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(Lag plagued me during today's play! Argh!)

SWEETSPEARGIRL RETURNS: Chapter 11: The Fall Of Mephisto
========================================================

Cast of Characters:
- SweetSpearGirl, Who Needs No Introduction
- Euyfura, Likewise
- The Ubiquitous Decoy

TAKE HEED AND BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTHS THAT LIE HEREIN, FOR THEY ARE THE
LAST LEGACY OF THE HORADRIM...

Seethe Fang (blowdart fetish, teleportation) awaited SweetSpearGirl and
Euyfura as they left the relative safety of the Spider Forest waypoint and
headed back into the jungle, but SweetSpearGirl's freshly re-acquired Decoy
distracted him long enough for well-placed arrows and spears to slay him and
his minions. Further on, through a few packs of Cloud Stalkers and
straggling Suckers ("damn mosquitoes," SweetSpearGirl commented), and into
the Flayer Jungle. Where, oddly enough, they met Flayers and their Shamen.

Grey Maim the Jagged (flayer shaman, cursed) barred their way - but not for
long. Stumbling into a Flayer village, however, SweetSpearGirl fetched up
against a pack of Champion Soul Killers backed up by blowdart flayers and
Winged Nightmares, without time to cast a Decoy. A corpse-recovery run
followed...

"Bastards!" she muttered angrily. Euyfura agreed silently.

Happily, the waypoint was just round the corner; they fragged their foes and
snagged it.

More Flayers, more Shamen, more Winged Nightmares. SweetSpearGirl snagged a
Cathan's ring from someone for the extra life-steal (it was definitely worth
the loss of magic find from the Nagel!), boosting her life steal to 20%
overall. Another Flayer village up ahead contained the Gidbinn altar (a
single Champion Rat Man was its guardian, hmmm); she returned the magic
dagger to Ormus, who told her, "This magic ring does me no good!"...

"Storm Gyre"
Required Level: 13
+4 to Energy
Cold Resist 13%
Lightning Resist 6%
Damage Reduced by 2
Half Freeze Duration
5% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items

OK, so it wasn't awful, and it would have been a keeper if it had had a few
percent of life steal, but at least for now SweetSpearGirl needed to stick
with her dual Cathan's set-up, so she didn't don the gift. She did however
hang onto it, in case she found some life leech on something else.

Now it was on into the Flayer Dungeon to hunt down Khalim's Brain.
SweetSpearGirl picked up combat and armour shrines as the intrepid pair
(with liberally-placed Decoys) fought Dark Shapes and various kinds of
Flayers (including Undead ones, who exploded and hurt). As they picked their
way through level 2 of the dungeon, these included Sin Crawler the Slayer
(stone skin), whose pack was backed up by a couple of poison-spitting Water
Watchers. Unfortunately, SweetSpearGirl's weapon chose to break just when
she didn't have enough gold for repairs, so in the end she did sell Ormus'
gift to Hratli to cover the costs.

Aside from a few Flayer-filled rooms, large parts of level 3 were errily
empty. Until the Witch Doctor Endugu (magic resistant, fire enchanted)
charged his buggers out on our intrepid adventurers! Fortunately, he dropped
some nice magical items which fetched a good price in town, and the glowing
chest coughed up Khalim's Brain.

So it was time to have done with the jungle!

Up the fetid river they went, smashing their way through Flayers and Winged
Nightmares, downing potions left and right. Both spearazon and rogue
levelled to 25 on the way, prompting Euyfura to comment, "Say what you like,
these buggers give good exp!"

"You give a better one," SweetSpearGirl smirked, evading Euyfura's bow which
the rogue suddenly decided to throw at her.

"Watch it," Euyfura said, "or there won't be any more Rogue exp for you!"

Both SweetSpearGirl and Euyfura were by now heartily sick of the Flayers,
their Shamen and their jungle, so it was almost a relief when the remains of
the city of Kurast opened up before them and Stormtree (extra fast,
lightning enchanted) and his Thrasher minions charged out at them. They went
down, and our heroes pressed onward.

Lower Kurast was home to Tree Lurkers, cousins of those annoying Sand
leapers from the desert, but they seemed to not hit so hard and were easily
dispatched. They also encountered Zakarumites (as well as Hell Buzzard
minions led by Pulse Wolf - fire enchanted), who went down so wonderfully
easily that SweetSpearGirl's depressed spirits were lifted and even the
humidity seemed to matter far less. Every monster was just another
opportunity for loot. Every boss (like Devil Bender - cold-enchanted
zakarumite) was just more experience. A few Doom Apes showed up, went down
easily, and then there was the Lower Kurast waypoint.

"Onward and upward," said SweetSpearGirl with a grin as they entered the
Kurast Bazaar. It was guarded by a pack of Champion Thrashers who dropped
purples and gold; further on, they met more Zakarumites and normal
Thrashers, as well as Faithful and lightning-shooting Sextons. Nothing was
more than a minor problem and, well, onward and upward, another fight and
another waypoint...

They peeked into the Ruined Temple and - eeek! Stair trap! It was
wall-to-wall Spider Magi and Flesh Hunters - not tough, but unexpected.
*Stab* *Jab* *Poink!* Another step, a pair of Night Lords, and then
Battlemaid Sarina (extra fast, spectral hit) and her multitude of minions
charged out.

The Black Book of Lam Esen was just in the next room. Alkor was overjoyed to
have it, and SweetSpearGirl was able to put 5 wisely-placed points into
Strength. She also came up trumps with a Rainbow Amulet of the Sentinel (+8
to all resists and MDR +2) which she swapped for her previous rare ammy.

Upper Kurast yielded packs of Zealots and Cantors, and oddly enough a boss
pack of Winged Nightmares led by Stone Break the Hunter (fire enchanted).
The only trouble came from Foul Maggot the Sharp (lightning-enchanted
Cantor) and his Faithful minions, who required a hasty escape to town before
returning to beat the crap out of them.

"Ouch!" was Euyfura's only comment.

"Well keep back next time, silly Rogue!" SweetSpearGirl said.

Euyfura muttered something rude which the Amazon didn't hear, as they
approached the Kurast Causeway.

To run into Zealot minions and their Hierophant boss Devil Call the Shade
(extra strong), as well as other Hierophants. Eeeek...

Finally, just before the Travincal waypoint, they encountered *another* boss
Hierophant. This one was Black Venom (multiple shot) and spewed lightning
everywhere until SweetSpearGirl stuck him full of holes. His drop was
typically nondescript, which sucked. Oh well... the High Council were next
up, anyway, and they would be *evil*...

First up was a minion, followed by Ismail Vilehand. He dropped Khalim's
Flail, which SweetSpearGirl grabbed, throwing up another decoy. Another
minion followed, then Geleb Flamefinger (extra strong, fire enchanted).
Another decoy. Another minion. Finally Toorc Icefist (cold enchanted, stone
skin) went down. The Council were dead! Now all that remained was to go into
the Swers after Khalim's Heart, and then go after Mephisto!

SweetSpearGirl and Euyfura entered the sewers via the Kurast Bazaar
entrance. Euyfura's only comment was "Ick!", but a pack of Preserved Dead, a
few Undead Soul Killers and Icehawk Riftwing (gloombat, extra strong, cold
enchanted) later, the way down to level 2 was in front of them. Which was
small, stuffed full of loot-full chests, and guarded only by Stygian
Watchers and Blood Wings ("damn mosquitoes" again...)

And Khalim's Heart was in a glowing chest. SweetSpearGirl quickly transmuted
the bits, equipped Khalim's Will, and opened the way to Mephisto's Durance!
(There was a lone Council minion hanging around, which our heroes wasted...)

Their first encounter was Pulse Fester (mana burn), a boss Undead Stygian
Doll, and friends. They still hurt when they exploded, but otherwise were no
trouble. SweetSpearGirl was very close to levelling, too, and Dark Lords and
Maulers crowded them as they worked their way down. She levelled shortly
after saying a Dark Lord boss and a Champion Mauler, plugging another five
points into Strength. Cadavers joined the usual suspects on level 2, as did
the waypoint. Then... it was down to meet Mephisto...

Bremm Sparkfist (lightning enchanted, unholy fire aura) put up a fight. But
died. As did his minions and his Blood Lord friends. Then it was onwards.
Unfortunately the Blood Lords were so thickly clustered, and did so much
damage with their firewalls that Euyfura went down in seconds and
SweetSpearGirl didn't have enough gold to revive her - or for repairs! A
blue Horned Helm dropped by Bremm helped, though.

Maffer Dragonhand (extra strong, extra fast) was a wuss by comparison. He
went down easy, and then it was on - to Mephisto himself!

"YOU'RE TOO LATE!" he howled as he spotted them, but SweetSpearGirl was
already stabbing him as she yelled "Well it's too late for YOU!" Euyfura
went down fast - but so did he. Hitting SweetSpearGirl hard and chilling her
during the fight, but he went down. SweetSpearGirl used his loot (four
yellow items!) to revive Euyfura and make repairs, and finally - it was
farewell to Kurast!

"And good riddance," Euyfura muttered as they stepped through the Durance
portal...

TO BE CONTINUED...


-- 
Jack of Hearts in The Eeeeevil Cabal (TINC...)
Website currently down.
There is no spoon.