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[Medriev]

Telkya scrambled back up the slope desperately but as she did, two tendrils lashed out to seize her, one around her leg and the other around her throat. Sharp thorns drove into her flesh and blood poured from her wounds. She gasped and gagged as blood filled her throat then merciful blackness took her. The creature dragged the elf maid’s lifeless body into its own and enveloped her with thorns and fronds for a second time. Dulvarna cried out and lashed out at the creature but though her blade tore at the fronds, leaves and thorns, it seemed to do no harm. Again the warrior woman cried out and as she did, both Lavren and Litiraan let out strangled cries of their own. Telkya was surely lost to them and her brother and husband were consumed with grief.

The arboreans came forth from the side chamber they had occupied, one rushing along the edge of the pit toward Enlishia. It lashed out with its scythe and she leapt back again but still the vicious weapon caught her left arm and spun her into the wall. Tendrils lashed out from the pit, one tearing across Enlishia’s abdomen and another tearing open her throat. Blood flowed down the ranger’s body and she staggered as a wave of nausea and pain assailed her. Finally, she fell to her knees and collapsed as blackness took her.

The second arborean rushed along the northern edge of the pit toward Lavren and Litiraan while the satyr leapt desperately away from Erlmoor. It raised its bow and fired an arrow into the dragonborn’s left arm but the paladin paid it no mind and came forward again. His blade sang out, clove through the satyr’s neck and beheaded the creature where it stood. Its body toppled over to its left and slid down into the pit. The dragonborn looked back along the pit edge and saw that Enlishia had fallen. He raised his blade and rushed off around the southern edge of the pit and then along the eastern edge to meet the arborean that stood over his friend.

Lavren and Litiraan turned toward the pit and loosed silver and black bolts of arcane power into the plant creature that had consumed Telkya. The creature lashed out with its tendrils and enveloped Dulvarna, thorns tearing at her arms and legs as it drew her into its body. The warrior woman fell amidst the vines, fronds and leaves but kept hold of her sword and lashed out with all her strength at the creature. The fronds around her fell back as her sword cut through them and she pulled herself free of them, clambering away, back up the sloping pit wall.
“We have to get away from here,” she called to the others. “Telkya is lost to us.”

Erlmoor heard his companion’s shout and glanced to his left, seeing the truth of his friend’s words. He had no time to contemplate retreat, though, as the arborean leapt over Enlishia and lashed out with its scythe. He brought his sword down and met the scythe with a strong parry. He roared his defiance but as he did, tendrils lashed into his legs tearing into his flesh and dragging him from his feet. He slid down the pit side and into the mass of another of the plant creatures. As he looked up, another of the arboreans was rushing at Lavren and Litiraan and the dragonborn knew that defeat was at hand.
“Get all you can away from this place,” he roared to Dulvarna on the pit’s northern slope but he had no idea whether she heard him as the plant creature consumed him.

Lavren met the arborean at the northwest corner of the pit and raised his blade but the creature swept its scythe in low and slashed a deep wound across the front of his right thigh. He looked down into the pit and saw that the plant creature had moved toward Dulvarna leaving Telkya’s broken form to roll free. Lavren looked desperately for signs of life but could see none and felt tears filling his eyes. He leapt away from his arborean enemy and lashed his wand to the left with a guttural cry. Purple bolts of energy lanced into the pit and seared into two of the plant creatures and for the first time, the one that had felled Telkya seemed to shrink back.

Beside Lavren, Litiraan tried to drag his brother-in-law away from the pit as he moved towards double doors in the western wall of the chamber. He reached the doors and hurled them open but as he did, he turned and uttered a spell that loosed a curtain of flame into the plant creatures in the pit. The creature that Dulvarna fought, lashed out wildly at the warrior woman and wrapped two thorn-covered tendrils around her body. Dulvarna twisted and ducked out of the plant creature’s grasp before lashing her blade into the creature, tearing it in half. The vines and fronds fell back lifeless and Dulvarna clambered out of the pit. She reached down and dragged Telkya onto the ledge beside her before pulling a potion from her belt.
“Help your sister,” she said to Litiraan as she held out the potion vial.