Thaddeus (Chapter 32)

Template:Thaddeus nav Let his habitation become desolate;

Let there be no one to live in it.

Of his office, let another take it.

-- Visions of Akarat, c. 15, v. 38-40

When Thaddeus returned Anya to Harrogath, a meeting of the oldest surviving Barbarians was called: Malah, Qual-Kehk, and a few others came. The others waited respectably, but very worriedly, outside the door. Not far enough away to avoid hearing, Thaddeus noticed, but shooing them away didn't seem important. Thaddeus and Cain were invited as well, for both had earned some esteem by now. Apparently, Cain's bottomless well of knowledge held him in good stead, especially all the drinking songs he could recite from memory.

"It began one night, when I noticed Nihlathak going back to his temple. Outlanders, each clan has its own temple, but Nihlathak is the elder of his tribe..."

"Was the elder," Qual-Kehk frowned.

"Good. Nihlathak is priest of the grandest temple of all the snake clans. One night, I saw him returning there by portal. My father taught me portal spells as well, so I followed."

Malah shook her head. "I am amazed our elders kept their Druidical knowledge hidden from us, and for so long!"

"I have been told of the great division which occurred between your people and the druids, long ago," Cain said. "The two paths were deemed incompatible, but each agreed that the other's ways had some merits. Your elders must have considered their magical knowledge a great secret, which could not be shared with warriors."

"Exactly," Anya said. "But this is not important now. What is important is that there, in the garden of Nihlathak's temple, waiting for him, was Baal himself with all his attendants!"

The room went silent. "Nihlathak was bargaining and wheedling, offering to show Baal the path to the summit in exchange for the lives of our people. He would have given Ball the Worldstone if he could! I could not believe what I heard, and stayed too long; one of Baal's creatures discovered my hiding place. Nihlathak wanted me alive for himself, so Baal took me away and put me in that icy prison."

"As a bargaining chip, no doubt," Thaddeus muttered. "But something confuses me. Nihlathak was willing to show him the path to the summit, but this was not enough to satisfy Baal... is that not where the Worldstone rests? Or is there more?"

Qual-Kehk darkly said, "What lies at Arreat's summit is something we have not spoken of to any stranger. Few go there, and fewer return."

"All with knowledge of the magical arts have debated the purpose of Mount Arreat," Cain began. "But none have --"

Sensing another long speech, Thaddeus interrupted, "-- to know what is there. If Baal is unsure of going there, that is all we need to know."

"I'm afraid he may not be for long," Anya said. "While I was gone, Nihlathak took the Relic of the Ancients! With it, Baal would not... he would be able to pass the summit safely!"

"The... Relic of the Ancients?" Thaddeus asked.

"As chief of all the tribes, my father kept it in his temple, but all the elders had access to it With it, the summit would hold no fear for Baal. Any more, I should not say. It is imperative that Nihlathak not give him the Relic!"

"If his temple is the safest place for him, that is where I must go, now."

As Anya cast the portal spell that would take him to Nihlathak's temple, Thaddeus noticed every warrior in the city was watching. Hadn't they seen a portal being cast before? Maybe not -- the Barbarians may not teach their warriors about portals. Some feel that if a fighter knows he has an easy retreat, he'll fight less bravely. That was never a problem for him, but maybe others lacked his concentration.

The area in front of Nihlathak's temple was strewn with bodies, many in an advanced state of decay. What kind of temple was this? Not a good kind, that was obvious. Cliffs surrounded the temple garden (if you could call it that) except for a single, narrow path climbing up -- the only non-magical access. Thaddeus walked to the center of the garden, readied Blessed Hammer, and waited for the dead to awaken. This they did, and the hammers rang through the garden. Like the rest of Nihlathak's zombies, they had a bad habit of rising up again after they'd been killed, but the prayer of Redemption helped immensely with that.

As he disposed of the Zombies, Thaddeus mentally reviewed his order's advice for dealing with Necromancers. Whenever possible, simply avoid the wall of dead flesh they seek to impose between themselves and danger. Their curses do no harm in themselves; they are a coward's way of hampering an opponent to compensate for weakness. If cursed with faded sight, rely on the Light to guide your steps; few Necromancers can outrun a charging Paladin. The curse of the iron maiden is torturous, but can be assuaged by calling on Holy Shock or Vengeance. But beware the power of a Necromancer to use his minions even after they are struck down, by causing the corpse to explode! Redeeming the souls of the dead by holy prayers will take this power from him.

Nihlathak's temple was full of the dead, staggering and stumbling all over the place. Judging by the empty niches all over the temple catacombs, and the zombies' thick, sturdy bones, these were his own tribe's dead, raised to serve him more obediently than they ever did in life. Every now and then, one would mutter what might have been words; rotted tongues and broken jaws made their meaning unguessable. If Nihlathak had somehow found a way to bind the souls of dead warriors, instead of just using their mortal frames, his evil had gone far beyond mere necromancy. Thaddeus made sure to stop and pray for all these tortured dead, releasing them from Nihlathak's power.

Baal's creatures defiled the Barbarian temple too, Minotaurs and Maulers. Blessed Hammer was less effective on them, but killing them was simply a matter of time -- time Thaddeus hoped he wasn't wasting. He'd seen no sign of Baal in the temple, but it had taken him most of a day to find Anya since Nihlathak disappeared. In that time, Baal might have come and gone. The temple's catacombs were huge, easy to lose himself in, and the stairways small, tucked away in unexpected locations. Things got so bad, Thaddeus had to go back to Anya and ask where he should go.

"The catacombs are three layers deep, with many shrines and burials. Has Nihlathak left the paintings on the walls intact?"

"The paintings were broken by powerful blows; I think the demons there were offended by their beauty. Nihlathak will probably hide on the deepest level. Do you remember where the stairs from the second level are?"

"I have never been that deep inside, but I believe they are to the north and west. You are nothing like our people, outlander."

"How so?"

"You will stop to ask for directions. And you've barely even looked at me. Do you think I would be a danger to your vows?"

She asked the question so straightforwardly, the insinuation almost didn't offend him. As he glared at her, Thaddeus suddenly became aware Anya was attractive for a Barbarian. A bit sturdy for his tastes, with a rather long nose, but far above average for the race. Maybe the Barbarians weren't staring at the portal after all. "For all our sakes, time is not something I can afford to waste. I also did not think you would want anything to do with an outlander, so there would be no point in expressing an interest."

"A man, if he is a man, would look. What kind of man are you? You seem a warrior, but Cain tells me you slay your enemies by magic."

"Would you be happier if I had looked at you?"

"I would have struck you for your impudence. A simple warrior does not look at the chief's daughter."

All the simple warriors looked at the chief's daughter; Thaddeus saw a lot of them were still looking. They looked from a distance, admittedly... but Anya's stand-offishness seemed at variance with the facts. Was this an intimidation tactic, trying to keep the stranger from trying anything he shouldn't? Or some sort of strange Barbaric flirting? Either way, he didn't have time for it. "I hope I am not so simple. Thank you for your help, I must go now."

Thaddeus finally found the stairs, and descended into the deepest halls of the temple. Some of Baal's slaves met him at the entrance, and behind them was a horde of Succubi. The level was full of Succubi, beautiful ones with brightly feathered wings; was this a way for Baal to bend Nihlathak's will? Or a reward for services rendered? Whatever the reason for their presence, they died as easily as ever. At one point, he felt so confident that he cornered one and asked her a question.

"Before I kill you, tell me what you've been doing with Nihlathak."

The Succubus spat at him. It stank. "Nothing! He keeps mooning over some Barbarian bitch like a born love-slave."

Oh, ho. "What are you doing here?"

"Having no fun at all. Something you'd know nothing about."

Thaddeus shook his head. "Why does everyone think I've taken a vow of chastity?"

The Succubus' eyes brightened. "You haven't?!"

"No! Not that it matters for you, though." Then he beat her head in.

In a remote corner of the catacombs, Thaddeus finally saw Nihlathak. He was floating over a horde of slave creatures, surrounded by a spinning shell of bones. Thaddeus never heard of Necromancers being able to fly. As the slaves came for him, he retreated to a safe distance and let the hammers spin. As he paused to clean up the bodies, Nihlathak spoke.

"I suppose you're wondering what I hope to gain from this."

"The safety of Harrogath, and the hand of the great chief's daughter," Thaddeus said, as the last demon body vanished.

"Correct! You have no idea what you're interfering with!"

As he collected a new group of minions for death and disposal, Thaddeus replied, "Does this mean I won't be invited to the wedding?"

"I invite you to die!" There was a pause, in which nothing happened. "Damn it! What are you doing back there?"

"Come closer, and I will show you."

"Oh, no! I am perfectly comfortable back here. Don't think getting rid of those slaves will save you. It is a simple matter for me to raise more. Do whatever you like with them."

"The Succubi have been wondering why you won't do what you like with them."

The sneer was audible. "I'm not stupid. I know what Succubi do to men, better than you do. You honestly think this will do some good, don't you?"

By this time, Thaddeus had moved around to the other side of Nihlathak's lair, collecting a new batch of minions. "Having fewer Succubi in the world is a small improvement. Anya is much better looking."

After a small pause, Nihlathak answered, "Don't even think of touching her, or my revenge will not stop when you're dead."

"You think I'll break my vows over a Barbarian?"

"Do you take vows? Or is it just a way of disguising your interest in choir boys?"

Thaddeus took a deep breath, and replied, "Big talk, for someone who surrounds himself with naked slave men."

"This is insulting and pointless!" Nihlathak suddenly seemed to lose patience. "You're just hanging back, trying to draw me out! It won't work. Are you a coward?"

"No, merely sensible. But if you insist..."

As quickly as he could, Thaddeus ran into the room. Nihlathak was hovering over a raised pentagram The crowd around Nihlathak was much smaller than before, but still too large; he ran out the other entrance with the crowd of slaves behind him. After disposing of them, he went back and charged.

Just as he was about to bash Nihlathak's brains in, he vanished, reappearing a short distance away. Blast, Necros weren't supposed to know teleporting spells; he must have studied the magical ways of several clans. Who knows what he could do? Nihlathak summoned a slave, and Thaddeus prepared his shield and called on the spirits of vengeance. As far as he could, Thaddeus ignored the slaves, beating through the bone shield around Nihlathak until he had to summon it again. Finally, frustrated with his scepter's lack of killing power, he switched to his maul and charged. That was just what Nihlathak was waiting for.

On a signal, a slave jumped between Thaddeus and Nihlathak, and died. Nihlathak gestured, and the explosion blasted Thaddeus across the room. Fire was a terrible threat without his shield, and the rest of the slaves were between him and Nihlathak. As Nihlathak laughed, Thaddeus fell back around the corner, killing and disposing of the bodies as they came. This could get we killed, he thought; what should I do? Charge was very risky. The hammers might be worse, if he sets off more than one corpse at once.

Thaddeus put the maul away, and readied Blessed Hammer. It had killed Diablo; surely it could take care of one Necromancer. He could hear Nihlathak in the chamber outside his lair. "Oh, Pally-boy... where have you hidden all the bodies? Do you fear me so much?"

"I sent them away to their reward. You'll meet them again soon enough."

"I don't think so. I have a world to rule. And its about time, too."

"No, Nihlathak. There won't be a world out there. You've given him the Relic of the Ancients, haven't you?"

"You forced me to do that, you know. When you found the girl, Baal was going to call off our whole bargain and send all his armies into Harrogath! That foolish shield would have done no good at all, and neither would you. I had to give it to him to save my people!"

"Nihlathak, you have destroyed your people. Do you think Harrogath will survive long after he destroys the Worldstone?"

"He gave me his word!"

Thaddeus actually looked around the corner at Nihlathak. "His word?"

For the first time, Nihlathak actually looked nervous. "You don't think he's a man of his word?"

Thaddeus slowly turned away. The headache was coming back. "You idiot."

"DON'T YOU CALL ME THAT, YOU STUPID WARRIOR!! All you muscle-headed louts are so stupid! You're stupid, stupid, stupid! If Baal tries anything, my magic will save Harrogath!"

Thaddeus just shook his head. "You IDIOT..."

"I can take on anybody!" Nihlathak's voice was rising to a high pitch. "Do you know how long, how many years I worked to make myself the ultimate killing machine!? No one can beat Necromancy for mastery over life and death! But I didn't stop there, I studied sorcery, and thaumaturgy, even alchemy! Go on! Ask me anything about anything magical!"

"YOU IDIOT..."

Screeching now, Nihlathak replied, "I told you to STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!"

Thaddeus ran around the corner and charged Nihlathak. The elder took it right in the gut; Thaddeus hit him again and again, slamming him back into a wall. After teleporting away, he summoned another slave. This time, Thaddeus carefully sidestepped and slammed him into a wall again. While he was stunned, Thaddeus got between the slave and Nihlathak, slamming with his shield to knock him back before charging along the wall. After a few solid hits, his defenses collapsed, and Thaddeus sprayed his brains all over his dead minions. An infernal gate opened up in the floor, and as Nihlathak hovered there, screaming out his last breath, the flesh was stripped from his bones and his bones wrenched apart. The whole gory mess was drawn straight down into Hell as the gate closed up.

Watching him get his reward for all his efforts, Thaddeus thought: nice fireworks, Baal. Then he looked at the last slave. It looked at Thaddeus. It tried to smile. Thaddeus didn't smile back. After crushing its skull, he looked around for anything resembling a relic, in the dim hope that it might still be here. None were to be found.