The shadowy forces of Xulthûl were amassing again. Although the evil had been banished from the land of Aethos, there were signs that it was escaping it's prison. Strange creatures began roaming the land: trees that walked and sprayed acid, gigantic mushrooms that created illusions in the minds of those who encounter their spores, and bloodthirsty black bears with six legs and three eyes. The world had been safe from this type of wrongness for centuries, but the guardians of the dark wells lost their edge and Xulthûl was once again able to spread his poison through Aethos.
In response, the forces of light, celestial beings with no physical bodies, used their power to form shells on earth to inhabit.
Danu, who had power over water, coalesced into a barely solid form, her body constantly seemed to be flowing in and over itself. She came armed with her famous bone shield that had held back the forces of Xulthûl all those centuries ago.
Alus, able to cause living things to grow at an incredible rate or to wither and die, joined Danu on this quest. Covered from head to two in leaves, he also came armed with a shield and his Lifeshield Cloak.
The last member of the group was also the youngest. Cailleach had not been around during the last battle with Xulthûl, but her defensive abilities were a must for a dangerous mission such as this. She appeared as a giant golem of ice, wielding a shield and wearing armor made from the scales of a sea dragon.
They weren't in Aethos long when they encountered their first creature perverted by the evil of Xulthûl. They heard a bird call from overhead. It seemed to be an ordinary crow, but when it flew low over top of the band of heroes, it sprayed acid out of its mouth! They raised their shields to block the blast and then Danu blasted the creature out of the air with a powerful force of water.
Fortunately for our heroes, Xulthûl can only alter a living thing so much. If his perversion takes control of a weaker creature or organism, he can only improve its strength so much. So when the band was attacked by a mangy squirrel, it did not take long for them to dispatch it.
The heroes traveled the land, looking for the ancient wells. The guardians who had grown lax over the centuries and allowed Xulthûl's power to return were now on edge and attacked anything that came close. As they approached the well, the ground seemed to erupt before them. Out of the crater emerged what appeared to be a snake made entirely of rock. Its granite scales moved with grace as they slithered across the ground, towering over our heroes. They found that if they looked into its hypnotizing eyes their own eyes played tricks on them, seeing things that weren't actually there. This would be their first real test.
Before the creature had a change to strike and show just how powerful it was, our heroes played their first trick up their sleeves. They did not enter our world unprepared for danger such as this, but came bringing heavenly potions that did great damage to the forces of darkness. They used these now, throwing them at the serpent, the vials smashed into pieces against its rocky skin and smoke and fire burst forth.
It was not enough to kill the creature, but between the three of them they were able to force it back into the cavern from which it came.
Tendrils of darkness oozed out of the well as the guardian retreated. The well they had discovered had already been corrupted by Xulthûl and now his power was spreading even further. They would have to be about their business quickly.
As they came to another well, they slowed, eyes darting around for the guardian. They heard a roar behind them and quickly turned around. A brawny black bear rose on hind legs behind them, exposing an extra set of legs, all six paws showing razor sharp claws. As the heroes used their magic against the beast, they found that it devoured their magic and seemed to grow stronger!
The battle raged on for what seemed like hours. They struck their foe many times but he did not see to weaken. The heroes were weak and tired. In a final push, they attacked together and struck down their foe.
Light seemed to shoot in all directions from the discovered well. They watched in wonder as the light banished the darkness. Creatures twisted by evil reverted back to their original forms and scampered off into the woods. Xulthûl had been held back once again. But for how long?
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