a time would be tricky.

Nevertheless, Hardly popped the seal, stepped through his portal, and re-emerged at though InspiredHope's portal at the Pentagram. He tiptoed towards the seal....taunting every step. Within seconds, he was at a full spring back to the pentagram. The first three minions fell into the companions' trap. When Hardly moved in to taunt the fourth minion, there was a JAILBREAK.



That's three minions and the Infector. The battle raged, and Hardly was so pressed that he did not even manage a shot of the boss. InspiredHope came through, and here is the Infector in the middle of the pack.



The four veterans prevailed over the demons, and then made their way to dispose of the remainder of the Infector's minions.

Two seal bosses down, one to go. The Grand Vizier did not pose much of a threat for the four warriors, though InspiredHope said she was worried about Hardly during the battle--hoping to keep the fire enchanted explosion from Hardly.



Hardly laughed. First rule of being Hardly_Able--stay the heck away from the monsters. :P

Now, during the clearing of the Chaos Sanctuary, Hardly found an amber grand charm (27% lightning resistance). Fate seemed to be smiling on Hardly, as gave him positive lightning resistance (18%) to go with his positive fire resistance (11%).

Three seal bosses down, now time for the Big Guy. Hardly refreshed his warcries as InspiredHope stepped back through Hardly's portal after popping the final seal.

Not even death can save you from me!

Hardly started the battle at the lower right of the pentagram, managing to toss a few axes before Diablo let loose the hose. Lack of fast hit recovery kept Hardly from stepping out of the stream, and down he went.

Hardly quickly revived Haseen, and the two stepped back into the Sanctuary to rejoin the battle. Hardly had the space to recover his gear, and proceeded to chuck away from the lower left of the pentagram.



Here Diablo is unleashing one last river of fire before he meets his end.



Nothing of note dropped from Diablo other than an Isenheart's Case.

Hardly sold the remaining junk from the Sanctuary, and entered the red portal leading home.

Hardly and InspiredHope finished Act 4 at level 79 and 80, respectively. Each used only a few potions during the battle with the Lord of Terror, and Hardly's death-by-lighning-hose was the only death of the battle.

Hardly will see you after he returns to his homeland of Harrogath.

(to be continued)

[Bam-Bam]

Nothing like spamming my own thread, eh?

Since most of my posts have been about telling the story, I have mostly refrained from talking more about the experience has been, and thoughts on Hardly in general.

The journey from the upper kurast wp to the end of Act 4 took place over 4 nights of playing. The first night was the debacle in Upper Kurast and the desparate run to the Travincal wp. I was feeling pretty low when Haseen dropped about 1/4 of the way through Upper Kurast. It is a royal pain to play Hardly without his merc, and scrounging cash as this point, when repair bills for one set of weapons is about 13k, can be tedious. I was just too dang stubborn to give up the fight.

The emotions were running pretty high when I had actually managed to scrape enough cash together to bring back Haseen. I finished clearing the city solo, then resurrected the merc and prepared for Travincal. I knew I was in trouble when the apes charged, and I took almost half my life damage from one lightning from a then unseen Heirophant. When I saw no zealot minions, my heart sank again.

I ran and lept into the middle of the causeway temple area, and was down about two seconds later. For a moment I thought it was over (even though in SC is never truly is over, of course). I didn't think I had the stomach to solo to get cash again, and regain the experience from another save and exit.

Stubborn streak rises again, and I decided that leap attack is a Good Thing™. I was shaking by the time I got back to town. Reminded me of the first time I faced Diablo in classic single player, with a poorly designed bashing barbarian.

Needless to say, I was a happy camper to see Shadow online, and then have KoP join us for the Travincal-Meph-City run. That was all done in one night. I was ready to quit after meph, but those two nuts started heading out of the fortress when I had finished my junk running. The two traps at the entrance to the plains and city were HAIRY. I don't think any of us could have survived alone. I could take maybe one lightning shot from a soul before dropping (there were certainly more than one shooting at a time ). I don't think I moved in a straight line for more than a few steps on the plains! Running away is tactical maneuvering, right?

Sometimes I feel a bit guilty when I play co-op (even when the other characters are restricted) and relate my story. The power of teamwork is so strong that you wonder if you have the skills to go it alone. That's why I redid the ancients in NM, and soloed Baal. Same with Andarial, and different parts of A2 and A3. I felt a bit like I needed to prove something again after the trav-meph-city run, so I fired up and ran the river solo. The run from the city wp to the river wp, and the forge took about two hours. I felt a bit redeemed again...realizing that I can solo late in hell, for the most part.

When Shadow jumped online the next night, it was a perfect meeting. We drew a pretty tough run on the river, one that I would have had a very difficult (if not impossible) time with solo. We fared well on the river, and were a bit skittish on heading to the CS.

I can say that our run in the CS was one of (if not the) most enjoyable runs of co-op gaming I have experienced. Watching us take on that area, with some serious clusters, was almost unexplainable. I hope my story captured what the moment felt like. Sure, we were communicating by text, and had mapped out a strategy, but when you see a teammate lunge ahead to take out an OK, just when we both know the tide of battle has turned, or to see InspiredHope run past to grab a random monster trying to flank us, there is a connection and comraderie that I have not the talent to describe adequately.

Hardly has been one fun ride so far. The range of emotion has been huge--from the lows of the Catacombs of A1 Hell--to high of defeating Andarial after running around for over a half an hour--to the desparation run to the Travincal waypoint--and now to the tremendous satisfaction of near-flawless teamwork to clear the Chaos Sanctuary.

Lately, I think I have put as much work into the story as I have playing, which is sometimes half the fun. It is a labor of love. Thank you all for tuning in--but enough chatter, it's time to move on to Act 5.

(well, at least to play MORE of Act 5. Shadow and I had another good run last night. )

[ShadowHM]

I would like to second some of BamBam's comments and sentiments. I made InspiredHope with the fervent hope that she would be Hell-viable on her own and not just make Matriarch by being towed along by stronger players/characters. She is surprisingly viable indeed, although she is much slower in progress when playing solo. (Those 'tactical retreats' are a frequent thing. )

But the power of teamwork is a splendid thing. That journey through the Plains of Despair and the City of the Damned may well have been impossible without companions. InspiredHope had more than a few 'cursed, life ball empty and fleeing' moments in that game. Her first tour there had her playing naked for a good half hour while she guided Hal from fight to fight trying to get back to her body, with all-too-frequent 'town-portal the heck outta there and start again at the stairs' episodes.

The tour of the Chaos Sanctuary was the most enjoyable game I have had in some time. HardlyAble's ability to control the battle made such a difference. I know that BamBam has expressed his concerns about being sure that his character is strong enough alone. I have felt much the same and have harboured the fear that he is the one towing InspiredHope. :mad: I have not yet tried to enter that Chaos Sanctuary again, but I may well have to do so, just to allay that fear.

But if HardlyAble and/or GoGoGadgets are there, I would rather quest on. Those games are too much fun to miss.

[Bam-Bam]

"Whaddya want, kid?" was all Hardly could muster when the scrawny Barbarian youth asked how he was doing.

"Nothing, sir. I just wanted to know how you were feeling," replied the boy, barely keeping his voice even.

"How do I feel?! Take a look at me! How do YOU think I feel?"

Hardly stuggled from his bed, standing to his full height. He revealed his burned chest, frostbitten hands and legs, and scars that looked like whip marks up and down his back. The exertion of standing was bit much, and Hardly fell like a wet sack back into his bed. A soft groan escaped his lips.

"What are you doing up, Hardly?" shouted Malah from the bed of another warrior. "Do I need to strap you down?!"

"Like any strap would hold ME, leechmaiden?!! And besides, I was just answering the boy's question!"

Malah said no more. Although it would appear that Hardly won the argument, it is more likely that Malah kept quiet for Hardly's sake. She knew he had not the strength to cross words with her.

Hardly settled back down into his bed after his graceful re-entry. The fight in him seemed distant, and he whispered to the boy, "Satisfied your idle curiousity, boy, or do you wish to pester these broken bones some more?"

The boy had lost his nerve a bit, and only managed to squeak out, "No, sir. I meant no disrespect. I mean, no one other than Malah has said a word to you since you returned from the Worldstone Keep. I know she means well, and she's good healer," the boy continued, "but she is not a warrior. She cares little for what battles caused your hurt, or how you got here. Warriors do."

Hardly laughed, which sent him into a fit of coughing, but the laughter continued in between the coughs. Malah cocked an eye his way, but Hardly waved her off.

"Us warriors, eh? Boy, I haven't had cause to laugh since I dragged this sorry carcass back here. You fancy yourself a warrior, do you? Ho-ho! Ow!" Hardly groaned again.

After a pause, he continued, "Well, since you fancy yourself a warrior, and you have given me reason to laugh for the first time that I can remember, how about I spin a yarn or two for you?"

The boy nodded eagerly.

"Not that you'll get any more knowledge of what ails me presently, boy," Hardly continued, and shadow of pain crossed his brow, "for I am not yet ready to spin the tale of my Failure."

"Your failure? But you bested the Ancients!"

Fire raged in Hardly's eyes, and the healing halls suddenly grew dark.

"ENOUGH, BOY! Be satisfied that I have not embedded my broken axes in your skull for disturbing me! You know not what I have seen!"

As quickly as the storm came, it faded. Hardly's rage passed, but the boy cowered under the adjacent bed. Hardly slumped again in his bed.

"I am sorry, my child. The pain is too great for me to share just yet, and the evil still gnaws at my soul. Hope is a powerful force, but it is fragile. And when it is lost," Hardly's voice trailed to a whisper, "The blackness knows no bounds."

The boy hesitantly inched from his makeshift shelter, and returned to his bedside stool next to Hardly.

Hardly cleared his throat. "Now, let's put aside the dark a bit, and I'll spin a yarn of happier days. Let me tell you of my journey up the mountain. Maybe that will satisfy your curiosity, and keep the blackness at bay for the moment."

To Lift the Siege

"Harrogath was under siege. You remember?"

The boy nodded.

"I think it was a fortnight or two ago, but I have lost track of time in this blackness. I arrived from the gates of Hell, the Lord of Terror having fallen to my axes and InspiredHope's dagger. Despite being happy upon my return, it seemed the loss of the elders had this place shook up. Even warriors with whom I had shared battles long past seemed distant and distrustful. Larzuk had the gall to say that I needed to prove myself by lifting the siege."

A brief flicker of the earlier rage crossed Hardly's face.

"I nearly slew that anvil-pounder right there. But I felt the taint of Baal in the town, and in the Heart of Harrogath. Besides," Hardly grinned, "I needed Larzuk to repair my axes."

"Haseen and I had barely stepped out of the gates when a pack of foul crows swept in. Normally crows will vary their speed--sometimes charging, but most of the time just sauntering around aimlessly. This pack had death on its mind, because they never slowed down. Close by was another boss pack of crows, though this group was not a quick to charge as the first. Haseen barely survived that fight, but we finally planted the last of the crows in the ground, and secured our foothold in the Foothills."

Hardly continued, "Before we could even catch our breath, burning arrows whizzed past, and one managed to catch my shoulder on the way by. Yep, burning dead archers. Mind you, these walking bags of bones can spell deep trouble in dark, indoor places. They muster themselves in large groups, and if the lighting is bad, you can be flattened before you even see them."

The boy's eyes widened.

"But on the approaches to Mount Arreat," Hardly reassured the boy, "Their sting is much lessened. The bright sun makes them easy to see, and wide open spaces allows for the quick to dodge their firey sticks. And if you can see them first, then they are yours!"

Hardly cocked his head, giving the boy a knowing smirk. "And what martial training do you think made these skeleton-battles routine?", Hardly asked the boy.

"Your mastery of the throwing, of course," the youth exclaimed proudly.

"Not so fast," Hardly winked. "What you young folk are so quick to forget is that the killing skill is not the key. Getting these bags of bones to forget their bows and come walking your way like animated bone-targets--THAT is the key. A warrior must learn how to taunt the demons, undead, and animals--how to howl them away, and to stake up their entrails in a grim ward. Control of the battlefield is the key, my boy. Anyone can throw, swing, or stab. The true warrior makes the ranged attackers come to him, and while they walk on in, you cut them down in safety."

The lad slumped little on his stool.

"Don't fret, my boy. It was a hard lesson that even I had to learn as a lad--though mine was learned by spilled blood. Count yourself lucky, and may you not have to see your own blood on the ground as you re-learn this lesson."

Hardly continued, "Back to the battle. I won't repeat the taunts and insults I hurled at these walking boneyards. Maybe when you've grown a few more hairs on your face, but not now. Suffice to say that almost every burning archer was infuriated into a direct line attack on me, instead of shooting from relative safety. Haseen and I mowed 'em down. Only one problem, though. Some foes are able to control their anger--the bosses and champions. We soon scounted and determined that more archer bosses and champs were about, so Haseen and I played hit and run--looking for the optimal way to return their bones to the grave, while not becoming human pincushins. We encountered one set of champions, including a ghostly type. We managed to lure away the minions of an archer boss, too. That left us with a lightning enchanted, magic resistant, cursed boss."

Hardly paused, and the shadow of pain was clear in his eyes.

"I tell you, that Haseen. We had travelled together for so long. He and I knew exactly how to take on the lightning enchanted minions of Hell. It's all about placement, boy. Get yourself planted where the sparks don't fly, and you are home free. I've never met another who knew that like Haseen..." Hardly coughed and bowed his head, clearly unable to speak more of his longtime companion.

After a few minutes, Hardly continued, "Thank you for your patience, son. Some hurts are not yet healed." Hardly paused again.

After a moment, Hardly resumed his tale. "After the tough fight with the crows at the entrance, most of the climb up the foothills was slow, but not too eventful. Even that lightning enchanted chap was of little concern. Our next challenge was Doc Farren. He's a cold enchanted, extra strong, extra fast demon gremlin. Now, you can see I'm not much for overgarments. The cold of the mountains, I can take. But the Hellspawned cold enchantment is something I cannot abide. When hit with it--I can barely lift my arms to throw my axes, and time stands still. I am always wary of the cold enchanted crowds because of this. So, knowing that Doc Farren was cold enchanted, our approach was cautious. Haseen maneuvered so that we could isolate Doc, and we managed to take him down with little trouble. Unfortunately, we left three of his minions unattended, and upon Doc's death, they came charging!"

The boy inched forward to the edge of the stool.

"Haseen and I were separated, and two of the gremlins got a bead on me. I was chilled, and unable to quickly establish a position, or whittle away at their health with timely throws. Next thing I knew, I was back here in town, and Malah was pouring a thawing potion down my throat. They must have left me for dead, as I was chilled to the bone."

Hardly continued, "Renewed by Malah's potion, I rejoined Haseen, and we raced up the foothills to dispatch the last of Farren's minions. We approached again with caution, and managed to divide the remaining minions and send them to their graves."

Hardly paused a moment to sip from a heavy mug placed by his bed. "Too bad this is naught but broth, lad. A tale of battle deserves a more satisfying brew. Though I doubt our leechmaiden would approve--Bah!"

"After Haseen and I finished with Doc's crew, the remainder of the journey passed quickly, or at least quickly by my standards. We could hear in the background Shenk barking orders to his troups, as he guided the siege from the summit of the foothills. Having faced overseers before, I knew the trick would be to get the Minions of Baal away from Shenk, so he could not incite them to a frenzy. Again, I hurled insult after insult their way, and one by one, they wandered right into our trap. Soon Shenk's ranks were reduced to a handful, and we moved in to challenge Baal's Siege Captain, who wore an aura of holy freeze to complement his extra strong, extra fast features. Shenk was outmatched, as Haseen charged in, while I deftly avoided the effects of the aura. Soon the foothills were filled with explosions, fireballs, iceballs, and lightning blasts...no doubt resulting from Baal's rage at the fall of his Captain."



"Haseen and I returned victorious via the Frigid Highlands waypoint." Hardly chuckled a bit, which sent him into a coughing fit. When he regained his breath, a mischevious spark was in his eyes, before they closed, and Hardly began to drift back into sleep. "Larzuk's tone was a bit more respectful upon our return," Hardly whispered before he lay silent.

The young barbarian softly stood from his stool, and gingerly walked away from the bed. Malah stopped him before he could exit the healing house. "That's the first time I have heard him laugh since his return from the Worldstone Keep," she confided. "Be careful, lad," She continued, "The evil that befouled him runs deep. Let him rest for a while, and return the morning after next to his side. Tales of battles fought and won may be just the remedy that has eluded me these many weeks."

The young lad nodded, and hurried off, wondering how he could wait almost two days to hear more from this grizzled veteran.

[Bam-Bam]

The embers from Larzuk's forge illuminated the young barbarian's face. "So is it true that you told Hardly to prove himself by breaking the Siege of Harrgath?"

Larzuk hung his head. "Aye, lad. Not one of my finest moments, I admit. The shadow of Baal lay heavy over all of us when Hardly returned to Harrogath. In hindsight, knowing what Hardly had just faced in Hell, I am surprised I stand here talking to you today."

The youth thought on this, then took his leave of Larzuk and his forge. He meandered toward Malah's healing houses, dispite Malah's warning to wait another night before talking with the wounded Hardly. Something in him knew that it was time to visit--something more than the idle curiosity that Hardly had chided him for at their first meeting.

Peeking into the healing houses, the lad noticed that Malah was occupied with another of her charges. He quickly snuck next to Hardly, pulling up his stool. The stool creaked almost imperceptibly under the boy's weight.

Hardly stirred, and slowly opened an eye. "Ah, hullo, lad. Come to hear more rants from a broken old warrior?"

"Well, Malah said to leave you in peace for another evening, but something told me I should not wait for the morn," the boy replied.

Hardly's features darkened. "There's no peace for me, boy. No peace for a fallen warrior. So don't fret about disturbing my peace."

The boy began, "But how can you call yourself fallen.."

"Not yet, lad," Hardly quickly interrupted, the shadow growing deeper over his eyes. "Leave my shame be for now. Let us continue my journey to Mount Arreat."

The young barbarian nodded, and did not press for more of Hardly's Fall. "Larzuk told me of your first meeting, and his shame of asking you to prove yourself."

"Checking up on me, eh?" The fire in Hardly's eyes grew, but there was no malice present.

"No sir," the boy said boldly. "I was just trying to understand why Larzuk would have challenged you thus. He spoke of the Shadow of the siege..."

"The young are lucky, son," Hardly's gaze softened. "The last of the Three seems to regard you not, which is likely why you did not feel the power of Baal's siege on this town. I could sense it the moment I arrived from the Pandamonium Fortress. Losing the elders, who had ruled and guided Harrogath for so long...I can understand how the shadow could take hold."

"After the siege was lifted, Harrogath returned more to normal. My friends and former companions seemed more like themselves again, though there was still dread in their hearts. After a short visit with our leechmaiden here," Hardly waved in the direction of Malah, who still remained oblivious to Hardly's visitor, "I was approached by Qual-Kehk. Reports from warriors returning from the battle for the foothills indicated that many warriors had been captured. Qual-Kehk asked me to find and rescue his missing warriors. He said twenty-five warriors were unaccounted for, but that he guessed no more than a third were likely to be alive."

Hardly continued, "Before Haseen and I ventured forth, I visited Larzuk. The old anvil-thumper was still in a cheery mood, and asked about whether or not I had decided what item I wanted him to socket. I held up my axes, but he shook his head. 'Alas,' said he,'but I am unable to punch a hole in a stack of weapons.' I feigned rage, but old Larzuk has a bit o' wisdom for a steelhead. He saw right through my charade, and we shared a laugh while he fixed up my stacks of axes for the battle ahead. He wished me well, and muttered a quick prayer to aid my quest to bring back Qual-Kehk's warriors."

Rescue in the Highlands

"One thing you have to remember, lad," Hardly instructed the young barbarian, "is to know your enemy. Now, I had talked with Qual-Kehk's returning scouts. They spoke of several of Baal's captains being present in the Highlands. First, they warned of an extra fast enslaved, Eldrich the Rectifier, whose camp was just beyond the Highlands waypoint. They also spoke of two other of Baal's Captains--Sharptooth Slayer and Eyeback the Unleashed. None of the scouts could pinpoint Sharptooth's location, but all thought the extra fast Overlord was guarding some of the imprisoned warriors. One bold scout, returning with a few arrows stuck in his cloak, said that he had seen Eyeback up at the approach to the Arreat Plateau. He also said that the Highlands were crawling with corrupted rogues, urdars, and death maulers."

Hardly continued, "Haseen and I stepped off the Highlands waypoint. We cautiously approached the area where Eldrich had been spotted, and I was spewing forth my normal bevy of insults toward yet-unseen monsters. First one, then two, and finally a half dozen of Eldrich's minions came bounding at us. Haseen was quickly surrounded, but managed to hold his own, while I pumped axes into the mob. Surprisingly, they were down within a half a minute. When I spotted Eldrich, I knew luck was with us in this encounter, as he was only enchanted with spectral hit and mana burn to go with his normal speediness."

Hardly sipped from his mug, and sat up some more in his bed. "The good luck did not hold, as the next boss encounter was with a multi-shot corrupted rogue archer. Mind you, corrupted rogues found here around Mount Arreat seem much deadlier than their kin in the Western Kingdoms. Their footspeed is increased, and this pack was also extra fast, and carried the blessed aim aura. Haseen and I had to dodge many an arrow, as we worked to separate the pack, an finally concentrate on Seethe Burn herself. The battle served as a wake-up call to the both of us."

"We were fortunate that the next boss was no archer, as it carried the dreaded cold enchantment, along with extra strength and multiple shots. Thankfully, it was only a death mauler. Haseen surprisingly easily held his own with the corrupted beast, and it fell quickly. I had to take care to place myself outside of its dying frost nova," Hardly shivered involuntarily. "I've been caught in too many of those frost novas to count, my lad, and I think weeks or months are taken off my life every time I feel that chill."

Hardly's features darkened, and he slumped back down into the bed, "And other chills have taken much more..." Hardly's voice trailed off. He remained motionless for several minutes.

Just when the boy thought Hardly would not resume his story, the grizzled barbarian lifted his head, and continued his tale. "Forgive me. The thought of the evil cold enchantements weighs heavy in my heart. But we must continue, for the next battle is one worthy of song."

Hardly's demeanor continued to improve, and he again sat up a bit. "The next group of monsters were a pack of urdars. Every time I see those big brutes, I immediately plan a path for a safe retreat. Haseen just gets clobbered by those guys, and can go down faster than I can scream warcries to help control the battle. They're not quite as bad as thorned hulks, since they do not use frenzy, but they certainly pack a wallop. This particular pack had a very viscious leader, who was immune to our phyisical attacks. I quickly raised a portal back to town, so that I could retreive my elemental weapons. I placed my main winged axes in my chest, and armed myself with the combination of arcing weapons, with Charsi's gem of a flying axe in backup.

Hardly's expression turned to pure joy as he described the axe. "I remember when she imbued that beauty. It doesn't have the best of physical damage, but her hammer was blessed that day, because that axe spawned with increased speed and the magic to prevent monsters from healing during battle, as well as the ability to knock them back."

Hardly continued, "Haseen and I returned to the Highlands, and I immediately sent a volley of flying axes toward our beefy friend. I think I praised Charsi a thousound times after this battle, because without the magic to prevent the urdar from healing, we would have been at a loss, since he was resistant to the magic attacks from my elemental weapons. My shoulders ached from the continuous stream of knives and axes I lobbed at the brute, but finally he crumbled. I think I had to return to Larzuk no less than five times to repair my arcing weapons," Hardly laughed.

Hardly took another sip from his large mug, with only a mild look of disappointment.

"You remember what I said about knowing your enemy, boy?"

The young barbarian nodded.

"Well, I wish Qual-Kehk's scouts had collected a bit more information about the bosses to be found in the highlands. One would think that the three Captains Baal sent to the Highlands would have been the biggest challenge for us. That was not the case, as before we reached the second of Baal's Captains, Sharptooth Slayer, we ran into two packs of monsters that still make my skin crawl." Hardly shuddered, and sipped again from his large pewter mug.

He continued, "The first boss was enchanted like Haseen, with the aura of might, and we were lucky it was a death mauler, because its other enchantments were multiple shot and spectral hit. The second pack was lead by an extra strong, extra fast corrupted rogue archer. Those arrows HURT! It was surprising how well the battles went, but Haseen and I had been through much together by that point, and our divide and conquer tactics allowed us to prevail, without too many injuries. We drank, no doubt, but our belts never emptied."

"Sharptooth Slayer guarded a pen of prisoners, and while he posed little threat, he was surrounded by three sets of archers, and the paths around the makeshift prison he guarded were narrow, with lots of dead-ends. Luring away the rogues was a chore, and Haseen and I both reached to the belt for potions more than once as stray arrows found their mark. We were ultimately successful, and the first five prisoners thanked us as they took an offered portal back to the freedom of Harrogath. None of the two remaining prisons we located were nearly as well guarded, and we freed ten more of Qual-Kehk's lads before we approached the Plateau, and a meeting with the guardian of the plateau, Eyeback the Unleashed. Qual-Kehk was overjoyed (well at least for Qual-Kehk) at the return of more than half of his lost warriors, and rewarded us with runes of Ral, Ort, and Tal."

"The last of Baal's Captains in the Highlands was by far the strongest. Eyeback and his lads were fast, strong, and enchanted by an evil chill, which is enough to make any fight dangerous. But Eyeback himself also was cursed, so any hit from his strong gang would hurt twice as much. We were fortunate in his location, because half of his minions were cut off from the engagement by the narrow path leading to the Arreat Plateau, so our normal tactics to isolate the boss were half complete before the fight began. With that head start, we were able to dispatch the minions and Eyeback, then repeat with the remaining minions. The pass to the Plateau was ours."

Just then Hardly noticed Malah standing on the opposite side of the bed from the young barbarian. Her expression was stern, and her displeasure at the boy's early coming was know without a word escaping her lips. Hardly scowled her way, locking eyes. Surprisingly, it was Malah who turned away first. Though a day ago she let Hardly "win" their verbal joust, there was a power in his stare that she could not match. She did not know whether it was a return of his will, or a glimpse into the shadow that darkened his heart. She shivered as she left the pair, and it was not until several hours had passed that she felt warm again.

[Bam-Bam]

Malah walked away, chilled to the bone from something she had seen in Hardly's eyes. Hardly continued to stare at her for a moment, then slowly closed his eyes. He slumped back into the bed. Malah may have turned away first, but whatever passed between them as they locked eyes had affected Hardly as well. The awkward silence continued for a few moments, and the young barbarian sitting at Hardly's bedside shifted his weight slightly, unable to continue his stoic vigil. The stool protested almost imperceptably, and Hardly popped open an eye.

"Leaving so soon, lad?

"No, I..."

Hardly opened his other eye, and raised an eyebrow. "Can't sit still, eh? Though I am impressed, boy. You made it, what, two? Three minutes?" Hardly's face was stern for a moment, but soon his mirth escaped and he laughed heartily. "I'm sorry, lad. I shouldn't make fun of you, but your reaction left you wide open for a little ribbing."

"Ah," Hardly changed the subject. "Where were we before our hostess interrupted?"

"You had just told me how you secured the approach to the Arreat Plateau," the young barbarian answered.

Hardly closed his eyes, thinking for a moment.

"Siege beasts," he muttered.

"Siege beasts?" The boy questioned.

"Aye. The Plateau was crawling with them, and those teleport-happy fire-shooting gremlins that like to ride their backs," Hardly muttered. "Those little buggers are one creature that just make me want jump in and start bashing, chopping, and stomping. They are generally more infuriating than dangerous,though. But if they carry the evil chill..." Hardly's voice trailed off.

"In any case, I am getting ahead of myself a bit," Hardly continued. "You see, after I had secured the passage to the plateau, and enjoyed the hospitality of Harrogath's returned warriors, I bumped into our leechmaiden here as I returned to my quarters. Though she could immediately tell that I had knocked back a pint or two, and was still humming a tune from the pub, her demeaner was deadly serious. Come to think of it," Hardly paused for a moment. "That's not quite a telling description, since I cannot recall her ever NOT being deadly serious. Hrm. Well, suffice to say that she was Gravely Deadly serious, if you get my drift."

" 'Hardly,' she began, 'Anya, a young alchemist and daughter to one of our slain elders, has disappeared. She is a strong crafty woman with a spirit like no others, except for maybe your own. One night just before your arrival I
saw her and Nihlathak arguing about something. The next morning she was gone.' "

"Malah continued, 'Nihlathak has his own stories as to where she went, but I fear he is hiding something, something Anya knows about.'

'Find Anya and bring her back to Harrogath. If something is wrong with Nihlathak, she'll know what to do.'

Something about her tone, and Nihlathak's demeanor since I returned to Harrogath, made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I could sense that there was something very much more troubling than the disappearance of a young alchemist," Hardly concluded.

Law and Order: Sanctuary Victims Unit

In the criminal justice system...

Hardly continued, "Haseen and I returned to the Arreat Plateau, and were quickly greeted by one of the local siege beasts. His welcome was cold, and one of gremlins immediately jumped aboard and tried to light us like human torches. After a bit of running about, Haseen managed to trap the beast behind a tree, and I finally chopped him down from a safe distance with my axes."

Bamp, bamp

"Before we began investigating further, my partner, InspiredHope, showed up. Best not to conduct an investigation into a youth's disappearance solo," Hardly explained. "Got to go by the book, you know. InspiredHope and I began our journey up the Plateau together, and straitaway ran into a mob of fanaticism-enchanted gremlins. These boys were definately on something, and to top it off, their leader was lightning enchanted. InspiredHope led the way, and we managed to secure the area without any significant retreats."

Bamp, bamp

"The remainder of the Plateau was not much to remember, save for a trio of slayer bosses--one extra strong, extra fast, and two others stone skinned and fire enchanted. InspiredHope, Haseen, and Hal managed to hold the mobs at bay, while I chucked away from safetly. These battles were also fairly safe," Hardly opined. "Piece of cake."

The lad stared quizzically at Hardly, not believing a word of what he had just heard.

"Not buying it, huh?" Hardly asked.

The youth just sat there.

"Ok, well it was a pain in the tuchas. Those gremlins were all over the place, and kept teleporting everywhere, ok.

But I stand by my view. Just because it was a pain in the tuchas doesn't make it worthy of a ballad, ok?"

The boy seemed satisfied.

"Finally, we arrived at the doorstep to the Crystalline Passage, with only one beast guarding the entrance," Hardly continued. "Thesh Socket. Extra strong, and cursed. We had made sure to clear the area of any gremlins, so InspiredHope could approach without fear of the flamethrower, and only had to be concerned with extra strong smacks while cursed. No problem." Hardly flashed a wry grin at the boy, which elicited a knowing smile.

Bamp, bamp

Hardly drank a sip from his large pewter mug, and continued, "Into the Passage we dove, and immediately we felt a deep chill." Hardly shivered. "This cold was more than the chill of the mountains--it felt as though there was some malice behind the cold. The passage did not feel cold like I remember the mountain of my youth. It was," Hardly struggled for a moment, "Unhealthy. Yes, that's the best word I can think of for the feeling. Not truely evil as the cold enchantment, but more of like the heart of the mountain was being corrupted. InspiredHope and I looked at each other, knowing that we were in for a difficult passage. Our two companions shifted nervously on their feet, looking about for the source of the cancerous chill. They didn't get to stand around very long, as several claw vipers jumped us, sending bone spears flying and charging."

Hardly continued, "After dispatching the welcoming committee of snakes, InspiredHope shook off the chill, and began easing down the ice-covered passages. Right around the first bend in the passageway, we were assaulted by a speedy pack of cold-enchanted succubi. These foul demons began launching their blood stars at us, lowering our defenses with their curses, and sounding evil cries to bring more monsters to the fray. A group of infidels joined the battle, and things could have gone south quickly. I taunted the succubi minions, which allowed Hal, Hasseen and InspiredHope to engage them point-blank, where the demons could not launch their dangerous blood stars. By the time the full pack of infidels had arrived on scene, only the succubus boss remained, and she and the infidels were dispatched quickly."

Bamp, bamp

Hardly paused for a moment, sipping more of the not-quite-satisfying liquid from his mug. He seemed to lose track of time, until the barbarian lad at his side gently cleared his throat.

"Huh? Ah yes, sorry, my boy. I can get distracted, and when the distraction is a memory of shared battles with InspiredHope--well those are memories worth a brief pause. Sitting alone here until you stopped by this week, I had lost that feeling of companionship and trust we all had during our journey up the mountain." Hardly paused again, though this time a shadow crossed his face, ever so briefly.

"About 100 yards further down the passage, we discovered the doorway to the glacial trail. That was not our destination, so we turned around and started heading down a passage to the north that we had avoided upon seeing the glacial trail doorway. Not but five yards down the passage a mob of fire-enchanted, cold-enchanted claw vipers charged. Their leader, brought an even greater chill to the air, as his wore an evil freezing aura. I stayed well back, avoiding the chill, so that I could support my blue-skinned companions. I had to dodge the bone spears of the vipers, while concentrating my throws on the boss--hoping to ease the cold by knocking out his aura. InspiredHope was attempting to do the same with her dagger, albeit slowed by the dual chill of the mob's cold enchantment and the leader's aura. After a minute, we dropped the boss, and the remainder of the mob fell in short order, having been deprived of their leader's driving force."

Hardly paused, sitting up in his bed a bit more. "We pressed on, even though Hal, Haseen, and InspiredHope were chilled to the bone from the battle with the the vipers. I warned InspiredHope that delay would only make the chill worse, and that more battles would surely shake off much of the chill. We continued to dispatch odd packs of succubi, infidels, and snakes. We were about halfway down another east-west passageway, when out steps a might-enchanted, extra strong infidel boss and his lackies. Those boys packed a punch--Haseen and Hal were pushed back again and again, while InspiredHope and I tried to take out the boss to remove the might aura. We did, and then the barbarian and desert warrior returned to the offensive to finish off the minions. A few battles later, we has secured the Crystalline Passageway waypoint, and cleared the entrance to the Frozen River."

Bamp, bamp

Hardly continued, "After a brief return to Harrogath to rest, repair weapons, and fill up on potions, InspiredHope and I stood at the entrance of the Frozen River. Our two compansions looked at each other with concern written all over their faces. We knew that the Frozen River could be home to colonies of gloams. All of us remembered the last time we had encountered the lightning-shooting undead--our disasterous journey through the Plains of Despair in Hell. To ease the tension, I asked, 'Have we all got our dancing shoes on?' We all shared a laugh, and our dread receded. InspiredHope and I plunged through the Frozen River entrance. We were not met with endless streams of lightning--instead we were pelted on all sides by the blood stars of witches. I taunted as many as I could, hoping to draw their fire away from my companions. Unfortunately, there were so many witches that I had to play run and gun, as my companions were too busy fighting other witches to dispach the ones flying my way, enraged by my verbal assault. We cleared the entrance, and dispatched a witch boss in the southwest corner of the river, before heading off in search of Anya. It was a brutal trip, with a steady diet of witches, frozen horrors, and reanimated undead.

For the most part, we were able to keep the numbers reasonably even, though sometimes that required selective advancing to the rear." Hardly winked at his bedside companion.

Finally, up ahead we spotted a pack of abominables, cold enhanted. Their leader was Frozenstein, and he appeared to be guarding something. Before we could determine what it was, InspiredHope and our two warrior companions were surrounded by walking carpets that kept repeating, 'What a cute little bunny rabbit. I will call him George, and I will love him and hug him and squeeze him and pet him....'" Hardly shuddered. "Since none of us were interested in becoming pet rabbits for this bunch, it was easy to lay into the pack and take them out. I took care to remain well away from Frozenstein, to avoid his death nova. Soon the frozen bridge to whatever the abominables were guarding was clear, and we crossed, trying to make out what was standing frozen in the middle of the small island."

"It was Anya, and she was frozen in place. All she managed to say through her chattering teeth was, 'Nihlathak did this too me.' Figuring Malah could figure out what to do, we returned to Harrogath, and sought out our cheery healer."

"Yes," Malah interrupted, startling the two barbarians. "Hardly returned, telling me of Anya's fate. I immediately crafted a potion to free her from her icy prison, and sent Hardly back to the river."

Hardly continued, "Malah's concoction did the trick, and Anya's icy bonds vaporized. She slowly moved, and took the portal back to Harrogath. InspiredHope, I, and our two companions quickly followed. Malah thanked us, and gave us each a note, which we thought was merely a 'thank you'. We were mistaken, as when we read the scrolls, they disappeared, and we could feel that our resistance to the elements had gotten stronger."

"That's correct," interjected Malah. "I am not exactly one who makes a scroll just to follow etiquette, ok? Those scrolls were exactly what you thought--additional proof against elemental attacks, including poison."

"After reading the scrolls from Malah, we stopped by Anya's home to check on her recovery. She thanked us again for rescuing her, and then told us the tale of how she became imprisoned."

"'Nihlathak plans to make a deal with Baal to protect this town,' she sain. 'He is giving Baal the relic of the Ancients, our most holy token. It allows anyone to walk unfettered into the mountain. I tried to stop him but he
imprisoned me among the hordes.'

Anya continued, 'Nihlathak must be stopped before he dooms us all. His delirium is no excuse for his actions. As much as I would love to strangle the life out of him myself, my imprisonment has left me too weak. You must kill him. Stop him from destroying everything we have fought for aeons to protect.'"

"So, my young friend, we had solved the mystery of Anya's disappearance, and had freed her from her prison, but we still had the culprit to apprehend."

Bamp, bamp