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Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions (final update posted 02.14.10)
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<blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 4465049" data-attributes="member: 2323"><p><strong>[PLAIN][Realms #453] Who Knew Snakes had such Bad Breath?[/PLAIN]</strong></p><p></p><p>The group exchanged glances. Well, except for Huzair who simply activated the <em>Ring of Invisibility</em> and vanished. All of them seemed to believe that Aphyx was the correct answer, but no one seemed willing to speak the Rot Queen's name. As the silent moment swelled uncomfortably, Ahlear took a shuffling step forward.</p><p></p><p>"Aphyx...?" Ahlear rasped as he scanned the room for the invisible speaker. The response was a horrible keening wail that sounded like the death screams of a thousand innocent souls. It was followed up immediately by a cone of utter cold that originated from somewhere above and behind the altar and bathed the entire party in its chill.</p><p></p><p>Ahlear thought for an instant that he saw the shape of an enormous invisible serpent rimed in frost as the breath weapon discharged, but then he was engulfed in the swirling cold and could see no more. When the ice cleared a moment later, where he thought he had seen the snake's head there was nothing save empty air.</p><p></p><p>The mummy reacted first, jumping back from the altar and rasping a few curses. He pulled a potion vial from his belt saying, "Guess that was the wrong answer!" Behind him, invisible and clinging to the mortal coil only by virtue of the <em>False Life</em> spell he had cast earlier, Huzair snorted.</p><p></p><p>"Wrong answer?" he sniped. "I guess!" Sarcasm dripped heavily from his words and as Ahlear opened his mouth to say something more, the wizard quickly shrieked, "DO NOT answer again!"</p><p></p><p>Anania staggered to the side, aimed her bow at the spot where the cone of cold had originated and loosed an arrow. It clattered against the ceiling and then fell to the floor. There seemed to be nothing there, but an instant later she was lifted violently off the ground, and blood exploded from beneath her armor as something ravaged her flesh, while leaving her covering unmarked. She screamed even as she reached for another arrow from her everfull quiver, but before she could raise it to her bowstring, she was hurled violently against the left-hand wall. She struck with the force of a battering ram and slid bonelessly down the hole there, falling into the dark chamber below.</p><p></p><p>"Everyone out of the room!" Huzair's voice shouted, followed by the sound of his feet retreating down the staircase. "Let us regroup outside of the room!"</p><p></p><p>Noxin raised his hammer in a defensive posture and placed his body in such a way that he defended the doorway leading back the way they came. "Retreat!" he called, looking at Morier briefly before returning his attention to whatever invisible thing lurked in the chamber. "I'll hold the line! Go!" The albino glanced at Noxin and then nodded at Shamalin.</p><p></p><p>"He's right! We're not prepared to deal with this!" Morier told the cleric, stepping behind the big man's left shoulder and heading down the stairs. Shamalin didn't answer as she was in the process of casting a spell; however once the <em>Sanctuary</em> was in place, she moved to follow the eldritch warrior, leaving Noxin and Ahlear in the chamber.</p><p></p><p>"Come on!" Noxin shouted at the mummy. Ahlear glanced up.</p><p></p><p>"But the elf-" the mummy started to say, gesturing to the hole in the floor.</p><p></p><p>"She's dead!" Noxin barked. "And you may like it, but I got no plans to join the two o' ya!" Ahlear said nothing, but spared the dark hole in the floor another look and then loped quickly out the door and down the stairs. He sensed rather than heard or felt jaws snapping shut in the air behind him.</p><p></p><p>"We'll be seein' ya!" Noxin grinned up at the empty room, swinging his hammer in a defensive pattern in front of himself despite the fact that he saw nothing threatening. He managed a single retreating step before something slammed into him, or rather it slammed into his hammer. The force, or weight, or whatever threatened to wrench the weapon from his hands, but he maintained his grip and was able to struggle against the unseen thing. It was fantastically strong! Noxin had once, foolishly, challenged a cloud giant to what ended up as a very brief, very humiliating wrestling match. The cloud giant was strong, but this – whatever this was – was stronger still. A lot stronger!</p><p></p><p>Noxin gave ground and pulled the hammer free with a jerk. As he retreated down the steps, he heard a voice call after him.</p><p></p><p>"I'll be waiting!" it hissed.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>"Why are you so insistent that we not give another name?" Shamalin was asking Huzair when Noxin reached the chamber at the bottom of the stairs. "Couldn't it possibly save us from further attack?" The wizard shrugged and downed a potion.</p><p></p><p>"I saw what being wrong cost us," he told the cleric as he wiped his lips on the back of his hand. "I guess you could give it a try, if you want." He made a gracious gesture toward the stairs back up to the chamber and smirked with Shamalin looked away.</p><p></p><p>"Could it be the Animal Lord, Brogine's sister, Dridana that the snake serves?" Shamalin asked, glancing up hopefully at the others. Morier nodded although he didn't look happy with the realization.</p><p></p><p>"Yes... it must be," the eldritch warrior admitted.</p><p></p><p>"I could go up and call out: 'You serve the Animal Lord Dridana'," Shamalin suggested. "That might earn us passage."</p><p></p><p>"I don't know that I'd try that if I was you," Noxin said, massaging his meaty shoulder with one huge hand. "Whatever's up there's awful strong. You all saw what it did to the elf."</p><p></p><p>"My poor little flower," Huzair said with genuine remorse in his voice. His expression hardened and he shook his fist, his other hand going to his spell component pouch. "I want to <em>Fireball</em> that place out of spite," he growled. "It may also do some good. I cannot miss, that is for sure!" </p><p></p><p>"No No No NO NO NO !!!" Morier shouted grabbing Huzair's arm at the elbow in a grip that as always seemed out of place on his spare frame. The mage glowered down at him and tried ineffectually to peel Morier's fingers off his arm.</p><p></p><p>"Have you got a better idea, Whitey?" he challenged.</p><p></p><p>"Yes. I do," Morier said. "Shamalin can heal me up, I'll buff a bit, and go try speaking Dridana's name." Huzair snorted.</p><p></p><p>"Be my guest," Huzair said as he stowed his empty potion vial in his <em>Handy Haversack</em>. "In fact, I encourage it. I suggest Ahlear go since he's already dead." The mummy managed to look annoyed despite the limitations imposed by desiccated flesh and obscuring wrappings.</p><p></p><p>"True, I have touched death once," he hissed, "but I am not happy to suicide just for your convenience." Huzair shrugged.</p><p></p><p>"Guess that leaves you, whitey," the mage said with a smirk.</p><p></p><p>"Aw, I don't know," Noxin grinned, raising his hammer to his shoulder. "I am willing to go on the attack."</p><p></p><p>"That's two," Huzair observed. "Any other takers?"</p><p></p><p>"I would be much more beneficial to our efforts were we to rest here overnight," Shamalin admitted. "I'm nearly out of miracles. But Anania is out there somewhere and I can't justify leaving her."</p><p></p><p>"My guess is Anania has passed onto the 100 days walk," Noxin said with a shrug. "I've seen folks take a lot o' punishment an' walk away, but not that much." Huzair glared at him, but the big man did not notice.</p><p></p><p>"I still want to retrieve her body for a proper burial..." Ahlear rasped. "It is the least..." His sepulchral voice trailed off and Huzair nodded.</p><p></p><p>"If there is no risk I will go get it invisibly," he offered.</p><p></p><p>"We don't know where it is," Ahlear reminded and Huzair threw his hands up.</p><p></p><p>"Whatever!" he scoffed. We still need to address this invisible snake as soon as possible. I do not feel right just lounging about with it up there. "</p><p></p><p>"I told ya, I am ready to fight..." Noxin said and quaffed a potion.</p><p></p><p>"Hopefully it won't lead to combat," Morier told him. "But I am glad to have you at my side if it does."</p><p></p><p>"Just make sure you stay behind him up there," Huzair hissed into Morier's ear. "He's put together a lot more solidly than you are."</p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p>Morier did not take Huzair's advice, instead leading the way up the stairs to the chamber above. Noxin's glowing hammer cast the eldritch warrior's shadow long in front of him and on the threshold of the altar chamber, Morier looked over his shoulder and said, "Put away the weapon, but be ready." Noxin looked at him as if he were mad and kept the hammer where it was.</p><p></p><p>"I'm ready," he said. "You jus' say what you gotta say and don't worry about me." Morier nodded and stepped forward.</p><p></p><p>"You came back," the voice hissed, equal parts menace and surprise.</p><p></p><p>"I know who you serve," Morier said. "You serve Dridana." The words hung in the air for a moment and then a dry mirthless chuckle filled the chamber.</p><p></p><p>"You are correct," the voice said. "Long have I waited for sssomeone to ssspeak Her name and free me from my tasssk as guardian of the gate. It isss a pity that you are not that one. A true ssservent of She Who isss All would not have firssst ssspoken the name of Her enemy." That was all the warning that Morier got.</p><p></p><p>The next thing he knew he felt fangs the size of daggers sinking into his flesh beneath his armor. He felt venom being pumped into his body, but managed to resist the initial shock of it. He could do nothing as he felt invisible coils wrap around him and squeeze the breath from his lungs. He struggled mightily, but even augmented as he was by a <em>Bull's Strength</em> spell, he may as well have been struggling to resist the hand of a god. He squeaked as he felt ribs start to crack beneath the strain.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jon Potter, post: 4465049, member: 2323"] [b][PLAIN][Realms #453] Who Knew Snakes had such Bad Breath?[/PLAIN][/b] The group exchanged glances. Well, except for Huzair who simply activated the [i]Ring of Invisibility[/i] and vanished. All of them seemed to believe that Aphyx was the correct answer, but no one seemed willing to speak the Rot Queen's name. As the silent moment swelled uncomfortably, Ahlear took a shuffling step forward. "Aphyx...?" Ahlear rasped as he scanned the room for the invisible speaker. The response was a horrible keening wail that sounded like the death screams of a thousand innocent souls. It was followed up immediately by a cone of utter cold that originated from somewhere above and behind the altar and bathed the entire party in its chill. Ahlear thought for an instant that he saw the shape of an enormous invisible serpent rimed in frost as the breath weapon discharged, but then he was engulfed in the swirling cold and could see no more. When the ice cleared a moment later, where he thought he had seen the snake's head there was nothing save empty air. The mummy reacted first, jumping back from the altar and rasping a few curses. He pulled a potion vial from his belt saying, "Guess that was the wrong answer!" Behind him, invisible and clinging to the mortal coil only by virtue of the [i]False Life[/i] spell he had cast earlier, Huzair snorted. "Wrong answer?" he sniped. "I guess!" Sarcasm dripped heavily from his words and as Ahlear opened his mouth to say something more, the wizard quickly shrieked, "DO NOT answer again!" Anania staggered to the side, aimed her bow at the spot where the cone of cold had originated and loosed an arrow. It clattered against the ceiling and then fell to the floor. There seemed to be nothing there, but an instant later she was lifted violently off the ground, and blood exploded from beneath her armor as something ravaged her flesh, while leaving her covering unmarked. She screamed even as she reached for another arrow from her everfull quiver, but before she could raise it to her bowstring, she was hurled violently against the left-hand wall. She struck with the force of a battering ram and slid bonelessly down the hole there, falling into the dark chamber below. "Everyone out of the room!" Huzair's voice shouted, followed by the sound of his feet retreating down the staircase. "Let us regroup outside of the room!" Noxin raised his hammer in a defensive posture and placed his body in such a way that he defended the doorway leading back the way they came. "Retreat!" he called, looking at Morier briefly before returning his attention to whatever invisible thing lurked in the chamber. "I'll hold the line! Go!" The albino glanced at Noxin and then nodded at Shamalin. "He's right! We're not prepared to deal with this!" Morier told the cleric, stepping behind the big man's left shoulder and heading down the stairs. Shamalin didn't answer as she was in the process of casting a spell; however once the [i]Sanctuary[/i] was in place, she moved to follow the eldritch warrior, leaving Noxin and Ahlear in the chamber. "Come on!" Noxin shouted at the mummy. Ahlear glanced up. "But the elf-" the mummy started to say, gesturing to the hole in the floor. "She's dead!" Noxin barked. "And you may like it, but I got no plans to join the two o' ya!" Ahlear said nothing, but spared the dark hole in the floor another look and then loped quickly out the door and down the stairs. He sensed rather than heard or felt jaws snapping shut in the air behind him. "We'll be seein' ya!" Noxin grinned up at the empty room, swinging his hammer in a defensive pattern in front of himself despite the fact that he saw nothing threatening. He managed a single retreating step before something slammed into him, or rather it slammed into his hammer. The force, or weight, or whatever threatened to wrench the weapon from his hands, but he maintained his grip and was able to struggle against the unseen thing. It was fantastically strong! Noxin had once, foolishly, challenged a cloud giant to what ended up as a very brief, very humiliating wrestling match. The cloud giant was strong, but this – whatever this was – was stronger still. A lot stronger! Noxin gave ground and pulled the hammer free with a jerk. As he retreated down the steps, he heard a voice call after him. "I'll be waiting!" it hissed. "Why are you so insistent that we not give another name?" Shamalin was asking Huzair when Noxin reached the chamber at the bottom of the stairs. "Couldn't it possibly save us from further attack?" The wizard shrugged and downed a potion. "I saw what being wrong cost us," he told the cleric as he wiped his lips on the back of his hand. "I guess you could give it a try, if you want." He made a gracious gesture toward the stairs back up to the chamber and smirked with Shamalin looked away. "Could it be the Animal Lord, Brogine's sister, Dridana that the snake serves?" Shamalin asked, glancing up hopefully at the others. Morier nodded although he didn't look happy with the realization. "Yes... it must be," the eldritch warrior admitted. "I could go up and call out: 'You serve the Animal Lord Dridana'," Shamalin suggested. "That might earn us passage." "I don't know that I'd try that if I was you," Noxin said, massaging his meaty shoulder with one huge hand. "Whatever's up there's awful strong. You all saw what it did to the elf." "My poor little flower," Huzair said with genuine remorse in his voice. His expression hardened and he shook his fist, his other hand going to his spell component pouch. "I want to [i]Fireball[/i] that place out of spite," he growled. "It may also do some good. I cannot miss, that is for sure!" "No No No NO NO NO !!!" Morier shouted grabbing Huzair's arm at the elbow in a grip that as always seemed out of place on his spare frame. The mage glowered down at him and tried ineffectually to peel Morier's fingers off his arm. "Have you got a better idea, Whitey?" he challenged. "Yes. I do," Morier said. "Shamalin can heal me up, I'll buff a bit, and go try speaking Dridana's name." Huzair snorted. "Be my guest," Huzair said as he stowed his empty potion vial in his [i]Handy Haversack[/i]. "In fact, I encourage it. I suggest Ahlear go since he's already dead." The mummy managed to look annoyed despite the limitations imposed by desiccated flesh and obscuring wrappings. "True, I have touched death once," he hissed, "but I am not happy to suicide just for your convenience." Huzair shrugged. "Guess that leaves you, whitey," the mage said with a smirk. "Aw, I don't know," Noxin grinned, raising his hammer to his shoulder. "I am willing to go on the attack." "That's two," Huzair observed. "Any other takers?" "I would be much more beneficial to our efforts were we to rest here overnight," Shamalin admitted. "I'm nearly out of miracles. But Anania is out there somewhere and I can't justify leaving her." "My guess is Anania has passed onto the 100 days walk," Noxin said with a shrug. "I've seen folks take a lot o' punishment an' walk away, but not that much." Huzair glared at him, but the big man did not notice. "I still want to retrieve her body for a proper burial..." Ahlear rasped. "It is the least..." His sepulchral voice trailed off and Huzair nodded. "If there is no risk I will go get it invisibly," he offered. "We don't know where it is," Ahlear reminded and Huzair threw his hands up. "Whatever!" he scoffed. We still need to address this invisible snake as soon as possible. I do not feel right just lounging about with it up there. " "I told ya, I am ready to fight..." Noxin said and quaffed a potion. "Hopefully it won't lead to combat," Morier told him. "But I am glad to have you at my side if it does." "Just make sure you stay behind him up there," Huzair hissed into Morier's ear. "He's put together a lot more solidly than you are." Morier did not take Huzair's advice, instead leading the way up the stairs to the chamber above. Noxin's glowing hammer cast the eldritch warrior's shadow long in front of him and on the threshold of the altar chamber, Morier looked over his shoulder and said, "Put away the weapon, but be ready." Noxin looked at him as if he were mad and kept the hammer where it was. "I'm ready," he said. "You jus' say what you gotta say and don't worry about me." Morier nodded and stepped forward. "You came back," the voice hissed, equal parts menace and surprise. "I know who you serve," Morier said. "You serve Dridana." The words hung in the air for a moment and then a dry mirthless chuckle filled the chamber. "You are correct," the voice said. "Long have I waited for sssomeone to ssspeak Her name and free me from my tasssk as guardian of the gate. It isss a pity that you are not that one. A true ssservent of She Who isss All would not have firssst ssspoken the name of Her enemy." That was all the warning that Morier got. The next thing he knew he felt fangs the size of daggers sinking into his flesh beneath his armor. He felt venom being pumped into his body, but managed to resist the initial shock of it. He could do nothing as he felt invisible coils wrap around him and squeeze the breath from his lungs. He struggled mightily, but even augmented as he was by a [i]Bull's Strength[/i] spell, he may as well have been struggling to resist the hand of a god. He squeaked as he felt ribs start to crack beneath the strain. [/QUOTE]
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