Telfenham's experienced eyes knew as soon as they landed on the deep crater in the ground that they had found the way to Maladomini. It would require skill to make it to the bottom without flight. At times, the going was so treacherous that they had to lean against the wall, their toes hanging over what little portion of ledge there was.
At last, they reached the portal and peered through. The deepest chasm in all Malbolge deposited them at the highest part of Maladomini - an incredibly tall and straight spire in the city of Malagard. Far below, demons worked inexhorably to create the straightest and most perfect city for their Lord, Baalzebul. As far as the horizon reached, were the ruins of cities past - all built then abandoned for their lack of perfection.
Here the trio could fly undetected and the space between the demon spawn and Velentham seemed to clear his mind by a fraction. Telfenham breathed an inward sigh of relief - he could focus a little more on the task at hand. Mythology had informed him that one of the abandoned cities held a sewer system so flawlessly designed that it was the envy of every sewer system in the planar realms - save one part that dipped too far down. That single part was what they needed to reach the Plane of Cania, the eighth level of hell.
The small but impecably built city was far from abandoned and only fortune kept the band from being discovered by passing fiends. The sewer system literally crawled with blobs, algae demons, weresnakes and rats. Telfenham knew deep in his soul that Velentham was reaching the breaking point, but there was nothing that could be done. They could not turn back, they could not stop. There was nothing he could do but guide and hope that fortune kept her vigilant eye upon them.
Deeper Hell
I can't think. I can't think straight. This thing isn't helping me, it isn't helping me. I can't keep climbing. I can't see, I can't see anything but shapes - they're coming - I have to kill them all. I have to kill them all. I have to-
Velentham clamored along the ledges of the plane of Malbolge. It was only due to the quick thinking of his father that he missed being driven over by rock slides. They couldn't fly in the whirling eddies that whipped around the sides. He was slowly growing more mad and he knew it.
The trek had taken them full on two months already with very little rest. While his father stayed relatively sane, the Nine Hells was the one thing that threatened to break Velentham's sanity. At times, Gilean would enter into his mind, calming him - other times, nothing but the dark shapes of evil would enter into his glowing field of vision.
Mournful cries would periodically fill the air, echoing off of the mass of steep slopes - all coming from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. They only stopped to rest for Gilean, who having a part human body required regenerative sleep. As the priest slept, his father soothed him, but each day brought new struggles.
Velentham clamored along the ledges of the plane of Malbolge. It was only due to the quick thinking of his father that he missed being driven over by rock slides. They couldn't fly in the whirling eddies that whipped around the sides. He was slowly growing more mad and he knew it.
The trek had taken them full on two months already with very little rest. While his father stayed relatively sane, the Nine Hells was the one thing that threatened to break Velentham's sanity. At times, Gilean would enter into his mind, calming him - other times, nothing but the dark shapes of evil would enter into his glowing field of vision.
Mournful cries would periodically fill the air, echoing off of the mass of steep slopes - all coming from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. They only stopped to rest for Gilean, who having a part human body required regenerative sleep. As the priest slept, his father soothed him, but each day brought new struggles.
Hell
It wasn't until Telfenham led the group to the plane of Stygia that he noticed just how much Velentham was suffering. His son stumbled in the ice and cold that swirled about the plane endlessly, snow sticking to his face as his eyes looked out with an ever present glow. He knew there, on the fifth plane, that his son would not make it farther without incident. It was all the more painful knowing that within the center of the plane, frozen but omniscient was Levistus.
Levistus, the demon lord of the fifth level, knew immediately that there were intruders to his plane. He knew immediately what they were, and his ire rose like a black snake coiling about his frozen heart. His mind raced with no trouble to the mind of three of his Bladereavers. "Kill them all."
Velentham stumbled, his foot sinking through a drift of snow and to his knees. "Son, we must continue." With a word, Telfenham lifted the trio into the air. Still, Velentham's head seemed to droop with exhaustion, causing his father to sigh inwardly. This would not bode well.
"Telfenham!" Gilean shouted.
The elder Celestial looked up in time to see the dark shape of three beings cutting through the ice like black flames.
They neared the light dwellers with their rapiers drawn, one in each hand. Nothing was seen of their faces, as their cloaks rippled behind them. In flight, they were slowed by nothing. They did not feel the cold that bit hard. They did not feel the sting of icy air on their faces. They only heardthe constant hum of the direct connection with their Lord, Levistus. They closed the gap with astonishing speed. They needed no special spells to see their quarry. They were guided by the all knowing mind of their Lord and knew exactly where to strike.
Telfenham pulled out his thin blades. "Ready yourselves!" he called out in a booming voice. As though driven, Velentham pulled out his swords. The slumping of his body vanished, and he stood strong and straight. The first Bladereaver was cut in two easily with a swing from Velentham, and the second found his end on the tip of Telfenham's blade. The elder Celestial turned to see Gilean upon the ground, the last Bladereaver standing over him with his rapiers held aloft. His eyes went wide in horror.
Levistus snarled in rage. The Bladereavers were nothing for these light dwellers, and indeed, when the crazed Celestial drove through the back of the last one, he cursed the fact he was frozen in ice. Immediately, he called for every Bladereaver in the plane. This would end. Now.
"We have to go! Now!!" Telfenham grabbed Velentham by one arm and lifted Gilean with the other. His sight told him they were in deep trouble, as a dark ring of Bladereavers formed all around them. The distance would be closed in a matter of moments. He fled as hard as he could, racing for the apeture in the ground that would open to the rocky slopes of Malbolge below. They made it with seconds to spare, Telfenham's eyes burning with frozen tears. The scream of the Bladereavers into their minds scattered Telfenham, but drove Velentham near to madness.
Levistus, the demon lord of the fifth level, knew immediately that there were intruders to his plane. He knew immediately what they were, and his ire rose like a black snake coiling about his frozen heart. His mind raced with no trouble to the mind of three of his Bladereavers. "Kill them all."
Velentham stumbled, his foot sinking through a drift of snow and to his knees. "Son, we must continue." With a word, Telfenham lifted the trio into the air. Still, Velentham's head seemed to droop with exhaustion, causing his father to sigh inwardly. This would not bode well.
"Telfenham!" Gilean shouted.
The elder Celestial looked up in time to see the dark shape of three beings cutting through the ice like black flames.
They neared the light dwellers with their rapiers drawn, one in each hand. Nothing was seen of their faces, as their cloaks rippled behind them. In flight, they were slowed by nothing. They did not feel the cold that bit hard. They did not feel the sting of icy air on their faces. They only heardthe constant hum of the direct connection with their Lord, Levistus. They closed the gap with astonishing speed. They needed no special spells to see their quarry. They were guided by the all knowing mind of their Lord and knew exactly where to strike.
Telfenham pulled out his thin blades. "Ready yourselves!" he called out in a booming voice. As though driven, Velentham pulled out his swords. The slumping of his body vanished, and he stood strong and straight. The first Bladereaver was cut in two easily with a swing from Velentham, and the second found his end on the tip of Telfenham's blade. The elder Celestial turned to see Gilean upon the ground, the last Bladereaver standing over him with his rapiers held aloft. His eyes went wide in horror.
Levistus snarled in rage. The Bladereavers were nothing for these light dwellers, and indeed, when the crazed Celestial drove through the back of the last one, he cursed the fact he was frozen in ice. Immediately, he called for every Bladereaver in the plane. This would end. Now.
"We have to go! Now!!" Telfenham grabbed Velentham by one arm and lifted Gilean with the other. His sight told him they were in deep trouble, as a dark ring of Bladereavers formed all around them. The distance would be closed in a matter of moments. He fled as hard as he could, racing for the apeture in the ground that would open to the rocky slopes of Malbolge below. They made it with seconds to spare, Telfenham's eyes burning with frozen tears. The scream of the Bladereavers into their minds scattered Telfenham, but drove Velentham near to madness.
Hell
Velentham had been on the planes of Avernus before. Though demons weren't commonly found in large numbers, he had slain them all the same. He knew, however, not to cross down into the lower levels on his own. He knew he simply couldn't survive the blinding fury that would boil his blood and send him into a frenzy. At least with the amulet, he felt more at ease, he felt his mind was still his own.
The trio made it to the mile-high pillar of skulls without incident. It was slipping down the spire of Dis Citadel into the city of Dis itself that threatened to send Velentham into a rage. His father's invisibility kept the denizens from detecting them, but to have to pass right beside a being that stood out to his Avoral eyes as dark as night without running it through was nearly all Velentham could stand. Coupled with the intense heat that threatened to drain them all of every ounce of moisture in their bodies - Velentham found himself having a hard time from the start.
The layout of the Nine Hells was simple. The lowest point of the plane above connected to the highest point of the plane below. In this way, each plane was connected and went ever deeper. Demons and hellspawn traversed the pathways constantly - some planes were more populated than others - and each one seemed to grow in difficulty, be it the landscape or the lord that ruled each one.
The trio passed through the burning city of Dis, down to the plane of Minauros from the City of Chains, passing through swamps that boiled with acid and others that froze, down to the plane of Phlegethos and the City of Abriymoch and the fires of hell that threatened to char the skin from their flesh. The deeper they went, the more beings Velentham ran into, the less his mind remained coherent. He knew he was slipping - each time a hellspawn neared him, he would let out a moan, unable to stop himself. He would shake, and at times, he would catch himself seeing nothing but the dark shapes of demons in his sight - his eyes glowing silver disks.
The trio made it to the mile-high pillar of skulls without incident. It was slipping down the spire of Dis Citadel into the city of Dis itself that threatened to send Velentham into a rage. His father's invisibility kept the denizens from detecting them, but to have to pass right beside a being that stood out to his Avoral eyes as dark as night without running it through was nearly all Velentham could stand. Coupled with the intense heat that threatened to drain them all of every ounce of moisture in their bodies - Velentham found himself having a hard time from the start.
The layout of the Nine Hells was simple. The lowest point of the plane above connected to the highest point of the plane below. In this way, each plane was connected and went ever deeper. Demons and hellspawn traversed the pathways constantly - some planes were more populated than others - and each one seemed to grow in difficulty, be it the landscape or the lord that ruled each one.
The trio passed through the burning city of Dis, down to the plane of Minauros from the City of Chains, passing through swamps that boiled with acid and others that froze, down to the plane of Phlegethos and the City of Abriymoch and the fires of hell that threatened to char the skin from their flesh. The deeper they went, the more beings Velentham ran into, the less his mind remained coherent. He knew he was slipping - each time a hellspawn neared him, he would let out a moan, unable to stop himself. He would shake, and at times, he would catch himself seeing nothing but the dark shapes of demons in his sight - his eyes glowing silver disks.
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