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[howandwhy99]

The creatures did not die easily. Hits did less damage than suspected. It was a battle of attrition as both humans and dwarf tired with each swing and the undead did not. The kobolds were gaining ground pushing past the room entrance. Darius grudgingly gave up foot by foot choosing to back into the idol room and protect Dram. Having no luck at all with the rats in the wall Dram's actions did stop anyone else from being bitten. He had also managed to kill the two kobolds that had outflanked him. Dalin was falling back to where Brother Ben stood as the swarm was split between entering the idol room and advancing down the corridor. He took a full minute to rest himself and between the scratches on Dalin's face and the poison working through him he looked near death himself. Kayla poured some of the healing fruit juice down his throat, but only the scratches healed. Ben stood tall with his hands held high continuing to try and hold back what seemed an unending torrent.

It was at that moment when Igor's instinct for self-preservation finally overcame his irrational fear. "The truth of undeath affects each person differently," Ben would reflect later. Swinging Guido's old sword two-handed, Igor filled Dalin's place in battle. Darius and Dram stood back to back in the idol room. Its smashed offering bowl lent little assistance as a dozen kobolds pressed their attack. Unguarded one of the zombie rats darted back out of the hole. Shouts for help were called and Kayla and Mirel focused their fire on the kobolds attempting to enter the room. Brother Ben paced forward chanting. Divine light had poured out of him for nearly ten minutes. Courageously, Dalin struggled to stand up as the poison coarsed through his body. Step by step he advanced on the kobold skeletons cutting one in half with his sword. "Seven", he counted aloud.

Dram and Darius were finally having some luck in killing the kobolds. It was difficult to focus on destroying one when they moved over each other and then retreated due to the divine light. Igor and Dalin waded forward to the room entrance and seeing their allies' tactics within stood back to back in the door way. Dalin worked to keep further skeletons out while Igor swung his massive sword trying to destroy the ones inside the room. Ben moved forward as bites and scratches began to affect Igor. The cook had neither chainmail nor plate armor like the others. Having fought without rest for over ten minutes straight Darius was staggered by an attack and fell to his knees.

The light from Ben dimmed as he stopped chanting for a moment and grabbed at his waterskin. He rushed forward through the doorway. The creatures clawed and bit at him as he advanced. Igor stepped forward to back up Dram and help him guard Darius. The crooked man Darius had straightened was in a frenzy frothing at the lips while hitting the small skeletons. Many of the monsters in the idol room were now destroyed thankfully. Dram worked the rat zombie back into a corner while guarding his shins from both its bites and the kobold's. Ben made it to Darius's side and poured a mouthful of healing juice down his throat and the dwarf's stamina returned. Now moving out into the hall Dalin ran to his left trying to stave off any attacks on Kayla and Mirel. Both women danced side to side trying to stay in Dalin's torchlight but away from the kobolds. They slung stones at point blank range into the oncoming mass.

Once again standing Darius called out "Retreat!" and began hammering a path through the kobolds to the room's entrance. Ben called on the power of the Gods again and the job was made easier. Dalin made it back to Kayla and Mirel effectively inacting a fighting withdrawal. The zombie rat darted back into it hole as Dram desperately tried to destroy the creature before retreating himself. Igor somersaulted out into the main hallway with the large sword in his lap. Swinging back and forth he managed to hit another kobold. Ben kept calling on the power while standing in the entranceway. Darius pulled Dram back from the rat hole and the four of them ran headlong through the remaining skeletons trying to reach Dalin and the others. Finally together the group was harassed by the few remaining kobold skeletons all the way back to the main corridor. Darius and Dram kept up a rear defense while the others ran down through the main entrance. Igor shouldered Dalin up as he swayed side to side.

Calls were made up the well for a rope. Apparently no one was nearby, but after a couple minutes one was lowered down. Dalin was tied and pulled up and in that time Mirel had already climbed to the surface. Darius and Dram who had been continuously pushed back decided to turn and ran the last few yards out the entrance door. "QUASQUETON!!" everyone yelled. And the stone door slammed shut.