T
The faith restored
During most of the winter and early spring, Oscar had been gone. Noone could be certain as to where to, except for the few who had witnessed one of the many attacks on him and his friends by a mighty bugbear blackguard. The blackguard had even tracked Oscar back to his hometown of Jiyyd, and one day attacked him right outside the town gates, with the help of a succubus. Oscar was lucky to have Holgar, Miss Cotton and Kaona with him, and the fight came to a draw when both sides retreated from the battle, heavily wounded.
At that point Oscar realized nonone would be safe around him, so he went away, north, deep into the region of the spires. The footprints of his heavy boots in the snow would make it easy for the blackguard to follow him, but he didnâ€t mind. Instead, he kept mumbling prayers to the Silverbeard, to grant him strength for this final battle.
And so it came ontop of a mountains peak, that the two warriors faced off in a gruesome battle. The sound of the heavy steel of their axes clashing shattered through the mountains, but noone was able to deliver the decisive blow. Thunder struck around them, and it was as if the gods were fighting among themselves.
In a sudden turn of luck, Oscar used the hilt of Amn, his magical axe, to push the bugbear over the edge of the mountains side. Expressing a loud howl of surprise mixed with anger, the huge bugbear tumbled down the side of the mountain.
On his way back south, Oscar would make sure to walk in a circle every now and again, to make sure the bugbear wasnâ€t following anymore, trying to read the tracks on the soft ground.
After a few weeks, he was certain that the bugbear was dead.
Upon arrival in Norwick, and many a celebration, Oscar still was in doubt. So he set out south, to the bugbear camp, to see if he had finally gotten rid of the evil pursuer. And it was as he had feared – he was greated by bugbear shaman and clerics, clad in animal skin, dancing around the fire, as well as elite archers. Luckily, he met Uthger, a friend of the Council of Moradin, as well as Deacon the pirate and Jeff the whiner, in the woods. Together, they dispatched the furrballs, and suddenly, there he was. He seemed to have grown even stronger, with red-lit eyes and a massive greataxe glowing like lava, he towered above Oscar: the blackguard.
“Dwurf, ye killed me muther an†father, even me bruther! You makes me angry!†he cried.
Oscar offerend him a warriors gift, a masterfully crafted iron sword, to make up for the loss, but the bugbear wanted something different. “You will replace me bruther an†be me bloodbruther. We makes a pact.†Then the mighty bugbear spoke a word and a sudden light appeared. Oscar stepped in and immediately vanished.
The moment he awoke he knew he should not have trusted this evil menace. This new place was hostile, hot and dead. What plane he had been brought to, he did not know, but it sure seemed like the bugbear had taken him straight to one of the nine hells of Baathor.
And there was it, where the bugbear showed its real, twisted face.
Oscar talks to the twisted render
The render would make him believe his gods had left him, and that all hope was forsaken.
The Council a shambles, his friends slain. Then, Oscars deity appeared, Clangeddin Silverbeard himself. He accused Oscar of having lost his faith, and fallen from the righteous path. Thus, he took away his clerical powers and denied him for ever a seat at Moradins table.
Oscar talks to Clangeddin
Right when all seemed lost, Amn, Oscars holy axe, began to glow in a cold blue light.
Raising it in the air, way above his head, he called upon his domain powers and charged the twisted beast. If he would go down, it would not be without a fight.
Oscar charges the Render
A gruesome battle it was, as the Render kept regenerating, healing the slashes from Oscars axe almost quicker than he could dish them out. Pulling together all his strength, the brave dwarf struck the Render in the side of its body, causing his axe to slide right across its waist.
With a gurgling sound, the Render dropped to the ground.
A flashing light appeared for a brief moment, and Oscar threw himself into it.
Minutes later he awoke in complete darkness. His darkvision let him pierce the night, and the place had a somewhat familiar smell. But more important was what he heard… a whispering voice darted through his mind…offering consolation, and reassuring him of his faith.
“The evil will never prevailâ€, he vowed, “an†we will pursue da search fer da lost stronghold. Da faith shall be restoredâ€.
Oscar hears the voice of a simple dwarf