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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4576723" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 54</p><p></p><p></p><p>“Everyone up the stairs!” Mara yelled, pointing with her shortsword ahead of her. In her heavy armor, she was the slowest of the companions, but most of them could not help looking back, even if they could not immediately see the hobgoblins that they knew were pursuing them. </p><p></p><p>Jaron and Beetle were their rearguard, and they <em>could</em> see the enemy, at least from the way that Jaron kept turning and hastily loosing arrows into the darkness behind them. Beetle was hopping merrily along beside him, looking as though he were dancing through a summer meadow instead of fleeing ahead of an onrushing horde of hobgoblins intent on his life. </p><p></p><p>“Come on!” Mara urged, pausing for just an instant at the bottom of the stairs to verify that the halflings had heard and were obeying. Devrem was already up the stairs, no doubt preparing their position for the assault that would be coming sooner rather than later. </p><p></p><p>Mara started up the stairs as the halflings rushed after her. She spared one last glance and saw the hobgoblin phalanx, moving together as a disciplined wedge, appear in the passage to the south. They were moving quickly but carefully, each step taking in unison, without so much as a crack in the shield wall that was held before them. The hobgoblin warlord formed the point in that wedge, his long spear held out ahead of him from a tiny crack in the wall of shields. No doubt he had been what Jaron was shooting at, but if the creature was injured, Mara couldn’t see it. </p><p></p><p>Mara passed Elevaren on the stairs. “Hurry, get into position, they’re right behind us!” she urged her friend. But while the eladrin stepped aside to let them pass, he held his ground. “I may be able to do some damage before they get to us. Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you!” </p><p></p><p>Mara shook her head, but there was no time for further discussion. She ran up the stairs, Jaron almost on her heels. Beetle lingered a bit, wanting to see what the warlock was going to do. </p><p></p><p>Elevaren crouched, so that he could see farther into the room at the base of the staircase. The hobgoblin line swung out as it rounded the pit in the center of the room, adjusting with practiced precision as they shaped their formation to the layout of the room. The tread of their boots was like the beating of a drum, each step forward coming one upon the other in a rapid cadence. </p><p></p><p>Elevaren summoned his magic; a dark cloud of fey power formed around his head and his hands, and his pupils became black orbs that saw into realities that transcended the material realm. He drew deep from that power, and focused it upon the enemy ranks. </p><p></p><p>The hobgoblin on the left end of the enemy line faltered, breaking ranks with the others and falling out of the formation. His comrades tried to adjust, but the soldier, caught in the <em>curse of the dark dream</em>, stumbled, his perceptions clouded by the warlock’s magic. He did not even see the pit that gaped before him, and did not scream as he plummeted into the waiting darkness where rats swarmed in a wild horde. </p><p></p><p>One of the hobgoblins started to go to his aid, but the warlord drew him back into line with a sharp bark of command. The hobgoblins rushed forward, breaking into a run that still did not dislodge their formation. Elevaren rushed up the stairs, Beetle close behind him, the halfling flicking a last knife behind him as he ran. The missile glanced off the helmet of the hobgoblin leader, but inflicted no damage. Beetle outpaced the warlock, the halfling’s nimble feet carrying him up the stairs faster despite the difference in stature between them. </p><p></p><p>At the top of the stairs, Mara and Devrem were working together to roll a broken length of stone pillar into position. The ruins provided ample raw materials for improvised defenses, but the debris also made it hard to maneuver; Mara cursed as their weapon snagged on a protruding wedge of stone. Grunting with effort, she levered her end of the pillar up over the obstacle. Jaron, leaning precariously over the lip of the stairwell, arced a shot over the head of the warlock. The arrow flew true, but hit a shield instead of a hobgoblin soldier’s body, and bounced harmlessly aside. The excellent armor of the hobgoblin veterans and their ability to work together had thus far protected them from any serious injury, other than the one that Elevaren had witched into the pit below. But with five of them left, plus the leader, it looked grim for the clash of arms that looked to be inevitably approaching. </p><p></p><p>And in fact they were coming faster than the companions had expected, surging up the stairs with their leader driving them to a still-faster pace. They were overtaking Elevaren, for all the disparity in armor and foot speed. </p><p></p><p>“Elevaren, look out!” Mara warned, even as the leader thrust his spear forward. </p><p></p><p>The warlock spun, and hurled his magic at the hobgoblin warchief. But the <em>witchfire</em> missed its target, flaring around the edges of the leader’s head instead of driving into his eyes and ears. </p><p></p><p>The hobgoblin did not miss. He slammed the head of his spear into the warlock’s side, driving him roughly back. The eladrin did not cry out, but he groaned as the impact sent him reeling against the steps. Bright red droplets fell from the spearhead to litter the stone around him, and a plume of the same color began to spread quickly across his tunic. </p><p></p><p>“Elevaren!” Mara yelled. She started to her friend’s aid, but Devrem seized her arm, roughly holding her back. </p><p></p><p>In any case, she would not have reached him in time, as the hobgoblin rush continued forward, surging toward the disabled warlock like a wave.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4576723, member: 143"] Chapter 54 “Everyone up the stairs!” Mara yelled, pointing with her shortsword ahead of her. In her heavy armor, she was the slowest of the companions, but most of them could not help looking back, even if they could not immediately see the hobgoblins that they knew were pursuing them. Jaron and Beetle were their rearguard, and they [i]could[/i] see the enemy, at least from the way that Jaron kept turning and hastily loosing arrows into the darkness behind them. Beetle was hopping merrily along beside him, looking as though he were dancing through a summer meadow instead of fleeing ahead of an onrushing horde of hobgoblins intent on his life. “Come on!” Mara urged, pausing for just an instant at the bottom of the stairs to verify that the halflings had heard and were obeying. Devrem was already up the stairs, no doubt preparing their position for the assault that would be coming sooner rather than later. Mara started up the stairs as the halflings rushed after her. She spared one last glance and saw the hobgoblin phalanx, moving together as a disciplined wedge, appear in the passage to the south. They were moving quickly but carefully, each step taking in unison, without so much as a crack in the shield wall that was held before them. The hobgoblin warlord formed the point in that wedge, his long spear held out ahead of him from a tiny crack in the wall of shields. No doubt he had been what Jaron was shooting at, but if the creature was injured, Mara couldn’t see it. Mara passed Elevaren on the stairs. “Hurry, get into position, they’re right behind us!” she urged her friend. But while the eladrin stepped aside to let them pass, he held his ground. “I may be able to do some damage before they get to us. Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you!” Mara shook her head, but there was no time for further discussion. She ran up the stairs, Jaron almost on her heels. Beetle lingered a bit, wanting to see what the warlock was going to do. Elevaren crouched, so that he could see farther into the room at the base of the staircase. The hobgoblin line swung out as it rounded the pit in the center of the room, adjusting with practiced precision as they shaped their formation to the layout of the room. The tread of their boots was like the beating of a drum, each step forward coming one upon the other in a rapid cadence. Elevaren summoned his magic; a dark cloud of fey power formed around his head and his hands, and his pupils became black orbs that saw into realities that transcended the material realm. He drew deep from that power, and focused it upon the enemy ranks. The hobgoblin on the left end of the enemy line faltered, breaking ranks with the others and falling out of the formation. His comrades tried to adjust, but the soldier, caught in the [i]curse of the dark dream[/i], stumbled, his perceptions clouded by the warlock’s magic. He did not even see the pit that gaped before him, and did not scream as he plummeted into the waiting darkness where rats swarmed in a wild horde. One of the hobgoblins started to go to his aid, but the warlord drew him back into line with a sharp bark of command. The hobgoblins rushed forward, breaking into a run that still did not dislodge their formation. Elevaren rushed up the stairs, Beetle close behind him, the halfling flicking a last knife behind him as he ran. The missile glanced off the helmet of the hobgoblin leader, but inflicted no damage. Beetle outpaced the warlock, the halfling’s nimble feet carrying him up the stairs faster despite the difference in stature between them. At the top of the stairs, Mara and Devrem were working together to roll a broken length of stone pillar into position. The ruins provided ample raw materials for improvised defenses, but the debris also made it hard to maneuver; Mara cursed as their weapon snagged on a protruding wedge of stone. Grunting with effort, she levered her end of the pillar up over the obstacle. Jaron, leaning precariously over the lip of the stairwell, arced a shot over the head of the warlock. The arrow flew true, but hit a shield instead of a hobgoblin soldier’s body, and bounced harmlessly aside. The excellent armor of the hobgoblin veterans and their ability to work together had thus far protected them from any serious injury, other than the one that Elevaren had witched into the pit below. But with five of them left, plus the leader, it looked grim for the clash of arms that looked to be inevitably approaching. And in fact they were coming faster than the companions had expected, surging up the stairs with their leader driving them to a still-faster pace. They were overtaking Elevaren, for all the disparity in armor and foot speed. “Elevaren, look out!” Mara warned, even as the leader thrust his spear forward. The warlock spun, and hurled his magic at the hobgoblin warchief. But the [i]witchfire[/i] missed its target, flaring around the edges of the leader’s head instead of driving into his eyes and ears. The hobgoblin did not miss. He slammed the head of his spear into the warlock’s side, driving him roughly back. The eladrin did not cry out, but he groaned as the impact sent him reeling against the steps. Bright red droplets fell from the spearhead to litter the stone around him, and a plume of the same color began to spread quickly across his tunic. “Elevaren!” Mara yelled. She started to her friend’s aid, but Devrem seized her arm, roughly holding her back. In any case, she would not have reached him in time, as the hobgoblin rush continued forward, surging toward the disabled warlock like a wave. [/QUOTE]
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